Retro Review: Motörhead – Orgasmatron

“Alright! Alright! I hope you sons of bitches see the light.”

Its 1986, and on August 9 a compelling Lemmy was first heard to belt out the line above to the rollicking tune of Doctor Rock – the kind of hard rocking tune for which Motörhead are best known and what arguably should’ve been the opening track (it was the eighth) on their Orgasmatron album.  If you haven’t heard of Motörhead then welcome back from Pluto (where you’ve obviously been hiding for the past thirty years). Motörhead constitute an entire chapter in the history of rock and roll. While they are sometimes classed as a speed metal band (often being credited for harnessing the energy of the punk movement in the 70′s and creating the genre), most of their songs would be recognised by the uninitiated as variations of straight rock’n'roll riffs given a shot of speed. It’s no coincidence that they’re one of the bands most frequently cited as inspiration for the music-making rockin’ hordes that followed them.

“Armored fist. Severed wrist. Broken spears in a sea of mud.”

With the subtlety of a brick through the window or a 2 by 4 to the back of the head, the band rip straight into one of their heaviest tracks ever, the album opener Deaf Forever. A bombastic ode to viking battle as allegory for struggling bands, with the useful advice to stay “deaf forever to the battle’s din” i.e. ignore the losers, posers and negative nabobs and just stay true to your music. Honest advice which the band themselves have always held dear to their hearts (for those with OCD for factual correctness the citation for this reference was pulled out of my arse).

To anyone that’s familiar with their earlier work (including such great hits as Ace of Spades, Iron Fist, Overkill and Bomber) two things immediately stand out. Firstly, the production values of Orgasmatron are a quantum leap ahead of any of their previous work (with the exception to the four “new” tracks on the No Remorse compilation which included the chart topper Killed By Death). Bill Laswell’s fresh production managed to capture the band’s raw sound while avoiding the cliches that grace most recordings at the heavy end of the spectrum.

The second thing that stands out is the considerably heavier tone. Songs like the aforementioned Deaf Forever and Orgasmatron are classic heavy metal tracks with enough cross-over appeal to reach out to fans and non-fans alike. Its no co-incidence that this album made it to 21 in the UK album charts (no mean feat for a metal record in a year in which the public couldn’t get enough Whitney Houston).

“Just watch me flip the bird, right in your lyin’ eyes.”

The album quickly reverts to Motörhead’s usual high-speed attack with the effective Ain’t My Crime leading into the delightful Claw, a breakneck depiction of romance Motörhead style. The piston-like drumming accentuating the subject matter and counterpointing Lemmy’s half-tempo, bourbon-and-fags tempered vocal growl.

“He thinks you’re gonna keep your promise babe, but he don’t understand the power of the Claw.”

Mean Machine continues the frenetic pace with a blistering 144 bpm pace and lyrical references to past albums. A word of warning though – don’t listen to this track while driving unless you enjoy the sound of police sirens, as it is impossible to stay under the speed limit with this song in your ears.

The album then shifts back a gear into the workman-like Built For Speed. Unfortunately, there are a couple of tracks on the album which are fairly pedestrian. Nothing Up My Sleeve and Ridin’ With the Driver both vie for the ignominious honour of worst track. If I had to pick a worst – it would be the latter which really has no redeeming qualities. Ironically, it was also the subject matter for the cover which features War-Pig (Motörhead’s instantly recognisable logo) grafted onto a speeding locomotive (apparently at Lemmy’s insistence – “I want a fuckin’ train”).

Fortunately the penultimate track Doctor Rock raises the bar once again in time for the powerful, anthemic title track. Orgasmatron is by my reckoning one of the best Motörhead songs ever. Its slow fade-in over phased guitars intimating impending menace. The band don’t often go for heavy messages, however the lyrics of Orgasmatron convey a prophetic warning as the unholy trinity of false messiahs – religion, politics and the military industrial complex – are exposed in all their brazen nakedness. The lyrics are punctuated by the almost martial beat of the music – considerably slower than most of their tracks. Its easy to imagine an army marching to this tune.

“All my promises are lies, all my love is hate. I am the politician and I decide your fate.”

Well, there you have it folks. I take my duties to educate you very seriously and I hope that this first lesson has inspired you to seek out some Motörhead. You owe it to yourself to grab a copy of this album as it is a cracking example of the band at their finest – an essential addition to any metal collection.

“I know what my claw is for.”