Album Review: Motorhead - Aftershock

Motorhead don't appear too concerned with winning new fans. Instead, they seem intent on delivering more of the fast-paced, no bullshit rock they've been cranking out for almost four decades. And if that was the aim of Aftershock, mission accomplished.

Songs like End Of Time and Going To Mexico fill the Ace Of Spades and Doctor Rock-shaped holes and even though they don't really offer anything new, it's a formula that works and the slightly fresh take on it delivers two more solid rockers. With Silence When You Speak to Me, Motorhead deliver the kind of boot-stomping, chest-thumping chantable crowd-pleaser that you know would sound even better live. And Last Woman Blues makes for the perfect early album breather, with its stripped-down blues a stark contrast to every other track. But the real stand-out in Aftershock is Death Machine. It's exactly what you want from a Motorhead song called Death Machine. In a pretty consistent track listing of one heartstarter after another, the only real letdown is Dust And Glass. Does anyone really need a slow jam where Lemmy huskily laments lost days, lost nights and some other old clichéd slow song bollocks? Although, Phil “Wizzo” Campbell's shredding solo almost saves the day. Almost.

Kilmister is 67. Motorhead is 38. No man or band should be rocking this hard after so many years. But if you told Aftershock that, it would kick you in your balls before rocking them right off.