“I ain’t no angel,” Motorhead main man Lemmy Kilmister sneers during ‘I Know How to Die’. Of course, anyone who isn’t yet aware of this needs to go away and check their rock’n’roll history books. Since joining Hawkwind in the early Seventies, Lemmy has been the archetypal hard-living rock star – a trait he learned roadying for Jimi Hendrix during the previous decade. Almost forty years on and Lemmy still refuses to tone down either his lifestyle or his music. Unlike many ageing legends of this magnitude, Lemmy has stayed true to the intensity and excess of rock’n’roll and has never really seen the point in putting the devil in him to rest. This will no doubt come as great news for anyone looking forward to the new Motorhead album ‘The World is Yours’ and will offer a pleasant surprise to any doubters.
On the year of their 35th anniversary, Motorhead are back with Album Number 20 and it’s a corker. From the initial assault with rifftastic opener ‘Born to Lose’, it is immediately impossible not to recognise the typical Motorhead sound on display – thundering drums, killer soloing, mean and dirty rock’n’roll and, of course, Lemmy’s trademark growl. From then on, ‘The World is Yours’ continues to take the listener on a hard rock rollercoaster ride of break-neck punk, bluesy rock’n’roll grooves and some of the heaviest metal ever committed to disc.
The first single to be taken from the album ‘Get Back in Line’ blends old-fashioned rhythm and blues with the punk-infused heavy metal style that Motorhead have made their own. On several occasions throughout ‘The World is Yours’, the band employ a similar rhythmical tempo on tracks such as ‘Waiting for the Snake’ – a heavy, grooving hard rock song – and ‘Rock’n’Roll Music’, a celebration of all things rock that features an AC/DC-style bluesy guitar riff.
The true magnificence of Lemmy’s legend means that the talents of his two compadres are often overlooked. However, the rest of Motorhead have once again proved that they are as vital to the group’s sound as their frontman. Phil Campbell’s riffs and solos are a key part of Motorhead’s music, as they have always been since he joined the band in 1984. Equally, Mikkey Dee’s relentless drumming makes him the irreplaceable other half of the Motorhead rhythm section.
As he reaches retirement age, Lemmy has again shown that his legend has not outlived his music. More importantly, what ‘The World is Yours’ proves, as Motorhead’s twentieth effort, is that the quality is still there. There’s a lot more to Motorhead than just ‘Ace of Spades’ and this is evidence that they are still strong contenders in today’s rock scene. This isn’t an ageing band trying to revive something that they used to do a lot better – this is a successful group continuing to go from strength to strength. Like a fine wine, Motorhead seem only to get better with age.
Stereoboard Rating: 8/10
‘The World is Yours’ is released on 13th December as part of a ‘Classic Rock presents… Motorhead’ magazine edition.
The standard CD release will be available from 17th January 2011.
The single ‘Get Back in Line’ is out now.
Motorhead – ‘Get Back in Line’:
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The first single to be taken from the album ‘Get Back in Line’ blends old-fashioned rhythm and blues with the punk-infused heavy metal style that Motorhead have made their own. On several occasions throughout ‘The World is Yours’, the band employ a similar rhythmical tempo on tracks such as ‘Waiting for the Snake’ – a heavy, grooving hard rock song – and ‘Rock’n’Roll Music’, a celebration of all things rock that features an AC/DC-style bluesy guitar riff. 
