Motorhead - Bad Magic

Bad Magic is metal band Motörhead's 22nd album. I've got to confess, I wasn't a fan in the past. So, I stalked out the the Challenger and rolled up 360 when "Electricity," the 3rd track from Bad Magic started streaming. I was hooked instantly with all of it - the lyrics, Lemmy Kilmister's vocals, the bands energy and their arrangements. My day got to rockin, and we'll start with the obvious.

Sympathy, Please - Motörhead covers "Sympathy for the Devil" When the Stones wrote this, they set out for something timeless, and they achieved it. Still, as great as the lyrics are, Sympathy suffers from a sixties sound, and needed the updating. Lemmy is plenty evil in the delivery, and for the metal act that is Motorhead, they did an excellent arrangement of a song which is highly melodic. Lemmy says he likes Motorhead's version better, and so do I.

See the saucers cruising in the sky? - It's "Victory or Die" This is the opening track, and its message is straightforward: it's victory or die! It's good metal with a couple of good lyrical twists, including Lemmy admitting he's seen a flying saucer. "See the saucers cruising in the sky? I seen one myself, that's no lie."

I always wanted the dangerous life - "Thunder & Lightning" talks about who Lemmy is and what he does. He asks what you want from your miserable life, and tells you that you will get more pussy if you're in a band. Well, duh! Fat wallets help, too.

The hotel burned, no lessons learned, only ghosts got clear - "The Fire Storm Hotel" is another favorite from Bad Magic, and has single potential. I know metal heads don't care about that, but album radio guys like me do. I really love the song, we get melodic metal set against a supernatural backdrop of a burning hotel, and those who didn't make it - "Take a look at all them people; They don't look too well; They burned and screamed, in a fever dream; at the Fire Storm Hotel."

Show me some hate, before it's too late and I will show you how to keep your nerve - It's the demons from Hell and they're ready for fighting and death - preferably yours. This rocker is more like a challenge. The title is "Shoot Out All of Your Lights" and it has some cool, in-your-face arrangements. "Fight, fight, we fight alright; we are the ones to kill you good night; Die, die, time goes by We will shoot out all of your lights!"

Don't Speak Of Your Beliefs - They Are Yours To Keep - "Electricity."... When I hear this, I feel like the old days, when KISS was prime metal at 3000 watts and the staples were bands like Judas Priest. Lemmy talks about that jolt of electricity to recharge your soul. He's right again.

Evil eye - Born under a bad sign, Motörhead style.

Better Think In Coe, Might Just Be A Shakedown - It's been awhile since I heard the term "Shakedown." Motörhead talks life with this one - general paranoia and the crap that always seems to happen. Favorite line: "People so predictable, drive you f*cking nuts!" He got that right. Teach them how to bleed!

Till The End - One of the things we find, if we've had enough victory over time, is that things change, including us. Motörhead, being a metal band, is supposed to be young forever and never allude to aging, right? Not so fast. This band has heart and sees the time going by. "In my years my life has changed; I can't turn back the time; I can tell you just what made me change" Isn't that the truth as well.

Tell Me Who To Kill - This is like "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap," except there's only one deed. You know what that is.

Choking On Your Screams - This one is about an invasion. The lyrics leave it in your mind as to what kind of invaders. To me, it alludes to extraterrestrials, with plenty of fire in the sky references. I think Lemmy and Mulder have something in common besides porn. Good Metal!

When The Sky Comes Looking For You - The Grim Reaper is the end of the skyway. Hope you're ready.
Bad magic is a very satisfying metal album. Motörhead does things their way, and that wasn't forged yesterday.

Get Bad Magic at Motörhead.com

- Chris Br