868. Motörhead / Bad Magic. 2015. 3.5/5

I'm pretty sure that a two line review - "It's Motörhead" - would pretty much be enough to let you know whether or not you are going to like this album. Absolutely, there are different levels of enjoyment and excellence in every Motörhead album, I'm not trying to deny that. But you get the gist. This is the newest Motörhead album, and those of you out there that like the band for who they are know exactly what you are getting. Actually, those that don't like the band know what they are getting too.

Lemmy has had some health scares since the release of Aftershock, so whether that has had any impact on the recording of this album is perhaps up in the air. I can't say I know. Does his voice sound more raspy that it usually does? How on earth would you ever be able to measure something like that?! Is it just my imagination that suggests that his vocals are less powerful than the last album, that they seem to be placed in the songs rather than sung. Probably.
The songs here are still the short, sharp jabs coming at you in a constant flurry, almost all lasting from just over two minutes in length to four minutes. There's no progressive rock overlong monsters here, they come at you hard and fast and leave you just as quickly, rocketing onto the next track. As always, the best songs on the album are the ones that career along without that handbrake on, without any pre-conceived ideas on where the song is or where it is going to finish. My favourites in this regard include "Victory or Die", "Teach Them How to Bleed", "Tell Me Who to Kill" and "When the Sky Comes Looking For You".
The mid-tempo songs work okay as well, with most of them enjoyable with their chugging guitars and sing-along lyrics, but I've always found that in Motörhead these almost seem as though they are the songs where the band needs a break, and just want to go at a different speed to catch their breath. "The Devil" even features Brian May in the guitar solo spot which is quite a treat. "Electricity" may be simply structured but still has an undeniable attraction to it. "Evil Eye" is much in the same category.
Now as much as bands should be allowed to dictate their own choices (and they do), "Till the End" is what I would consider a mistake. Sure, it is the only songs that deviates from the template here on this album, and I'm sure it is enjoyed by most because of this, but to me it just doesn't fit, and curtails my enjoyment of the album. I recognise that I could easily be in the small minority in this regard. Then to finish off the album we have a cover of the Rolling Stones' classic "Sympathy for the Devil", which is an unusual  and comforting way to conclude proceedings.

All in all yet another solid release from a band that has rarely compromised and has stuck to what it knows and does best now for 40 years. That in itself is a marvellous achievement, along with the fact that they are all still alive and functioning.

Rating:  Standing on stage the thrill never fades, the ultimate rage.  3.5/5