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General impressions and highlights
Motörhead is one of those bands that I grew up with and always liked various songs, but just never enjoyed a single album in its entirety. Instead of reviewing each album and being negative about 80-90% of each one, I thought I'd just focus on the stuff that I have liked from their discography. As someone who isn't a die-hard fan, here is my overview with some impressions.
Lemmy always said that Motörhead was a rock 'n' roll band though most agree that their music was often a mix of rock and heavy metal. As the '80s wore on, especially, their look and attitude were seen as being much more in line with the metal world compared to a lot of what was going on with the mainstream rock bands. Either way, my own preferences when it comes to Motörhead usually lean more toward their harder songs, but not always. It just depends on how a particular riff hits me, more or less.
With 1979's Overkill, the title track is obviously iconic and easily the best thing on the album (and one of the best songs they ever made). As for the rest, "Damage Case", Metropolis" and "Too Late Too Late" are the ones that always stuck out to me due to the guitar riffs, lead solos and the overall vibe. Lemmy didn't have much of a singing voice, but his gritty sound matched the feeling of the music perfectly and I can't imagine hearing them any other way.
Once again, Bomber only features a handful of songs that do anything for me: "Dead Men Tell No Tales", "Poison", "Stone Dead Forever" and the title track. Eddie Clarke really captures the heavy metal feeling in the solos, which add so much life to the songs. The riffs on these songs are energetic and memorable, as well as the vocals.
Ace of Spades is a serious favourite for most fans of the band, and even people who aren't into them at all have likely heard the title track plenty of times. One can easily hear how influential this was to the speed and thrash metal that emerged later when listening to the opener. The same can be said for "Fire Fire", which is one of my favourites from the album and even features a nice tremolo melody near the end that I wish had been developed a little more. "The Chase is Better Than the Catch" is the only other one from this album that I care for, even though it's got a more relaxed pace. Still, the riffs and solo just stuck with me over the years.
The title track of 1982's Iron Fist is definitely a top ten track for this band. This is one of those songs that just embodies the band's style, with its high energy riffs and drumming. "Go to Hell" is one of my personal favourites from Motörhead's entire discography. When it comes to the songs that I prefer, there's a definite consistency. At least from the late '70s til sometime in the '90s, there was pretty much a guarantee that I'd find something to like on each record. "Don't Need Religion" is another one that sticks out on here, though I think half the reason was always just the message of the lyrics.
Their next album, Another Perfect Day, seemed like a weird one to me. Something about the production didn't feel right but "Die You Bastard!" is still a decent song and worth coming back to. The departure of Eddie Clarke probably had something to do with the change in the vibe.
One of the band's best songs ever was released in 1984, that being "Killed by Death". While it's not as fast or energetic as a lot of the songs that I like from them, this one is great and very memorable. The guitar solo is killer as well. The 'fast version' of "Under the Knife" is also a pretty decent track.
Orgasmatron is another one with kind of a weird sound and was the first full-length with Phil Campbell. "Deaf Forever" is a memorable tune and one of the only here that I ever cared for, though I definitely prefer the older material. "Nothing Up My Sleeve" has more of the trademark Motörhead sound with a more aggressive pace and the typical drumming, this time performed by someone else entirely.
Maybe it's just me, but it felt like the band were running out of steam after a while. With 1987's Rock 'n' Roll, there are only two tracks that do anything for me: "Blackheart" and "The Wolf". Apparently, Phil Taylor had returned to the fold with this record and it can be heard on the latter. There are definitely decent riffs and solos to be heard on these songs, at least.
In 1991, Motörhead ended a down period and returned with 1916. This feels like a more consistent album to my ears and for the first time since Iron Fist, I like more than just two songs. "The One to Sing the Blues" is a good opener and offers some cool riffs and solos. "Shut You Down", "I'm So Bad..." and "Make My Day" rock just as hard and the latter includes some very memorable vocal lines as well. And I'll be damned, I even like the more somber and epic sound of "Love Me Forever". Based on most of the songs that I like from these guys, the idea of a slower and more emotional track appealing to me, especially with Lemmy's voice, might have surprised even me.
March ör Die, sad to say, didn't do a whole lot for me. "Hellraiser" is a good rock song, even if it doesn't sound at all like Motörhead. I understand that Lemmy, Ozzy and Zakk Wylde wrote it together and each band recorded their own version, but Wylde's riffing style is too distinctive and this almost sounds like more of a cover song. "Asylum Choir" is the only other one here that ever stood out to me at all, but two passable songs just a year after such a more consistent album didn't necessarily speak too well for how things were going.
Bastards is a bit more solid. Whatever lineup problems that were going on seem to have been solved, as they'd officially recruited Mikkey Dee by this point. Songs like "On Your Feet or On Your Knees", "Burner" and "Death or Glory" get back to the more straightforward and energetic stuff that these guys are so known for. "Born to Raise Hell" is a catchy rock song and I must have heard this a million times back when this came out. While not the fastest, "Liar" has its own kind of intensity, mostly stemming from the harsher vocals during the verses. It possesses a rather nasty feeling. "Devils" is similar but there's a weird vocal melody that feels very much like something else, maybe some old Beatles track I must have heard on the radio a long time ago.
I'm less likely to go much farther into the band's discography most of the time, though that's not to say there's nothing worth hearing. Sacrifice has some solid tracks like "Sex & Death" and "In Another Time", but the '90s style and production were definitely influencing a lot of the stuff on here.
Overnight Sensation was the final Motörhead album that I spent any time with. Despite the '90s production this one is not without decent songs, such as "Civil War" and the title track, which borrows that typical '80s riff that so many bands used. "Them Not Me" is a bit of a harder song but by this album I think I was just looking for something to like and lowering my standards.
I never checked out any of the following records despite going to see them live. As it turned out, it didn't matter because the set list was primarily old classics anyway. I remember joking with my friend that the drummer could basically play the same beat all night and with a little variation in riffs, Lemmy could sing all of the lyrics in roughly the same pattern and no one would even notice. That's not a knock, either. The band had a trademark sound and style, one which lasted them quite a long time and influenced many important bands that came later. I usually have to be in a certain mood to listen to them, but when I do, it's usually just a mix of songs from throughout the years.
Lemmy always said that Motörhead was a rock 'n' roll band though most agree that their music was often a mix of rock and heavy metal. As the '80s wore on, especially, their look and attitude were seen as being much more in line with the metal world compared to a lot of what was going on with the mainstream rock bands. Either way, my own preferences when it comes to Motörhead usually lean more toward their harder songs, but not always. It just depends on how a particular riff hits me, more or less.
With 1979's Overkill, the title track is obviously iconic and easily the best thing on the album (and one of the best songs they ever made). As for the rest, "Damage Case", Metropolis" and "Too Late Too Late" are the ones that always stuck out to me due to the guitar riffs, lead solos and the overall vibe. Lemmy didn't have much of a singing voice, but his gritty sound matched the feeling of the music perfectly and I can't imagine hearing them any other way.
Once again, Bomber only features a handful of songs that do anything for me: "Dead Men Tell No Tales", "Poison", "Stone Dead Forever" and the title track. Eddie Clarke really captures the heavy metal feeling in the solos, which add so much life to the songs. The riffs on these songs are energetic and memorable, as well as the vocals.
Ace of Spades is a serious favourite for most fans of the band, and even people who aren't into them at all have likely heard the title track plenty of times. One can easily hear how influential this was to the speed and thrash metal that emerged later when listening to the opener. The same can be said for "Fire Fire", which is one of my favourites from the album and even features a nice tremolo melody near the end that I wish had been developed a little more. "The Chase is Better Than the Catch" is the only other one from this album that I care for, even though it's got a more relaxed pace. Still, the riffs and solo just stuck with me over the years.
The title track of 1982's Iron Fist is definitely a top ten track for this band. This is one of those songs that just embodies the band's style, with its high energy riffs and drumming. "Go to Hell" is one of my personal favourites from Motörhead's entire discography. When it comes to the songs that I prefer, there's a definite consistency. At least from the late '70s til sometime in the '90s, there was pretty much a guarantee that I'd find something to like on each record. "Don't Need Religion" is another one that sticks out on here, though I think half the reason was always just the message of the lyrics.
Their next album, Another Perfect Day, seemed like a weird one to me. Something about the production didn't feel right but "Die You Bastard!" is still a decent song and worth coming back to. The departure of Eddie Clarke probably had something to do with the change in the vibe.
One of the band's best songs ever was released in 1984, that being "Killed by Death". While it's not as fast or energetic as a lot of the songs that I like from them, this one is great and very memorable. The guitar solo is killer as well. The 'fast version' of "Under the Knife" is also a pretty decent track.
Orgasmatron is another one with kind of a weird sound and was the first full-length with Phil Campbell. "Deaf Forever" is a memorable tune and one of the only here that I ever cared for, though I definitely prefer the older material. "Nothing Up My Sleeve" has more of the trademark Motörhead sound with a more aggressive pace and the typical drumming, this time performed by someone else entirely.
Maybe it's just me, but it felt like the band were running out of steam after a while. With 1987's Rock 'n' Roll, there are only two tracks that do anything for me: "Blackheart" and "The Wolf". Apparently, Phil Taylor had returned to the fold with this record and it can be heard on the latter. There are definitely decent riffs and solos to be heard on these songs, at least.
In 1991, Motörhead ended a down period and returned with 1916. This feels like a more consistent album to my ears and for the first time since Iron Fist, I like more than just two songs. "The One to Sing the Blues" is a good opener and offers some cool riffs and solos. "Shut You Down", "I'm So Bad..." and "Make My Day" rock just as hard and the latter includes some very memorable vocal lines as well. And I'll be damned, I even like the more somber and epic sound of "Love Me Forever". Based on most of the songs that I like from these guys, the idea of a slower and more emotional track appealing to me, especially with Lemmy's voice, might have surprised even me.
March ör Die, sad to say, didn't do a whole lot for me. "Hellraiser" is a good rock song, even if it doesn't sound at all like Motörhead. I understand that Lemmy, Ozzy and Zakk Wylde wrote it together and each band recorded their own version, but Wylde's riffing style is too distinctive and this almost sounds like more of a cover song. "Asylum Choir" is the only other one here that ever stood out to me at all, but two passable songs just a year after such a more consistent album didn't necessarily speak too well for how things were going.
Bastards is a bit more solid. Whatever lineup problems that were going on seem to have been solved, as they'd officially recruited Mikkey Dee by this point. Songs like "On Your Feet or On Your Knees", "Burner" and "Death or Glory" get back to the more straightforward and energetic stuff that these guys are so known for. "Born to Raise Hell" is a catchy rock song and I must have heard this a million times back when this came out. While not the fastest, "Liar" has its own kind of intensity, mostly stemming from the harsher vocals during the verses. It possesses a rather nasty feeling. "Devils" is similar but there's a weird vocal melody that feels very much like something else, maybe some old Beatles track I must have heard on the radio a long time ago.
I'm less likely to go much farther into the band's discography most of the time, though that's not to say there's nothing worth hearing. Sacrifice has some solid tracks like "Sex & Death" and "In Another Time", but the '90s style and production were definitely influencing a lot of the stuff on here.
Overnight Sensation was the final Motörhead album that I spent any time with. Despite the '90s production this one is not without decent songs, such as "Civil War" and the title track, which borrows that typical '80s riff that so many bands used. "Them Not Me" is a bit of a harder song but by this album I think I was just looking for something to like and lowering my standards.
I never checked out any of the following records despite going to see them live. As it turned out, it didn't matter because the set list was primarily old classics anyway. I remember joking with my friend that the drummer could basically play the same beat all night and with a little variation in riffs, Lemmy could sing all of the lyrics in roughly the same pattern and no one would even notice. That's not a knock, either. The band had a trademark sound and style, one which lasted them quite a long time and influenced many important bands that came later. I usually have to be in a certain mood to listen to them, but when I do, it's usually just a mix of songs from throughout the years.
(12 May 2025)
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