Aftershock (Motörhead album)

Aftershock is the 21st studio album by British rock band Motörhead. Originally expected to be released in mid-2013, it was released separately on 18 October in Germany, on 21 October in the rest of Europe, and on 22 October in North America and the rest of the world.[1][2] It is the fourth album released under the UDR GmbH / Motörhead Music collaboration, with ADA as the distributor for the first time.

Aftershock
Studio album by
Released18 October 2013
Recorded2013
StudioNRG Studios (Hollywood, California)
Sound Factory & Sunset Sound (Hollywood, California)
Maple Studios (Santa Ana, California)
Genre
Length46:54
LabelUDR
ProducerCameron Webb
Motörhead chronology
The Wörld Is Ours – Vol. 2: Anyplace Crazy as Anywhere Else
(2012)
Aftershock
(2013)
Bad Magic
(2015)
Singles from Aftershock
  1. "Crying Shame"
    Released: 2013

Recording edit

In an August 2012 interview with Artisan News Service during the Rockstar Mayhem Festival tour of 2012, Motörhead drummer Mikkey Dee revealed that the band had written a number of songs already for a follow-up to 2010's The Wörld Is Yours, but that the band were continuing to write. He then went on to say that the new album would be recorded and released in 2013.[3] In an interview with Classic Rock Revisited, Lemmy was asked about the possibility of the album consisting of all covers. Lemmy said that it had been discussed and that "it would be fun to do". He further noted that if a covers album would be made, the band's varying musical tastes would ensure a diverse track listing.[4]

In late October 2012, it was announced that the band had made plans to enter the studio in January 2013. In addition, Cameron Webb, who had produced the previous four albums, would again return to produce the new album. The title was revealed on 18 June 2013.[5]

Release edit

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic78/100[6]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [7]
Blabbermouth9/10[8]
The Guardian     [9]
MetalSucks     [10]
Mojo     [11]
Pitchfork7.6/10[12]
Revolver     [13]
Rolling Stone     [14]

Aftershock earned mostly positive reviews. Brandon Ringo of New Noise Magazine gave it a full five stars, acclaimed the album as the best Motörhead had released in 20 years, and praised its return to basics.[15]

Sammy O'Hagar of MetalSucks commented, "Everything sounds as snarling and nasty as it always has and always will be."[10]

"The hammer-down moments are the most satisfying", observed Mojo's Phil Alexander, "with 'End of Time', 'Death Machine' and the frenetic 'Queen of the Damned' confirming you will not hear a louder, more defiant rock 'n' roll album this year."[11]

Hank Shteamer of Pitchfork noted that, despite the three-year gap between The Wörld Is Yours and Aftershock, the album offered nothing new. Nevertheless, he called it "deeply satisfying and frequently thrilling… In theory, what the band does might seem overfamiliar, but in practice, it's a minor miracle that they're still doing it so well."[12]

USA Today made Aftershock its album of the week and praised Phil Campbell's contribution, saying the album contains "some of his finest work".[16]

Reviewer Kevin Fitzpatrick remarked on the blues-influences on Aftershock, acknowledging that "[Motörhead have] worn Chuck Berry's, Robert Johnson's and Little Richard's influences on their sleeves for the entirety of their 40 year career."[17]

Aftershock sold 11,000 copies in the United States in its first week, to land at No. 22 on the Billboard 200.[18][19][20]

The song "Heartbreaker" was nominated for a 2015 Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance, but lost to Tenacious D's cover of Dio's "The Last in Line."[21]

Track listing edit

All tracks are written by Kilmister, Campbell, Dee except where noted

CD
No.TitleLength
1."Heartbreaker"3:05
2."Coup de Grace"3:45
3."Lost Woman Blues"4:09
4."End of Time"3:17
5."Do You Believe"2:59
6."Death Machine"2:37
7."Dust and Glass"2:51
8."Going to Mexico"2:51
9."Silence When You Speak to Me"4:30
10."Crying Shame"4:28
11."Queen of the Damned"2:41
12."Knife"2:57
13."Keep Your Powder Dry"3:54
14."Paralyzed"2:50
Total length:46:57
Best Buy bonus DVD: Live at Download 2013
No.TitleWriter(s)Original ReleaseLength
1."I Know How to Die" 2010 ~ The Wörld Is Yours 
2."Metropolis"Kilmister, "Fast" Eddie Clarke, Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor1979 ~ Overkill 
3."The Chase Is Better Than the Catch"Kilmister, Clarke, Taylor1980 ~ Ace of Spades 
4."Going to Brazil" 1991 ~ 1916 
5."Killed by Death"Kilmister, Michael "Würzel" Burston, Campbell, Pete Gill1984 ~ No Remorse 
6."Heartbreaker" (music video) 2013 ~ Aftershock 
Tour edition bonus live CD: Best of the West Coast Tour 2014
No.TitleWriter(s)Original ReleaseLength
1."Damage Case"Kilmister, Clarke, Taylor1979 ~ Overkill3:44
2."Stay Clean"Kilmister, Clarke, Taylor1979 ~ Overkill3:19
3."I Know How to Die" 2010 ~ The Wörld is Yours2:54
4."Metropolis"Kilmister, Clarke, Taylor1979 ~ Overkill4:00
5."Over the Top"Kilmister, Clarke, Taylor1979 ~ Bomber (Single)2:53
6."The Chase Is Better Than the Catch"Kilmister, Clarke, Taylor1980 ~ Ace of Spades7:35
7."Rock It"Kilmister, Brian Robertson, Taylor1983 ~ Another Perfect Day3:28
8."Lost Woman Blues" 2013 ~ Aftershock4:31
9."Doctor Rock"Kilmister, Burston, Campbell, Gill1986 ~ Orgasmatron9:10
10."Just 'Cos You Got the Power"Kilmister, Campbell, Burston, Taylor1987 ~ Eat the Rich6:50
11."Going to Brazil"Kilmister, Campbell, Burston, Taylor1991 ~ 19162:42
12."Killed by Death"Kilmister, Burston, Campbell, Gill1984 ~ No Remorse5:19
13."Ace of Spades"Kilmister, Clarke, Taylor1980 ~ Ace of Spades3:49
14."Overkill"Kilmister, Clarke, Taylor1979 ~ Overkill8:30

Personnel edit

Motörhead edit

Production edit

  • Cameron Webb – produced, mixed, engineered
  • Sergio Chavez – assistant engineer
  • Kris Glddens – assistant engineer
  • Steve Olmon – assistant engineer
  • Geoff Neal – assistant engineer
  • Chris Claypool – assistant engineer
  • Alan Douches – mastering
  • Motörhead – executive producers
  • Terje Aspmo – cover art
  • Lemmy – sketch art
  • Steffan Chirazi – creative direction
  • Kai Swillus – creative direction
  • Robert John – photography

Best of the West Coast Tour 2014 edit

  • Cameron Webb – recording
  • Andrew Alekiel – mastering
  • Ray Ahner – photography

Charts edit

Chart (2013) Peak
position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[22] 7
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[23] 37
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[24] 26
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[25] 22
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[26] 14
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[27] 64
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[28] 5
French Albums (SNEP)[29] 14
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[30] 5
Italian Albums (FIMI)[31] 24
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[32] 33
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[33] 6
Polish Albums (ZPAV)[34] 47
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[35] 23
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[36] 8
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[37] 6
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[38] 11
UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC)[39] 10
US Billboard 200[40] 22
US Top Hard Rock Albums (Billboard)[41] 3
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[42] 2
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[43] 8
US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard)[44] 5

References edit

  1. ^ Graff, Gary. "Lemmy on New Motorhead Album, Band's 40th Anniversary". Billboard.com. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  2. ^ Childers, Chad. "Motorhead Unveil 'Aftershock' Worldwide Release Dates". Noisecreep. Retrieved 18 October 2013.
  3. ^ "Motörhead Drummer: 'We Have A Lot Of Songs Done Already' For Next Album – Aug. 3, 2012". Blabbermouth.net. Roadrunner Records. 3 August 2012. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  4. ^ Wright, Jeb. "No Crazier Than Anyone Else: Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead". Classic Rock Revisited. Archived from the original on 22 October 2012. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
  5. ^ "MOTÖRHEAD: New Album Title, LEMMY's Heart Scare Revealed – June 18, 2013". Blabbermouth.net. Roadrunner Records. 18 June 2013. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  6. ^ "Aftershock – Mötorhead". Metacritic. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
  7. ^ Heaney, Gregory (18 October 2013). "Motorhead – Aftershock". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
  8. ^ Van Horn Jr., Ray (8 December 2013). "Motörhead "Aftershock"". Blabbermouth. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  9. ^ Simpson, Dave (17 October 2013). "Motörhead: Aftershock – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  10. ^ a b O'Hagar, Sammy (17 October 2013). "Motörhead's Aftershock: The God That Never Fails". MetalSucks. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  11. ^ a b Alexander, Phil (December 2013). "Filter – Albums". Mojo. No. 241. p. 84.
  12. ^ a b Shteamer, Hank (21 October 2013). "Motörhead Aftershock". Pitchfork. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  13. ^ Krovatin, Christopher (21 October 2013). "Review: Motörhead — Aftershock". Revolver Magazine. Archived from the original on 25 October 2013. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  14. ^ Eddy, Chuck (18 October 2013). "Motorhead Aftershock". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  15. ^ Ringo, Brandon (21 October 2013). "Album Review: Motörhead – "Aftershock"". New Noise Magazine. Archived from the original on 21 October 2013. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  16. ^ Shriver, Jerry (21 October 2013). "Album of the week: Motorhead's 'Aftershock'". USA Today. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  17. ^ Fitzpatrick, Kevin (21 October 2013). "Motörhead Aftershock". Scene Point Blank. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  18. ^ "MOTÖRHEAD: 'Aftershock' First-Week Sales Revealed". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. 30 October 2013. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
  19. ^ Aftershock (liner notes). Motörhead. UDR. 2013.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  20. ^ Aftershock (Tour Edition) (liner notes). Motörhead. UDR. 2014.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  21. ^ "And the Winner of the 2015 'Best Metal Performance' Grammy is". 9 February 2015.
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  34. ^ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
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  44. ^ "Motorhead Chart History (Top Tastemaker Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 8, 2023.