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Motörhead was formed in 1975 by bassist/vocalist Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister after his tenure in psychedelic rock outfit Hawkwind. Joined by guitarist "Fast" Eddie Clark and drummer Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor, the band ended up being one of the most influential (and loudest) heavy metal bands ever. Using simple rock 'n' roll elements for song templates, Motörhead infused punk's speed with the intensity of metal, paving the way for both the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and the thrash/speed metal movement. Their sophomore album, 'Overkill', is quite possibly their all-around best, definitive document.
The fact that no less than seven of the album's original ten songs have been included on the band's numerous compilations and live albums should tip anyone off that this is one monster of an album. The title track kicks things off with one of the first examples of prominent double bass drumming in heavy metal. It contains no less than three false endings and usually closes the band's concerts. "Stay Clean" features an awesome bass solo from Lemmy; unlike most bassists, Lemmy plays his bass overdriven, resulting in a more guitar-esque tone at times that fills in the bottom-end quite nicely. Tracks like "Capricorn" and "Metropolis" prove that Motörhead was still effective at slower tempos, while "No Class" and "Damage Case" show that Lemmy could have a pretty good sense of humor when it came to his lyrics. (He even dedicated the former song to himself and Clark on the 1981 live album 'No Sleep 'til Hammersmith'.) Several bonus track from the same era are included on this remastered edition of the album. "Too Late Too Late" and "Like a Nightmare" were B-sides of the "Overkil" and "No Class" singles respectively; both were included on the band's quintessential 1984 compilation 'No Remorse'.
Motörhead would have several more great albums in the wake of 'Overkill', but one could pretty easily make the case that this is their greatest. Decades after the album's inital release, the band still plays more songs from this album than any other in concert, and even though it doesn't contain some of their bigger hits of later years, most of their compilations seem to greatly emphasize this album. Regardless, 'Overkill' is one of the most important metal albums of all time and is necessary listening for anyone interested in Motörhead.
The fact that no less than seven of the album's original ten songs have been included on the band's numerous compilations and live albums should tip anyone off that this is one monster of an album. The title track kicks things off with one of the first examples of prominent double bass drumming in heavy metal. It contains no less than three false endings and usually closes the band's concerts. "Stay Clean" features an awesome bass solo from Lemmy; unlike most bassists, Lemmy plays his bass overdriven, resulting in a more guitar-esque tone at times that fills in the bottom-end quite nicely. Tracks like "Capricorn" and "Metropolis" prove that Motörhead was still effective at slower tempos, while "No Class" and "Damage Case" show that Lemmy could have a pretty good sense of humor when it came to his lyrics. (He even dedicated the former song to himself and Clark on the 1981 live album 'No Sleep 'til Hammersmith'.) Several bonus track from the same era are included on this remastered edition of the album. "Too Late Too Late" and "Like a Nightmare" were B-sides of the "Overkil" and "No Class" singles respectively; both were included on the band's quintessential 1984 compilation 'No Remorse'.
Motörhead would have several more great albums in the wake of 'Overkill', but one could pretty easily make the case that this is their greatest. Decades after the album's inital release, the band still plays more songs from this album than any other in concert, and even though it doesn't contain some of their bigger hits of later years, most of their compilations seem to greatly emphasize this album. Regardless, 'Overkill' is one of the most important metal albums of all time and is necessary listening for anyone interested in Motörhead.