Motörhead
Aftershock
UDR GmbH
Grab your umlauts and get ready to bang your head, Lemmy is back with his almost two dozenth album of classic speed metal! Do not fear of modern musical trends, there’s no cutesy pop cello angst or hipster ukulele madness in this collection; it’s the pure post punk speed metal sound we’ve been craving since “Ace of Spades” and “White Line Fever” first blew out our speakers. Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister is still fronting the band and his current helpers are Phil “Wizzö” Campbell (guitar) and Mikkey Dee (drums). Speed metal is the meatloaf and mashed potatoes of rock and roll, and we want to hear it just like that first time dad screamed “TURN THAT NOISE OFF!” And as always Motörhead delivers hot and fast.
This collection opens with the paint peeling “Heartbreaker” and “Coup de Grace,” and then it’s time for a power ballad. “Lost Woman Blues” sounds like Robin Trower’s “Bridge of Sighs” until about two-thirds through, then the speed increases and we are back to rolling power chords. Lemmy, you old trickster – you had me thinking you had mellowed. Ha, you faked me out. No problem, “End of Time” takes us back up to the tight piercing chords of metal – superheroes rule, the mellows are gone and he doesn’t give a damn, and neither should we. I predict this should be the hit release on this album. There’s more great lyrics here: “I don’t know what I did last night but I did it good” sums up his life on “Do You Believe” and “Give us the time and we’ll do the crime” sounds just about right for “Going to Mexico.” There’s nothing here that won’t get your blood boiling. Motörhead – a band never too old to rock and roll, and Lemmy is a man whose brain cells are never too young to die.
