Motörhead
Overkill

THE REVIEW

Who doesn't know Motorhead? The English band, led by the legendary Lemmy (one of my favorite idols, the prototype of the classic rough, beer-drinking, and rowdy metalhead) has always been synonymous with great Heavy Metal, played with the heart and the same three-decade-long passion as always.
The album under examination here (such a serious tone...) is the great Overkill, the band's second album (third if we want to include the unofficial debut On Parole), but it's the first album that takes the group from a particularly rock and roll sound of the previous album to a decidedly more metallic and fast one. Very important: the CD is part of the "Sacred Triad" (always be praised!!!) of masterpieces that consecrated Motorhead to the history of music: Overkill, Bomber (both from 1979), and Ace Of Spades, released the following year. Here we find the band with the classic lineup composed of Lemmy Kilmister (Bass and vocals, OLE'), Eddie "Fast" Clark (guitar, OLE') and Philty "Animal" Taylor (drums, OLE'), creators of a classic Heavy Metal without unnecessary frills, at fast speeds, with sharp riffs and overwhelming solos. The structure of the songs is quite similar for all tracks (riff, verse, chorus, solo, verse, chorus) but each track has very different content compared to another, making the album, in my opinion, never boring.
The task of opening the platter is entrusted to the title track, "Overkill," a Motorhead milestone obligatory in live shows: Lemmy's characteristic hoarse voice delights us with that raw tone that only he possesses, Philty beats hard behind the drums and goes all out with the double bass drum, and Eddie once again delivers a performance full of feeling with his instrument. It's a rather deceptive song, pretending to stop twice and continuing with blazing solos (the distortion-heavy one at the end is particularly spectacular); it's impossible to stay still in front of this adrenaline rush! Next up is "Stay Clean," an excellent song with an engaging riff and a very catchy chorus to repeat endlessly. It's one of the favorite live tracks, especially Lemmy's engaging bass run in the middle of the song. With a particularly R'n'R riff, "(I Won't) Pay Your Price" kicks off, in my opinion the weakest track on the album, nice, fun, but nothing more. The same coordinates hover over the following "I'll Be Your Sister," enjoyable but it certainly doesn't leave a mark. Of a completely different kind is the fifth track Capricorn, a true classic of the British trio's production. A not-too-fast track, with a beautiful drum gallop, very particular riffs, and a particularly inspired Fast Eddie on the six strings, superb. A track that made history (likely the best alongside the title track) is "No Class," a boogie-metal with a vaguely southern flavor, squared riff, ideal for headbanging wildly like only a real heavy metal maniac knows how. "Damage Case" is another essential gem in Motorhead's discography, pure adrenaline, a chorus that sticks in your head, a great Philty on drums, Lemmy makes that filthy ultra-distorted bass vibrate as only he can, and Eddie is always the usual guitar ace. The next song is "Tear Ya Down," a great rhythmically punky piece, notable for the dominant bass in this song and the melodic and incisive guitar loops. We catch our breath (almost…) with "Metropolis," a hard rock full of charm and pathos, slow and calm, but no less engaging or spectacular. It imparts a strange feeling, that is, an atmosphere of a sad futuristic technological metropolis. Applause for Eddie Clarke's guitar performance and the central drum piece by that legend Philty Taylor (did you know he stopped playing with Motorhead for a period because he fainted during a particularly adrenaline-filled performance?). The LP closes with "Limb From Limb," the most atypical track on the album that doesn't have the usual scheme so dear to the group, but alternates a slow bluesy phase with speedy segments with related guitar slashing; it's one of the best pieces precisely because of its diversity.
In conclusion, this is an essential album (along with the next two plus the great live) from a band that made metal history. It's a record that inspired generations and entire bands (just think of the whole NWOBHM movement): in short, a milestone in the history of metal. If you still don't have it (but I doubt it), there's nothing left but to get it and go big with the world's most loose band.
Don't sweat it, get it back to you,
Overkill Overkill