Motörhead

Motörhead [ˈmoʊtərhɛd] was a rock band formed in London in 1975. Motörhead's music combined influences from punk, hard rock, rock 'n' roll and blues rock. Their influence on other musicians and bands, especially heavy metal bands (Metallica and others), was and still is very large compared to their own commercial success.

Between 1979 and 1982 the band had their most commercially successful phase. The albums from this period such as Overkill, Bomber (both 1979) and Ace of Spades (1980) are considered groundbreaking for heavy metal and classics of the genre. Since the early 2000s, Motörhead has seen a resurgence in popularity. The band's history was marked by numerous changes in line-up, management and record labels. Motörhead was signed to a total of 16 different labels. Since 1995 the group was unchanged in the line-up Lemmy Kilmister (electric bass, vocals), Phil Campbell (electric guitar) and Mikkey Dee (drums) active. One day after the death of Lemmy Kilmister on 28 December 2015, Mikkey Dee declared the end of the band.

Characteristic of Motörhead was that the electric bass took over the role of the rhythm guitar, making the timbre of the music significantly more bass-heavy than that of comparable groups such as AC/DC. In appearance and song lyrics, the group presented themselves as "outlaws". Motörhead thus secured the sympathies of the punk scene of the late 1970s, serving as a link between punk and heavy metal.

Musical meaning

Motörhead is considered one of the pioneers of speed metal. Billboard Magazine points to Motörhead's far-reaching influence, writing that the band's "overwhelming, loud, and fast heavy metal [was] one of the most groundbreaking styles of the late 1970s"; the band's music was not punk rock, rather it was the first metal band to "focus its energies, laying the groundwork for later genres" of heavy metal. Thus, songs such as Overkill and Bomber are considered the basis for thrash metal. The 1979 album Overkill is credited with playing a significant role in the development of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, and the 1980 album Ace of Spades is considered one of the most important albums in rock history. Furthermore, Motörhead paved the way for later drum techniques such as the blastbeat with the combination of fast tempo and double bass technique first heard on Overkill (1979).

Across all subgenres of metal, musicians and bands have been influenced by Motörhead. As early as the late 1970s, groups like the Tygers of Pan Tang played cover versions of the band, and black metal pioneers Venom and Bathory drew inspiration from Motörhead, along with other bands like Black Sabbath. Motörhead was among the main influences of the emerging metal scene in the U.S. in the early 1980s. Lars Ulrich, drummer of Metallica, accompanied Motörhead on their 1981 US tour and was the leader of the US Motörhead fan club. Regarding Motörhead's social community-building impact within the hard rock scene, Lars Ulrich stated in the 2004 documentary Classic Albums: Motörhead - Ace of Spades, "At the time, there was a big divide between punks and metal fans. But Motörhead tore down all those barriers. " Jeff Becerra, lead singer of US death metal pioneers Possessed, pointed out that Possessed's ambition had been to play "as fast and as loud ... as Motörhead". Paul Speckmann's bands Master and Death Strike, also among the pioneers of this style of music, also counted Motörhead among their influences. Canadians Voivod also audibly showed themselves under the influence of Motörhead's music on their 1984 debut War and Pain. The metalcore movement that emerged in the U.S. in the mid-1980s references Motörhead, as does the 1990s crust movement. The band's influence extends to the present day. Fenriz of the Norwegian band Darkthrone pointed out that he was inspired by Motörhead's early releases in the style shift that took place in the 2000s, calling the combination of heavy metal and punk practiced by Motörhead "metalpunk".

Music and lyrics

Motörhead's music is described as a combination of fast drumming, distorted bass, volume, and vocals that combine traditional singing techniques with shouting. The early releases showed a strong influence of rock 'n' roll and punk. For example, the debut album Motörhead (1977) is characterized by 12-bar guitar riffs and double-stops in the manner of rock musicians such as Chuck Berry. With the release of Overkill (1979), Motörhead redefined its style with heavily distorted guitars tuned a semitone lower, increased use of double-bass drumming, combined with fast sixteenth-note rhythms in the vein of groups like Deep Purple. The music was largely based on two chords rather than three. Considered more atypical of Motörhead, the album Another Perfect Day features more refined and extravagant melodies than other releases by the group due to the involvement of guitarist Brian Robertson (formerly of Thin Lizzy).

Typical for Motörhead is the sound of the electric bass, which largely replaces the second guitar. When playing, an empty string is struck throughout, which in combination with fretted strings create a sound that lets the electric bass take over the role of the rhythm guitar. Another stylistic characteristic is that many songs open with a distinctive bass riff. This is the case, for example, with Motörhead, Stone Dead Forever, Ace of Spades and Overnight Sensation. The timbre of the guitars is described as heavily distorted, eschewing sound-shaping effects such as wah wahs except for solos. As a result, the timbre of Motörhead's music is significantly more bass-heavy than that of comparable bands like AC/DC. The drum sound is undistorted and creates a sonic "concert situation" through a wall of sound. The starting point of the drumming is always a backbeat. Lemmy Kilmister's rough vocals have their origin in shouting as it was used in traditional blues. Although Kilmister's vocal range could be considered tenor, the guttural elements made it seem deeper.

Motörhead adapted elements of the biker scene from the band's inception. While contemporary groups like Judas Priest documented the connection by wearing leather clothing with studs and chains, Motörhead expressed the connection by adapting the ethos of the loser in their song lyrics. Through this rather simple and humble outlook, Motörhead appeared more down-to-earth than other bands, securing the sympathies of the punk movement of the late 1970s.

Lemmy Kilmister wrote the majority of the song lyrics, and the themes are wide-ranging. Thus, the title song of the debut album Motörhead is described as a rock 'n' roll ode to the drug amphetamine. Another theme found in song lyrics like Born to Lose is the image of the loser and outlaw. But the lyric concept of entire albums like Ace of Spades is also based on this theme. Kilmister's fascination with military history is also reflected in the lyrics. Bomber, for example, is about the deployment of a bomber crew in the Second World War, 1916 deals with the Battle of the Somme in the First World War and Marching off to War is about the perceived futility of war. Kilmister earned criticism for some of his lyrics about women, such as Jailbait and I'm So Bad, which were considered sexist and misogynistic. In some lyrics Kilmister criticizes grievances in society and especially religions ((Don't Need) Religion, God Was Never on Your Side). One particular lyric is (We Are) The Roadcrew, which Kilmister wrote in honor of the roadies of Motörhead.