It’s pretty cold where I live right now. There’s really no snow on the ground, but the air might be as frigid as the 9th circle of Hell. During this time of year, we’re doing the best we can to stay warm. Piles of winter clothes, a roaring fire (Or heater if you don’t have a fireplace), and warm food that sticks to your ribs. Music can do the same thing too, and Heavy Metal is the best genre for the task......and thus it’s time for Motörhead once again!
Yes, Motörhead. I’ve talked about this band 3 times this year: once during the Summer of Thrash event I held around the middle of this year, again during my 3-part overview last month, and today with my 2nd album review of the band. Considering that in a few short weeks, it will be the 1-year anniversary of the death of Lemmy Kilmister, and thus there was only one album appropriate for this review. So sit back, stir your cauldron & pet your black cat, and take a look at my review for Bad Magic. Let it begin!
Background
After the success of Aftershock, Motörhead continued onward with tours & such. However, it seemed that Lemmy was breaking down. Health issues were cropping up, and the band found themselves cutting concerts short, or cancelling parts of tours outright. That being said, the band was still capable of making music, and on the 28th of August of last year, Bad Magic was released. The recording sessions of this album were a bit different from before, as drummer Mikkey Dee said in a interview:
“..this time we were in a recording studio writing the album and all playing it together, actually. Before, we used to be in a rehearsal studio, write the songs and then we'd go in and record it one at a time, but here we kind of recorded it live, right away, as we had the song. We used to write very spontaneous, and this is probably even more spontaneous than any [previous] Motörhead [album]. But we really do enjoy the album. And it's a very live, very spontaneous record. I think that works best for us..”
Lemmy had a different view of things, saying that the whole album wasn’t recorded live, but did about 5 tracks together, so that part of it was true. Reception for Bad Magic was generally well received, getting a 80 out of 100 over on metacritic. Commercially, the album premiered at no. 35 on the Billboard 200 (Along at no. 2 on the Hard Rock Albums chart & no. 5 on the Rock Albums chart), selling 10,325 copies in it’s first week. By June of this year, it sold 36,000 copies in the US alone.
Basic Description
The glorious end.
I have to admit, I didn’t get this album when it immediately came out (I think I might have downloaded it). I got this album on Christmas of last year, literarily 3 days before he died. I listened to it, and found it to be a blast.....but I didn’t have enough time to appreciate it before Lemmy’s passing. In the time since then, Bad Magic has become my no. 1 favorite album out of the band’s modern period. Elements of their entire career can be found on this one album. There’s blues, hard rock, and all sorts of metal flavorings across the entire record. You gotta sit down, put this CD on, and listen to it from beginning to end, just to let it’s energy seep into you.
Best Track
Like I said a few weeks ago, Thunder & Lightning is the best damn thing on here. A spiritual successor to the iconic Ace of Spades (The song), Thunder & Lightning is Lemmy crooning about life on the road, and saying that you get more chicks when you’re in a band. Mr. Kilmister’s voice comes across as a little gruff in spots, but more often than not he comes across as crystal clear. Everybody’s instrumentation is fantastic, as they’re coming right out of the gate like a race horse on speed, yet there’s no sign that control will be lost. Given a few more years, and Thunder & Lightning will be the classic it deserves to be.
Thunder & Lightning
A good 2nd best track is the retrospective & fatalistic When The Sky Comes Looking For You. What Was It All Worth It & The Show Must Go On was to Queen, this track is to Motörhead. Going for a more hard rock & blues path, you can definitely tell that Lemmy went with a more serious tone than Freddy Mercury did towards the end of his life. At the same time, you can tell he also wants to give the grim reaper the middle finger, staying defiant until the very end. It’s a shame that this track didn’t conclude Bad Magic, as it would make for an incredible closing track. Given what actually concluded the album however, I can’t necessarily complain.
When The Sky Comes Looking For You
Worst Track
Again, Bad Magic’s only flaw is just how final the record feels. Even if Lemmy wasn’t suffering from the numerous health issues he had at the time, something about this album feels like the end isn’t far behind. The tone is far darker than anything that Motörhead has ever made, with it’s connection to death apparent & subtle. I can only assume that Lemmy knew he was gonna kick the bucket as he worked on this album. Whether the doctors told him so, or he knew it from a dream, it doesn’t matter.
Overall Impression & Rating
While I can’t listen to this album often for emotional reasons, the one thing that is certain is that Bad Magic is awesome! Everything that Motörhead has done has all led up to this album, and it is glorious. The vibes from this record can be a little on the dark side, but for anyone that can weather the emotions, you’ll find one of the most sparkling gems of the band’s career. Sometimes.....it’s good to have a little bad magic in your life.
Bad Magic gets a 10 out of 10. One of the most perfect metal albums to come out in recent years.
And that was my look at Bad Magic. As fitting of an ending record as they’ll ever be for a metal titan, Bad Magic is an appropriate capstone for one of the most iconic bands in the world. If there was a metal album in recent years that you shouldn’t miss out on, it would be this one.
Technically, this marks the last post of 2016, but there’s one last thing to close out the year with. So see you all some time this week, when one of the most iconic RPGs has it’s 20th birthday. Until then, be sure to have a little bad magic in your life.
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