Music review: Motorhead — ‘Aftershock’
The influential British heavy metal rockers Motorhead return with their 21st studio album.
鈥淎ftershock鈥� meticulously continues Motorhead鈥檚 nearly 40-year tradition of creating loud and fast music that delivers one tenacious gut punch, leaving little time to catch a frantic breath. The 67-year-old frontman, Ian Kilmister, shows that he can still flex his metal muscles with intimidating fury.
Known by his legion of fans as simply Lemmy, his well-worn and guttural vocals propel Motorhead鈥檚 14 new tracks at a frenzied pace.
It鈥檚 clear the band is firing on all cylinders as the ground-splitting opener 鈥淗eartbreaker鈥� thunderously introduces the metal madness that follows.
It鈥檚 refreshing to know that some things never really change no matter how much time has passed.
Motorhead sounds as potent today as they did on their 1977 self-titled debut. My first Motorhead purchase was 1980鈥檚 鈥淎ce of Spades,鈥� possessing the band鈥檚 true anthem in the title track.
It only took a mere two minutes and 49 seconds to draw me into the Motorhead mayhem. This time around, Lemmy, drummer Mikkey Dee and guitarist Phil Campbell pummel away through a show-stopping set that is punctuated by the hard-driving standouts 鈥淓nd of Time,鈥� 鈥淕oing to Mexico鈥� and 鈥淧aralyzed.鈥� Motorhead鈥檚 passion in the studio is equally fiery on stage.
A few years ago, I was fortunate enough to catch the band perform with headliner Judas Priest.
Also on the bill was 鈥淗eaven and Hell鈥� fronted by legendary singer Ronnie James Dio.
While it was a special treat to see Dio perform
before his sad passing in 2010, vivid memories remain of Motorhead鈥檚 scorching set on that perfect summer night.
鈥淎ftershock鈥� is yet another new and satisfying chapter in the band鈥檚 storied career.