The more things change, the more Lemmy stays the same. He is a pillar of stability in the wobbly world of metal, where bands and trends come and go. Almost every Motörhead album sounds like the last, albeit with a couple new twists thrown in. And that's not a bad thing.
INFERNO is the seventeenth album by the British metal band Motörhead. Released in 2004, it features expected blend of thrashers, midtempo grinders, and amped-up, old-time rock & roll. INFERNO feels like the group's spark has been rekindled. The most obvious infusion of energy comes from guest guitarist Steve Vai, who whips out his signature shredding technique on the thundering, rapid-fire "Terminal Show" and the sludgy "Down on Me." To Vai's credit, the legendary axeman adapts to Motörhead's style instead of showboating. Other surprises surface - the melodic guitar leads of "Keys to the Kingdom" set over a bed of strings without bass or drums, and the acoustic blues ditty with harmonica ("Whorehouse Blues") that brings Inferno to a refreshingly low-key finish.
Whorehouse Blues:
"Whorehouse Blues", is somewhat of a departure for the band in terms of influence. Reflecting on the thirty years of Motörhead's existence, it was described as a country blues style song, and was distinguished by the playing of acoustic guitar by all three band members, with Lemmy also taking up harmonica towards the end. Mikkey Dee explained his role change from drums to guitar by saying "I've been playing guitar all my life a little bit, because guitars have always been around, so it's nothing spectacular in my eyes". He also stated that "it's quite fun to walk onstage and do that song. And we definitely surprised the audiences..." Filming of the video was due to take place in a Stringfellow's club, but Peter Stringfellow objected to the song title and the associations it brought with it, and withdrew any involvement. With twenty-four hours left until the shoot, the band found a club in Ealing.
The longest running line-up in Motörhead's history proves that old dogs may not always learn new tricks, but they can reinvent the old ones just fine.
Motörhead: Lemmy Kilmister (vocals, guitar); Phil Campbell (guitar, background vocals); Mikkey Dee (drums). Additional personnel: Steve Vai (guitar).
Recorded at NRG, Paramount, Maple Studios in 2004.
Produced, Mixed & Engineered by Cameron Webb.
Track Listing:
1. Terminal Show - 3:45 2. Killers - 4:14 3. In the Name of Tragedy - 3:03 4. Suicide - 5:07 5. Life's a Bitch - 4:13 6. Down on Me - 4:12 7. In the Black - 4:31 8. Fight - 3:42 9. In the Year of the Wolf - 4:17 10. Keys to the Kingdom - 4:46 11. Smiling Like a Killer - 2:44 12. Whorehouse Blues - 6:24
Inferno (2004) (SANCTUARY RECORDS) (12 TRACKS)
ReplyDeleteMotörhead
Album Description:
The more things change, the more Lemmy stays the same. He is a pillar of stability in the wobbly world of metal, where bands and trends come and go. Almost every Motörhead album sounds like the last, albeit with a couple new twists thrown in. And that's not a bad thing.
INFERNO is the seventeenth album by the British metal band Motörhead. Released in 2004, it features expected blend of thrashers, midtempo grinders, and amped-up, old-time rock & roll. INFERNO feels like the group's spark has been rekindled. The most obvious infusion of energy comes from guest guitarist Steve Vai, who whips out his signature shredding technique on the thundering, rapid-fire "Terminal Show" and the sludgy "Down on Me." To Vai's credit, the legendary axeman adapts to Motörhead's style instead of showboating. Other surprises surface - the melodic guitar leads of "Keys to the Kingdom" set over a bed of strings without bass or drums, and the acoustic blues ditty with harmonica ("Whorehouse Blues") that brings Inferno to a refreshingly low-key finish.
Whorehouse Blues:
"Whorehouse Blues", is somewhat of a departure for the band in terms of influence. Reflecting on the thirty years of Motörhead's existence, it was described as a country blues style song, and was distinguished by the playing of acoustic guitar by all three band members, with Lemmy also taking up harmonica towards the end. Mikkey Dee explained his role change from drums to guitar by saying "I've been playing guitar all my life a little bit, because guitars have always been around, so it's nothing spectacular in my eyes". He also stated that "it's quite fun to walk onstage and do that song. And we definitely surprised the audiences..." Filming of the video was due to take place in a Stringfellow's club, but Peter Stringfellow objected to the song title and the associations it brought with it, and withdrew any involvement. With twenty-four hours left until the shoot, the band found a club in Ealing.
The longest running line-up in Motörhead's history proves that old dogs may not always learn new tricks, but they can reinvent the old ones just fine.
Motörhead: Lemmy Kilmister (vocals, guitar); Phil Campbell (guitar, background vocals); Mikkey Dee (drums).
Additional personnel: Steve Vai (guitar).
Recorded at NRG, Paramount, Maple Studios in 2004.
Produced, Mixed & Engineered by Cameron Webb.
Track Listing:
1. Terminal Show - 3:45
2. Killers - 4:14
3. In the Name of Tragedy - 3:03
4. Suicide - 5:07
5. Life's a Bitch - 4:13
6. Down on Me - 4:12
7. In the Black - 4:31
8. Fight - 3:42
9. In the Year of the Wolf - 4:17
10. Keys to the Kingdom - 4:46
11. Smiling Like a Killer - 2:44
12. Whorehouse Blues - 6:24