Motörhead
Aftershock

THE REVIEW

Lemmy is unwell. Lemmy stopped halfway through a concert. Lemmy canceled an entire tour. Lemmy is at death's door. But no!

The last icon of rock 'n' roll has been through it all recently and at the time of writing, he hasn't returned on the road yet, but I must say that as a sign of recovery, this album isn't half bad. Of course, I have to admit I expected something a bit better, especially after all the teasers from the mustached rocker, who painted it as the best album of recent years and urged fans to listen at all costs, even if it meant stealing it (!!!).

The first two songs are "Heartbreaker" and "Coup de grace" (subtly dedicated to Lemmy's tough situation?), they are classic Motörhead songs: fast, aggressive, and... direct? No, not this time, the sound is a bit more complicated than usual, missing the easy chorus, and the songs need to be listened to a few times before being fully understood. "Lost Woman Blues" is the second surprise, a - indeed - classic and effective blues, which introduces perhaps the most violent song of the album; "End of Time" is indeed powerful and raw, more immediate than the others. "Do you Believe" is very similar to "Rock 'n' roll" from "The world is yours," at least in terms of lyrics, and is followed by "Death Machine," similar to "End of Time," and consequently malicious and direct, although a bit slower. These three songs are perhaps the best episodes of the album, divided from the other songs by the two blues tracks, the aforementioned "Lost woman..." and the following "Dust and Glass," which is also very good. "Going to Mexico" is another great song, fast and, needless to say, violent; "Silence When you Speak To Me" is instead a bit slower, and almost maliciously denies us the easy chorus. This one too requires a couple more listens than usual to be understood. "Crying Shame" and "Knife" are two songs that, in my opinion, could have been skipped, rather classic but nothing amazing. "Queen of the Damned," on the other hand, I like a lot, as it is similar to "Ace of Spades," while "Keep your power dry" is the third surprise, a song that closely resembles AC/DC. "Paralyzed" ends the show neither in glory nor shame. 

But what remains fundamentally of this album? What justifies such a high rating? Aftershock is, compositionally, a bit different from the typical tone of the band, and for this reason, it is certainly noteworthy; however, it pays the price by presenting a collection of songs that rarely delve into the genius or the unforgettable. "Silence When You Speak To Me," for example, is a good piece, but not at the level of "I Know How To Die." Let’s not say the word filler, because none of the songs is truly bad, but certainly some tracks could have been omitted. What ultimately makes the album leap in quality are the three of them. Because Mikkey Dee hits the drums as if there is no tomorrow, Phil gives us some great moments, both in composition and performance, and Lemmy... Lemmy is Lemmy, he won't stop even if he dies. Finally, the lyrics and the cover are excellent, tied to a post-apocalyptic scenario probably trying to give us a message: like the Snagletooth on the cover, Lemmy and his guys have been through it all. They've had their "Heartbreaker" and found themselves in a "Coup de grace," but they remain a "Death Machine," capable of giving us unforgettable moments.