:: Motörhead - Motörizer

Motörhead

As expected, legendary UK heavy rock ‘n’ roll act Motörhead are back once again with their twentieth studio effort. ‘Motörizer’ is the follow up to 2006’s highly regarded ‘Kiss Of Death’ and the band’s live effort ‘Better Motörhead Than Dead: Live At Hammersmith’ from last year. Given the success of Motörhead’s last couple of releases, the trio have once again worked with producer Cameron Webb. And while there’s a danger in trying to reproduce a formula that worked the first time around, it’s safe to say that Motörhead aren’t about to break away from the tried and true sound that’s made then what they are today. But having said that, ‘Motörizer’ does boast a couple of surprises and Webb’s production on the album is once more a perfect fit for the band.

‘Runaround Man’ gives a rousing start to the album, with Campbell’s guitar in particular standing out with its heaviness and dominance in the mix. Kilmister sounds as ageless as ever as he rambles off a heap of rocking nonsense, while Dee holds down the backbeat with pure precision. ‘Teach You How To Sing The Blues’ is the first track to stand out as something a little different for the band. While it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what’s different, the general structure of the song sounds a little more simplified and streamlined than usual for Motörhead (And that’s saying something!), but still as catchy as hell, and definitely Motörhead-like. ‘Buried Alive’, ‘When The Eagle Screams’ and ‘The Thousand Names Of God’ are heavy blasts of rock that sound reminiscent of the band’s latter day work, while ‘Time Is Right’, the fantastic ‘Rock Out’, the catchy ‘English Rose’ and ‘Back On The Chain’ are Motörhead anthems filled with traditional rock ‘n’ roll, but with a swagger that hints at a touch of old school boogie.

A heavy blues influence infiltrates the down and dirty ‘One Short Life’, but it’s ‘Heroes’ where the band step outside their comfort zone a little more than usual, with a Saxon feel felt throughout the epic tune. Motörhead have rarely failed to live up to their larger than life reputation, and with ‘Motörizer’, it’s no different. Perhaps not quite up to the high standard set by ‘Inferno’, but it’s definitely stronger than ‘Kiss Of Death’. And after thirty years in the game, that’s no mean feat.