Motörhead-Aftershock

UDR GmbH
2013

Regular visitors to our site should already be aware that I am a huge Motörhead fan. I first heard them some 25 years or so ago after picking up a cassette copy of "Ace Of Spades". Since them I've seen them play live more times then I can remember as both a opening act and as as support act. I've bought the shirts countless times over, have more of their music then I could realistically ever get around to listening to (split between CDs, cassettes, LPs and mp3s) and view Lemmy as the real "God of thunder and rock and roll"! Even better, my first ever review for this site was a write-up on Motörhead's "The Wörld Is Yours"! So yes, I'm a real fanboy when it comes to Lemmy and his band. Given all of that I do find myself in a weird place here. I admit that "Aftershock" shocked me alright, but sadly it was for all the wrong reasons. Well, maybe shocking is too strong of a word as more then anything it just felt sort of ho-hum. A few good tracks are sprinkled throughout 'Aftershock" and there is some really innovative playing from guitarist Phil "Wizzö" Campbell. However, on their 21st studio Lemmy, Phil and drummer Mikkey Dee also sound as if they didn't give a lot of thought towards the concept of diversity. It's not a secret or anything when I say that we all know that Lemmy's vocals and bass playing have always given Motörhead a one-of-a-kind sound and helped them stick out (and that, plainly-speaking here, a lot of Motörhead's material sounds remarkably similar). But even here it just seems as if the material falls into two categories. It sounded to me like the material here on album number 21 was either really good and heavy rocking or just...well, average. No real in-between numbers. I won't give a track by track rundown of everything seeing as "Aftershock" has already been covered a thousand times over online. I'm late the party with mine, but I wanted to give it a few spins to see if I changed my mind. Also, I had been waiting as I ordered a "Fan Pack" edition of this album from Classic Rock Magazine and was hoping it would get to me in a reasonable amount of time. But, the magazine's staff assured me that it was shipped out on October 16th and here it is November 21st and still no sign of it! Even for something that is coming my way from across the pound that's a L-O-N-G amount of time and I'm starting to think that it is as good as lost. I ended up buying just the plain old regular CD then as I grew tired of waiting for something that I now think will never show! Should the fancy package actually arrive though sometime in the next year or so I will be giving either it away or my other "new" copy. Anyway, as you know this is just my opinion of "Aftershock" and these days, thanks in no small part to the rise of technology and all that jazz, you can (probably) hear all of Motörhead's latest release online and then decide for yourself whether it's good, bad, ugly or (like my feeling of it) just ho-hum.

Promiscuity - Basic Instinct

Self-Release
2013

Israel isn't the first place that comes to mind when I think of sleazy, underground blackened speed metal. But then again what do I know? Of course I also find myself wondering what the odds are that today's generation of metalheads would know what the film Basic Instinct is let alone get the reference of this EP's cover-art? Regardless,  when it comes right down to this recently-released (name your own price) 4-track EP, which was reportedly written between 2011-2012 (with recording taking place this year) and clocks in at under 15 minutes, we're talking about one bad-ass, son of a witch, slab of heavy metal! Hell, I could just stop right there, leave you with the picture below, and that would be all you need to know about "Basic Instinct". In this case a picture speaks a thousand words!

When you've got Lemmy holding up your album then you know you've made it! What better endorsement does a band really need? Still, this 3-piece group, which was formed in 2010 by the pair of vocalist/guitarist Butcher and bassist Werewolf (who is also the owner of Israhellbanger Records and was the editor of  the fanzine "Evil's Best"), deserves a bit more press then that given how deliciously primal and "Toxic Waltz" worthy this 4-track EP is! With three original compositions and a (pissed-off and foaming at the mouth) cover of Celtic Frost's "Into the Crypts of Rays" it's not everyday that an EP like this falls into your lap! Speaking of the cool cover choice, which almost sounds like a cross between Venom and Motörhead (just two of  influences that help define the sound of Promiscuity), early Celtic Frost (and thus Hellhammer) would make for a good starting point. So would bands like Bathory, Italy's Bulldozer and maybe even (early) Burzum. With Steel (Sonne Adam) on drums the members of Promiscuity have the power-trio appeal down flat. You know the bands I'm talking about right? Venom and Motörhead are two bands that at one point or another had just three members, but bands like Sodom, Tank, At War and Destruction have also featured similar, trimmed-down line-ups. I don't know about everyone else, but I've always found 3-piece metal bands to be rather appealing and this Israeli band is no different. It should probably be mentioned that lead screamer/ thrashing guitarist Butcher comes from the "Cronos School For Gifted Heavy Metal Vocalists". Translation: His voice is a bit gruff. Rough vocals work though when it comes to underground metal (especially black metal/speed metal/black n' roll) and it gives a release like "Basic Instinct" a more sleazy vibe. Other then the (WAY too) short length of this EP you couldn't ask for a better release then this. Even though it's got a black metal soul the EP is more upbeat in a subtle Motörhead kind of way. It's also far from depressing which is (admittedly) another strange thing for a black metal (ish) band. But, it makes this one stand out in a good way. As the guys in Promiscuity, who no-doubt would be found sporting evil smirks on their faces, rock the joint all the way to hell and back they seem to be issuing an open invitations with "Basic Instinct". This EP is calling out to anyone/anywhere who wants to get on board.  If  that sounds like you then follow the link below...

http://infernalrocknroll.bandcamp.com/

Queen V-The Decade Of Queen V

Royal Noise Records
2013

As "The Decade of Queen V" comes marching in (quite literally the opening  of "Revolution Baby" features, for lack of a better descriptive term, "battle drums") you can't help but find yourself caught up in the pageantry that is this career-spanning collection. Covering Queen V's career from 2005 to 2013 this compilation is jam-packed with track after track of blissful hard rock! Forget for a second (if one can) the stunning, soulful and sensual lead vocals of Queen V herself and just focus in on the music itself. You've got the brand new cut "Cry Your Eyes Out" which should be on every radio rock station from coast to coast here in the states to all over Europe and beyond. That would be if this was a just world. With guest musicians like Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine) lending lead guitar solos to tracks like "My Machine" (from 2009) and Lemmy himself stopping by to lend co-writing credits and vocals on "Wasted" (also from 2009) it's hard to find a weak moment within these 11-tracks. Whether it's the self-reflective rock of cuts like "Good Enough" and "Right or Wrong" (both of which find emotions running wild) or the blues-rock/hard rock crunch of "Continental" (which actually opens with a sample of what sounds like a Speak and Spell (I should know as we had one in our household!) this collection of career-defining moments is damn near perfect. There's plenty of tracks here for hard rock fanatics to sink their teeth into.There's the Guns N' Roses-styled "Million To One", the beefed-up AC/DC on steroids rocker "Die For You" and the Led Zeppelin-like "Revolution Baby" (which incidentally features blues-harp by legendary blues-rocker Jon Paris!). Things do slow down with "Cry For A Minute", but when you're treated to Queen V's softer side it's hard to find room to complain. "Cry For A Minute" shows off one of Queen V's influences as it's very much in vogue with something The Pretenders would release. Other influences such as David Bowie, Queen and Joan Jett & The Blackhearts do stop in for a quick drink, but overall Queen V puts her own stamp of originally on numbers like "My Machine" so nothing here ever sounds like a carbon-copy of other artists/bands. Given the fact that Queen V is also a talented guitarist it's hard to fathom why she's not more of a household name. Wouldn't it be nice if instead of being bombarded by the same old (supposedly empowered) women on the radio day after day (whether we're talking about Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Ke$ha or however) we could actually have a real strong women like Queen V represent? Yeah, it's a pipe-dream I know, but I'd rather see young women (my 15 year old daughter) latch on to someone like Queen V who is a real musician then some of the crap (Katy Perry, Britney Spears, Lady Gaga) that passes as "music" these days. Oh well and hell, it is what it is. My soapbox rant aside, this collection really is a near perfect 11-track affair and, while I've never considered doing this before, it might just end up on my best of 2013 list at the year's end! Yes, it's that fine of a collection and no, I'm not blinded by the fact that Lemmy appears of the last track. I'd actually still love this collection even if Motörhead's main-man didn't appear on one of the songs...it just might be a little less love is all LOL!


http://www.queenv.com/web/