For 40 years, Motörhead has been setting rock ‘n’ roll standards and weathering heavy metal fads thanks to its no-nonsense approach to hard rock. Lead by bassist and gravelly-voiced vocalist Lemmy Kilmister, this British band has been incredibly influential not only to the rock bands of the ’70s, ’80s and beyond, but also to the persona of WWE Executive Vice President, Talent, Live Events & Creative Triple H. With Bad Magic, the band’s 22nd studio album, things are just as they’ve always been, which is exactly how Motörhead fans want them to be.
Standout tracks include “The Devil”, featuring Queen‘s Brian May on guitar, and “Sympathy for the Devil,” a gritty cover of The Rolling Stones‘ classic. But Satan isn’t the only subject matter on Bad Magic, though evil does seem to prevail throughout the album. The band kicks things into full throttle with “Victory or Die,” which sets a supercharged pace for the next 40 minutes or so. “Thunder & Lightning” keeps things revved up as Lemmy growls about the pros (“you get more pussy”) and cons (“life on the road isn’t easy”) of being a rockstar. Driven by the drumming of Mikkey Dee and a scorching guitar solo by Phil Campbell, “Shoot Out All of Your Lights” gallops across the fire and brimstone Motörhead has come to call home.
If there is a theme to be found on Bad Magic, it is one of self empowerment and standing up for what you believe in even when faced with opposition and adversity. With “Electricity” and “Evil Eye,” these messages are delivered with Motörhead’s classic aggression. On “Till the End,” however, we get that rare Motörhead ballad that emerges about once every album or so to convey a similar “don’t tell me what to do” message in a slightly more melodic manner. Throw in some small doses of paranoia and you have a Motörhead album like any other. After four decades of rocking on its own terms, there’s no reason for this band to start practicing any new sort of magic anyway.