Motorhead--Inferno
Packaging--
The good:
The cover is very typical Motorhead...we've got the skull getting hit by some lava. The booklet is nice and straightforward, lyrics, a photo, credits, all on a reddish background that appears to be doodles on a lyric sheet. No complaints--solid, classic Motorhead art.
The bad:
When you put the CD in your computer, it seems like there's bonus footage. Instead it's an advertisement for "Motorhead Rules", an AOL type service...it's weird to me that Motorhead has it's on ISP, but they do. I'm not really complaining, but when I think Motorhead, I would never think of "hmm, maybe I should use them as my interenet service provider.".
The music:
The good:
Some would accuse Motorhead of putting out the same album over and over again for the past twenty odd years...same old songs, no real changes. I've read that about this album.
It's not really true. Sure, Lemmy is consistent in his vocal abilities. Yes, the music is generally loud and fast rock and roll. But they really do mix it up. This album is quite solid. The last few Motorhead albums I think were lacking. They sounded tired and the songs just weren't interesting. They were in a rut, and there's nothing wrong with that. Something has kicked them back into gear...I can't say what, but I think this is the best Motorhead album in years...clearly the best since "1916" and perhaps better than some of the albums before that.
I'd probably compare this to "1916" in that there are lots of variations in songs. We have some really heavy tracks, some rockin bluesy songs ("Keys to the Kingdom"--fucking awesome), and some midpaced pounding tracks.
The recording and mix are top notch, as to be expected. The band sounds great, it's very full, and just an excellent sounding album. Lemmy's growl is as ugly as ever, the solos rip, the drums pound throughout, I can't say enough.
The bad--
The Europeans get a bonus DVD. I want a bonus DVD.
Recap�
As a fan, it's difficult for me to review this...if you like rock and roll, metal, or punk, you should know Motorhead. If you don't, then I can't express how important it is that you go out and buy one of the many "best ofs" to get a nice sample of the band. Eventually, you'll be like myself and many other fans, and wind up owning the band's catalog. If you don't like Motorhead, you just don't get it.
Review by Chris