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Review Summary: An album to remember Lemmy by With the sudden death of Motorhead’s infamous leader, millions of fans hung their heads in unison. Can he really be gone? The man who’s had his foot glued to the gas for nearly five decades can’t possibly be done, right? Once the shock subsided, and the painful acceptance took hold, the ultimate celebration began.
The fact of the matter is there’s a lot to celebrate: 40 years of unadulterated heavy metal to be exact. One thing I’ve always admired about Lemmy is his profound and genuine love for Rock ‘n Roll. Rather than bother himself with the prospects of mainstream success, he concerned himself with one thing and one thing only when creating music – does it riff? It's true, his music has remained almost entirely unchanged throughout his career in Motorhead, but his loyal fans wouldn’t have it any other way. We know exactly what we’re going to get when we put on a Motorhead record, but I’ll be damned if Mr. Kilmister doesn’t get our blood pumping every time we hear his signature gravelly voice over rapid-fire guitars.
Even though the foundation of Motorhead’s music remains virtually unshaken, there are several unique albums in their discography that strayed a bit from the standard formula. One of these albums is the often underappreciated "Bastards", released in 1993. In addition to containing a handful of songs with his trademark fast ‘n furious style, there are several slow burners that prove Lemmy was more versatile than many believed him to be. The poignant ‘Lost in the Ozone’ contains one of the most affecting performances of his entire career, as his gentler singing is nearly therapeutic, and a perfect match for the song’s dreary atmosphere. As if the track didn’t hit like a ton of bricks before, hearing Lemmy croon about his isolated state beyond the grave now hits with the emotional weight of a semi truck. The truth is, once you remove all the labels of Lemmy as an invincible rock God or even a sex icon, he was just as human as each and every one of us. ‘Lost in the Ozone’ is the perfect representation of this, as his soul is laid bare for all to see. It’s perhaps the closest we’ll ever get to unveiling the man behind the myth, but the song is sure to resonate with listeners for many years to come.
Aside from "Bastards" most sincere moments, there are still plenty of boisterous tracks that are bound to get your adrenaline pumping. ‘Born to Raise Hell’ is Motorhead at their very best, with guitar solos around every corner and Lemmy sounding as nasally yet confident as ever. Many other songs are simply groovy as hell, with ‘Death or Glory’, ‘I Am The Sword’ and ‘Bad Woman’ being immediate standouts.
Whether you’re a seasoned Motorhead fanboy or are just beginning to dive into their extensive discography, there’s no shortage of entertainment to be found on Motorhead's overlooked "Bastards". It’s an album that represents everything Lemmy ever stood for, and what a legacy he’s left behind. On December 28th, 2015, we lost a true metal great, one of the genre’s last true giants. However, he’ll never be lost completely. He poured every ounce of his blood, sweat, and tears into Motorhead for the span of four decades, and the music he left behind will never die. Lemmy was certainly born to raise hell, and his spirit is still alive and kicking in the afterlife. RIP Lemmy, you will be missed.
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Epic review dude. Fist hard
| | | Cheers guys, lost in the ozone is one of my all time favorite Motörhead songs. Really great stuff on here , RIP so hard
On a side note, I just removed the summary when I realized it was identical to the summary on manosg's featured review. Not sure how I missed that haha
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
Excellent review Atari!
Great minds think alike! I'm perfectly ok if you want to use the summary. It's Lemmy's after all ;)
On a side note, how can one not shake his ass while listening to Born to Raise Hell?
| | | Album Rating: 3.0
love all those Motorhead reviews
| | | Great read, Atari!
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Great review, best Motorhead album of the 90's.
| | | All this love for the road crew is really warming my cold heart, you guys are great.
RIP Lemmy.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Great review man. Solid album indeed.
| | | Sweet review Atari!
| | | thanks everyone!
@manosg, that's nice of you but I can just think of a different summary ;) or I might just leave it without one idk doesn't really matter. and yes born to raise hell definitely makes you wanna move!
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Along with 1916, this is the best of their 90's output.
On Your Feet or On Your Knees rips my fucking head off every time.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
Agreed. During the 90s they released their only so and so material.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
Sacrifice too for me but it was a period where every one of those big bands suffered so it's almost like it never happened.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Agree mano. Even Maiden struggled during that period. Obviously Bruce & Adrian leaving was a major factor, but, No Prayer for The Dying was, I think, by Maiden standards , a poor record, while Fear of The Dark,t/t aside, average at best.
Motorhead's output in this time, with the exception of 1916 & Bastards, was patchy, but most albums usually contain one or two killers.
March or Die & Snake Bite Love are probably the only MH albums i really struggle with.
That all said, the Inferno - Bad Magic period was very consistent. All excellent albums. I saw Motorhead when they were last down here in 2011, and they were magnificent. Completely wiped the floor with "rock stars" half their age.
| | | Yep, very solid live when I saw them.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Great review to a great album. "Devils" is an often overlooked classic.
| | | yeah devils is a great track, this is one of my overall favorite albums by them. nothing beats overkill though
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Great fucking album, and a wonderful review. Really agree with you how this album is underappreciated. It's definitely my favourite outside of their classic '79-'83 era. The hard rockers go fucking hard and Lemmy was surprisingly great at the softer slower songs. Honestly I was about to say so and so song is my favourite, but I can't pick, this album is just so good front-to-back. Even the Stones cover is bloody great.
| | | thanks man, agreed on all accounts. love the slower songs on here
their stones cover of 'sympathy for the devil' on the new album isn't bad either
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