Review: "Motorhead: Kiss of Death" - Sea of Tranquility - The Web Destination for Progressive Music!

Main Menu

Motorhead: Kiss of Death

Can any band in the history of hard rock and metal sport such a strong lineage of solid albums like the cagey veterans Motorhead? Probably not. Lemmy and crew have been slogging around the metal circuit now since the late 70's and show no sign of slowing down one bit. Kiss of Death is their follow-up to 2004's Inferno, and once again the band delivers gritty, bloozy, hard rock & metal sounds as only Motorhead can create.
Whether they be crunchy mid-tempo bruisers like "God Was Never On Your Side", blistering speed metal with a punk edge like the kick ass opener "Sucker", or blues laden groove rockers like "One Night Stand", Motorhead never fail to keep the listener interested here. Phil Campbell lays down some mean guitar riffs on "Devil I Know" and the molten "Trigger", while Lemmy's trademark distorted bass lines lead in the metal attack of "Under the Gun". As far as Lemmy's vocals go, he is right on target with that same gravelly voice he has been known for over the last three decades. For a different spin, check out his tender vocal performance on the mix of acoustic & mystical balladry and metal thunder on "God Was Never On Your Side", one of the most unique songs Motorhead has ever recorded. The ever powerful and nimble Mickey Dee attacks his drum kit with plenty of reckless ferocity on the evil sounding "Living In the Past" and the speedy "Sword of Glory", complete with plenty of meaty guitar riffs from Campbell.
Overall this is a really powerful and heavy album from one of the longest running bands in metal today. Motorhead are an institution, and as long as they keep releasing albums like Kiss of Death their legend will continue to grow and prosper. Let's face it, these guy rock harder, louder, and with more consistency that most of the younger bands on the scene today.

Track Listing
1. Sucker
2. One Night Stand
3. Devil I Know
4. Trigger
5. Under The Gun
6. God Was Never On Your Side
7. Living In The Past
8. Christine
9. Sword Of Glory
10. Be My Baby
11. Kingdom Of The Worm
12. Going Down
13. Ramones

Added: August 25th 2006
Reviewer: Pete Pardo
Score:
Related Link: Motorhead Website
Hits: 4316
Language: english

[ Printer Friendly Page ]
[ Send to a Friend ]

[ Back to the Reviews Index | Post Comment ]

» SoT Staff Roundtable Reviews:

Motorhead: Kiss of Death
Posted by Ken Pierce, SoT Staff Writer on 2006-08-25 08:23:02
My Score:

Is there any band with more resolve than Motorhead? I have to answer a resounding "No" to the inquiry as I spin the tracks on Kiss Of Death, the bands latest offering on Sanctuary Records. Their last release Inferno (also on Sanctuary Records) was a little more experimental and found the band with numerous time signature changes and even more styles than we are used to from them. The record also featured Steve Vai on a couple of tracks as well and with "Kiss Of Death" there is a more basic return to format and total Hard Rock. With Motorhead this is never a bad thing as you stick with what you know, and this record is bar far one of the best they have released in years. Yes, "Inferno" had some thunderous moments but to me Motorhead was always "raise your fist and your beer into the air" Hard Rock and while I enjoyed the last album, I did not take a lot of that feeling away from my listens to it. "Kiss Of Death" involves no vast reaching from these chaps, as Motorhead have always been about delivering the goods fast and loud and with this new album are back to the basics that make them special. "Sucker" is a knock you down piece for an opener and along with "Trigger" these tracks set much of the albums pace and bring to mind classics such as "Iron Fist" and others that bear the same drive. "Christine" and "R.A.M.O.N.E.S." are just pure Rock and Roll with a razors edge to them. The first track simply begs for one of those types of female dominated videos we used to get in the Eighties while the latter number is a slamming tribute to one of the greatest bands who ever existed. Folks should be aware that R.A.M.O.N.E.S. is not really a new song, and appeared on the release "1916". Most of the record follows the same format of blending Punk and Metal styles, and this allows the blood to keep pumping as every track races by. There is one drastic change and this would be on the records most surprising track - the power ballad "God Was Never On Your Side". I felt it showed a side to Motorhead that many (including myself) might never have been aware existed. While a ballad by nature, it is still one of the strongest songs on the album and could very easily become a favorite of the listener. Most of the songs are under four minutes in length and the lineup remains at three with Lemmy, Phil and Mikkey proving to be one of the most standout rosters in the bands illustrious history.

For information regarding where to send CD promos and advertising, please see our FAQ page.
If you have questions or comments, please Contact Us.
Please see our Policies Page for Site Usage, Privacy, and Copyright Policies.

All logos and trademarks in this site are property of their respective owner. The comments are property of their posters, all other content © Sea of Tranquility

SoT is Hosted by SpeedSoft.com