825. Motörhead / March ör Die. 1992. 2.5/5

As we moved deeper into the decade of the 1990's, Motörhead continued to produce albums on a regular basis that either kept you happy if you were a huge fan, and bemused you if you were just a casual fan. Each new Motörhead album generally produced one or two songs at least that you could file away in the 'classic' category, ones that you are always happy to listen to. Arguably the last album did not have any of those songs to cling onto, and so it was with deference to the past that one went forth with March ör Die.

"Stand" is a peppy opening song to the album, easily bopped along to with catchy lyrics and guitar. It is of the up-tempo variety, which is then followed by the mid-tempo "Cat Scratch Fever" which plays along with the usual singular guitar riff and the title of the song repeated through several chorus breaks. In a similarly constructed song, with slightly different riff and a change in the lyrics chanted, "Bad Religion" follows a familiar path and tempo, which is not unusual nor off-putting in a normal sense, as this is the way Motörhead do things. but it does tend to make it hard to get into the album because of the sludgy pace and similar song patterns. "Jack the Ripper" tends to break out of this mould. It's the first song that you really feel Lemmy communicating with you through the speakers, that he is really trying to connect with you through the song. OK, so the riff again doesn't seem to change throughout, but then that does tend to happen a bit with Motörhead.
Then we have two songs that were co-written with Ozzy Osbourne. "I Ain't No Nice Guy" is the rock ballad, starting off with piano and acoustic guitar, and both singers having a verse each to sing, before breaking into the bridge where the guitar turns electric, lines are traded between the two rather than a verse, and then the ballad rock guitar solo, before returning to the piano. Wow. Are these guys the bad guys of heavy metal or two old guys on a bench reminiscing about their lives? It's not a bad song but it would have been more entertaining to hear them both at their full powers than this 'tearjerker'. This is followed by "Hellraiser" which the two also co-wrote, and the first version appeared on Ozzy's album No More Tears, which is just brilliant. This version is Motörhead's version with Lemmy on vocals, slightly changed lyrics, and appeared on the soundtrack and in the film of Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth - Movie Soundtrack. I really like this version. Ozzy's version is of course the pinnacle, the brilliant version with himself on vocals and Zakk Wylde on guitar, but this 'industrial' version of the song still works.
"Asylum Choir" is another typical Motörhead, enjoyable if not ground breaking. "Too Good to be True" starts off so similar to the previous song that you sometimes have to check to make sure it ISN'T the same song. Soon enough it does break into it's own style with (slightly rewritten) guitar riff, but its a close run thing. "You Better Run" is pretty much just a blues track that has a slightly heavier, chunkier guitar riff. There's no hiding this, it s pure unadulterated blues. That's fine, for all those lovers of the blues out there, and no doubt it was an influence on the band in their younger days and I can take a little of it every so often. But even so... wow. Does a Motörhead album have to have such a track? Perhaps I'm being petty and  non-conformist, and obviously the band can write whatever songs they lie, but I could have written this song as it just uses the atypical blues riff and tricks. "Name in Vain" returns to a more typical rhythm for the band, the style that just about anyone in the world could nail as a Motörhead song. Now, given my little rant about the previous song, I'm sure others would be hounded by similar themes with this track, because it as an atypical Motörhead song, that just about anyone could have written using the atypical Motörhead riff and tricks. Yep, point well taken, but this is Motörhead, not a blues band, so my quandary still exists. The album then ends with the title track "March or Die", which consists of Lemmy chanting over a very baneful and annoying noise for five and a half minutes. It's not actually a song at all, but a tome piece. You know, I guess that's a fair enough idea to end the album, but it's just far too long, and it grates rather than incites any enjoyment.

In the scheme of Motörhead things, this is only an average release. There are many better albums, both before this and after this was released. I can still put this on and wring enough enjoyment out of it, but I will look elsewhere if I'm really looking for something good to listen to.

Rating:  I'm living on an endless road, around the world for rock and roll.  2.5/5