So last week I got introductions & a tribute to Heroes of the Storm done, and now it’s time to get into the meat of this festival. With part 1 of this festival, we’re taking a look at the origins of Thrash Metal. It’s the late 70s, and Heavy Metal has just barely come onto the scene. Bands like Led Zeppelin formed the prototype of Heavy Metal’s sound, and Black Sabbath created the mood & attitude of the genre, but there was one band that would push boundaries & shape new subgenres, creating the blueprints for Speed & Thrash Metal. One band that would last for almost 40 years, and create a legacy that will last until the apocalypse. That band......is Motörhead.
That’s right, today we’re blessed by the presence of the legendary Motörhead. I fully admit I intended to cover this iconic band much sooner here on the Heavy Metal Otaku blog, but with the death of Lemmy Kilmister late last December, not to mention the passing of Phil “Philty Animal” Taylor a month prior to Lemmy’s, I thought it would have been in bad taste to talk about them. However, enough time has passed, and now I feel the time is right to review a classic Motörhead album. So pour yourself a Jack & Coke, light up a cigarette, and check out my review for the band’s 1979 classic Overkill. Let the thrashing begin!
Background
An improvement over their first self-titled album, things would be a little difficult for Motörhead. Getting signed to Bronze Records, their first task was to do a cover of Richard “Chuck” Berry’s classic Louie Louie, along with a new song (Tear ya Down). The band promoted the single, and actually had some moderate success. That said, Gerry Bron of Bronze Records had this to say during the Ace of Spades episode of Classic Albums:
“..The first time I heard Motörhead was when I listened to a single that I put out without hearing, which is "Louie Louie," and when I heard it I was absolutely horrified. I thought it was the worst record I've ever heard, so it was a bit of a shock. The bigger shock was, having put out a record I thought was terrible, it went straight into the charts at #72. But I actually put the record out as a favour..”
Ironically, there were enough sales of the single , that it got Motörhead onto their first appearance on the BBC Television series, Top of the Pops. It actually gave Bronze Records enough confidence to bring the band back into the studio to make a second album. In Overkill: The Untold Story of Motörhead, “Fast” Eddie Clark has this to say:
“..We had so many false starts and disappointments by the time Overkill came around in 1978 we had stored up a lot of energy and ideas – and we were just waiting for the opportunity to show what we could do. Also we had a great following, and we always felt we owed the fans who had been with us from the beginning..”
And thus Overkill was born! Released on March 24, 1979, Overkill was at Roadhouse Studios, and was co-produced by legendary producer Jimmy Miller, who worked previously work with the equally legendary Rolling Stones & Traffic. Overkill was also iconic for it’s title track, as Phil Taylor used a double-bass drum for the song. As he said in the documentary The Guts and the Glory:
“..I always wanted to play two bass drums but I always said to myself, 'No, I'm not gonna be one of these wankers who goes on stage and has two bass drums and never even fuckin' plays 'em'. Not until I can play 'em. So I got this other bass drum and I used to get to rehearsals a couple of hours before the other guys and just practice, you know, just sit there going (mimes kicking with both feet) like running, or something like that...I was actually playing that riff, just trying to get my coordination right, when Eddie and Lemmy walked in, and I was just about to stop and they went, 'No, don't stop! Keep going!'...And that was how Overkill got written..”
Basic Description
Solid Gold!!
Spearheading the emergence of Heavy Metal as a viable musical style, not to mention creating the platform for Speed & Thrash Metal to jump off of into the pool, Overkill has withstood the test of time as a classic metal album. Lemmy, Phil, and Eddie Clark brought their a-game when creating the music on this record, and they had an energy that could only have be made by them. Heavy Metal was kinda seen as a joke by some of the more “proper” music fans of the late 70s, but when Overkill went through their ears, they certainly changed their tune. There wasn’t anything like Motörhead then, and there won’t be anything like them again.
Best Track
Is it wrong that I kinda listen to this album because of the title track?
Okay, all joking aside, I honestly can’t pick any one individual song off of Overkill to be the best song on this record. All 10 tracks off of the original recording of this album are flawless. If you want a little Thrash, go for the title track. You like a little blues with your metal? Try out Capricorn & Limb from Limb! Want some speed? Go right over to Tear ya Down, and be sure to not trip & crack your skull! There is something for everyone on this record, and it’s quality is so good, that it formed the basis for their first triumvirate of incredible albums. I can’t go into detail about that just yet, but suffice it to say, you’ll be engulfed by Overkill & how good it is!
Worst Track
Again.....Nothing! Nada! Zip! Zilch! This whole album from top to bottom is perfect in everyway. The vocal work, instrumentation, and even the blusy atmosphere across the entire album, never falters in anyway! Not many modern albums (Metal or otherwise) can do this, and to accomplish such a feat back when metal was still in it’s infancy, is truly remarkable.
Other
If you want to listen to this metallic icon, check out the link below. Chances are, you’ll buy this after just the first two songs. Just a heads up: this is the 1996 re-release. It’s got 5 additional tracks, one of which is a cover of the 1950s classic Louie Louie. If you want just the pure experience, listen to the first 10 songs. If not, just dive off the deep end into this album!
Motörhead: Overkill
Overall Impression & Rating
Overkill is a gem from the days of when Heavy Metal was still wearing diapers. The genre was still trying to find an identity, but with a band like Motörhead, you know that the face of Heavy Metal is gonna come out looking gorgeous. Despite being close to 40 years old, Overkill still manages to sound fresh, and it’s quality easily eclipses many (but not all) modern metal bands. If you want to listen to a shining relic from the past, then Overkill is the album for you!
Overkill gets a 10 out of 10.
And thus the Summer of Thrash truly begins, with a titan of metal at the helm. However, Motörhead wasn’t the only band to shape the face of Thrash, so join me next week, when another of the big four decides to pay a visit. See you them!
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