Unless something spectacular comes out in the next month, this will be my album of the year. In 30+ years, Motorhead has never strayed from their formula, but there are a few surprises here. First, the lyrics are some of the strongest that Lemmy has penned in years. And, while not too many will rate Lemmy high on their list of all-time great singers, his vocals on "God Was Never on Your Side" shows that his range is at least a little wider than he's let on in the past.
The fact is that this album is straight forward kick-ass high voltage rock and roll. It starts kicking your ass right from the opening track, and by the time the above-mentioned "God Was Never On Your Side" momentarily slows things down, you barely have time to catch your breath before the onslaught resumes. This album is best listened to with the volume cranked up to 11 and your favorite air guitar in "hand".
If you are a Motorhead fan, this album is an absolute must-have. If you're not a Motorhead fan, this album might just change your mind.
There have been a lot of good metal albums that have come out this year, but after listening to each of them once or twice, this album invariably goes right back in to my CD player. I normally reserve 10 out of 10's for older albums that have withstood the test of time, but this album is well on its way to entering my list of all-time favorite albums, and despite a number of recent strong outings from Motorhead, including Inferno and Hammered, this one tops them, and just might be the first Motorhead album that I give a 10/10 to.
