Back catalogue: Metal

Review: The second studio album from metal behemoths Motorhead saw the trio - in their classic line up form of Lemmy (bass, vocals), Fast Eddie Clarke on guitar and Philthy Phil Taylor on drums - truly hit their stride. In probabality, this LP, originally released in 1979, produced the biggest crop of classics of any in their career, with 'No Class', 'Capricorn', 'Stay Clean' and 'Metropolis' all joining the title track in the ranks of songs that would remain staples of their live sets for literally deacdes to come. The year is significant, as Overkill marks the band harnessing the anarchic overtones of punk to their metal power, with plenty of lyrical attitude added to the sharp riffing, 747-like basslines and double kick drum onslaught. This reissue restores the original tracklisting without the frills and extras of the 2005 remaster, but when it's all as shitkicking as this, why mess?!

Review: Boom! The year of 1979 saw not one but two classic Motorhead albums being dropped like atomic bombs on an unsuspecting but appreciative public. After the Overkill LP really put the 'Head on the metal map earlier in the year, Bomber consolidated their position as, to quote Spinal Tap's slightly tongue in cheek compliment, one of Britain's loudest bands. In fact, their show at Port Vale in 1981 would appear in the Guinness Book of Records as the loudest ever. Of course, there is much more to them than sheer volume and firepower though. Frontman and bassist Lemmy had cut his teeth as a roadie for Jimi Hendrix and tracks like 'Lawman' follow a similar lineage of blending heavy, psychedelic blues with a genuinely groovy funkiness. When they're on top form the trio of Lemmy, guitarist Fast Eddie and Phil Taylor are a finely trained crack squad, pulling some deft musical moves and unexpected about turns, too. Virtuosity neatly disguised as utter barbarianism - just how we like it. The Bomb!

Review: Fans will endlessly debate the creative high watermark of Motorhead's lengthy career, but there's no doubt that this album, their fourth, was the commercial peak of the trio. Originally released in 1980, with a wonderfuly spaghetti western cover shot doubtless shot in Camber Sands or somewhere similar, it reached number four in the UKalbum chart, at a time when physical sales were pretty close to an all time high. The album's title track is of course their ultimate calling card, from its iconic riff to its lyrical celebration of gambling one of the ultimate metaphors for a - or even the - rock and roll lifestyle. But its greay production job by Vic Maile means the band sound brighter and sharper here than ever before, the sessions doubtless seriously waking up the sleepy Herfordshire town of Rickmansworth where it was recorded. There's also a slew of memorable songs, naturally enough, from 'Love Me Like A Reptile' - who says romance is dead - to '(We Are) The Road Crew', the impossibly speedy two minute thrashout 'Bite The Bullet' and 'The Chase Is Better Than The Catch'. Gambling's for fools, as the song says, but this one is an odds on dead cert.