705. Motörhead / Aftershock. 2013. 4/5

It's a new Motörhead album, and though this will be their 21st studio album release, they can still pack a punch. OK, so maybe they will never match up to their classic albums from previous decades, but really, if you ask anyone what their favourite Motörhead albums are, and they will all have a different opinion. That's because over a long period of time, the band has been able to match the quality of its work.

The album kicks off with the immediate hard rocking "Heartbreaker" which not only instantly signals this as a Motörhead album with the grumbling bass and guitar work, but sits at that similar Motörhead tempo that sometimes feels as though it is just ambling along, but actually pushes you faster and harder than you expect. This is followed by "Coup de Grace", another perfect example of the band's best music - hard, fast and catchy. Great solo as well from Phil Campbell.
Now, I'm no blues fan (see any of the rants involving the last half a dozen Gary Moore albums of his life when he decided to follow the blues rather than his rock/metal brilliance of the 1980's), but the band gets away with it for me here. "Lost Woman Blues" is a nice tribute to this style of music (albeit a much heavier version than traditional blues), with all three members performing their roles with distinction. "Dust and Glass", which appears later in the album, is not so much blues as a slower, wistful track that, for me, also interferes with the overall intensity of the album. Both these songs just halt the momentum a bit too much for my liking, which overall is a disappointment.
The prevailing mood is restored with "End of Time" which is followed by the rollicking "Do You Believe". A lot of people consider that every Motörhead album sounds the same, and to a certain degree they are correct, in the same way that AC/DC have their signature sound, and Iron Maiden have their signature sound. After almost 40 years though it is only natural that you will find some similar pieces amongst the collected woodwork. Have a listen to the bridge in "Do You Believe", and tell me you don't find yourself singing "Love Me Like a Reptile" from Ace of Spades. Uncanny likeness, but not an abrasive one. "Death Machine" and "Going to Mexico" are also great songs.
There is a lot to like here, including some great soloing from Phil Campbell on songs such as "Crying Shame" and "Knife". His guitar work all through this album is arguably some of his finest ever with Motörhead. "Queen of the Damned" is old school Motörhead, thrashing along at a breakneck speed with guitars and drums throbbing. In fact, the whole album feels like a throwback to the glory days of the band. It is quintessentially Motörhead. "Keep Your Powder Dry" and "Paralysed" conclude the album on a high, and it is not a difficult choice to play the disc again from the beginning.
Along with Campbell's guitaring, Lemmy's signature bass work still hold every song together. It is the familiarity of this that continues to make the band so beloved by the fans. Mikkey Dee's drumming is also fantastic, keeping the three piece in perfect synchronisation along the way.

As I mentioned at the start, it is difficult to compare this album to the those from the past, given the history they have and the high esteem they are held in. In putting my neck out, I think it compares favourably with everything and anything they have released before. This is a resurgent album, and we can only hope that with Lemmy's well publicised health problem over the past twelve months that it isn't the last we hear in this resurgent phase of the band.