By Artem Altman
Do you remember the age old saying, “if it ain’t broke – don’t fix it,” well, Motörhead sure does. Released on Aug. 26, Motörizer keeps with the age old adage that has preserved the band’s musical formula and has served well for the godfather’s of speed & thrash metal. In fact, served so well that Motörhead’s sound has gone almost completely unchanged for the most of the band’s history that has now spanned over 30 years.
The signature growl-delivery of Motörhead’s frontman and bassist, Lemmy Kilmister, is just the same as ever — just as it has been on their self-titled debut, Motörhead (1977), or the seminal release of the Ace of Spades (1980) containing the album’s prototypical title-track which is credited as an influence of bands such as Metallica.
For Lemmy and the rest of the gang, Phil Campbell providing the contagious riffs, and Mikkey Dee beating out the drums, innovation is not a concept that the band is ready to accept right now or if ever. What could be called “musical-monotony,” might frustrate some bands. However, fans seem to appreciate the band’s style and so Motörhead sticks to its guns.
A combination of a charged up-tempo playing style with lyrics that dwell on the two rock n’ roll main staples: sex and rock n’ roll. Motörizer delivers the spunk with songs such as “(Teach You How To) Sing the Blues,” a dark and murky of old timer set on partying; “Rock Out,” an anthem for playing loud and partying hard; “One Short Life,” a rock sermon that preaches living a good life while taking no crap from no one; “English Rose,” a ballad full of sexual innuendos, promiscuity and a good girl gone bad; and “Heroes,” a poignant tale of soldiers fighting a war under a hazy pretense.
In the conclusion, Motörizer is a testament to Motörhead’s status as a band that has managed to put out album after album for 30 years now without shifting from what they stand for. And for the elder statesmen of rock n’ roll (as sung on “Rock Out”), they still manage to “rock out with [their] c*ck(s) out.”