(RockAndMetal.com) (06/04/04)

By Michael Bennett

NEW YORK, NY, USA - The MOTORHEAD legend roars on with the release of the band's new studio album, "Inferno," on June 22nd via Metal-Is Records, a division of The Sanctuary Records Group.

It's the first album of new, skin-peeling material from vocalist/bass player Lemmy, guitarist Phil Campbell and drummer Mikkey Dee since 2002's "Hammered," and the first Motorhead release since last year's five-disc, career-spanning box set, "Stone Deaf Forever!"

Guitar legend Steve Vai also makes a guest appearance on two tracks on "Inferno."

"This album is real musicians playing real music. There were no rules," Lemmy says.

It's not easy for the metal icon to pick out his favorites on "Inferno." Every song is special and important.

"Music is very personal. It's just like sex in that way," says Lemmy.

Vai's blazing guitar performances on 'Terminal Show' and 'Down On Me' were the result of a casual social encounter with Lemmy at the famous Rainbow Bar & Grill in Hollywood, California.

"I was going in and he was coming out, and we ran into each other. I told him we were recording and invited him down to sit in. He took me up on the offer," Lemmy says.

Motorhead has a distinctive musical style, but Lemmy always seems to have a few tricks up his sleeve as most Motorhead albums tend to have a song or two that veer away from the band's trademark sound.

On "Inferno," that honor belongs to the slinky 'Whorehouse Blues,' appropriately drenched in bluesy acoustic guitar and harmonica.

"I like to surprise people," says Lemmy.

Motorhead's colorful history is well known. Lemmy -- born Ian Kilmister -- was a former roadie for Jimi Hendrix and eventually joined the space-rock band Hawkwind.

Lemmy wrote and sang Hawkwind's big 1972 U.K. hit, 'Silver Machine.'

Upon exiting Hawkwind after four years, he formed Motorhead in 1975 - naming the new group after the last song he wrote for Hawkwind.

Motorhead's aggressive, uncompromising, balls-out musical style (and personal lifestyle philosophy) shook the music world.

Let's be blunt: Motorhead invented speed metal.

But the great thing about Motorhead is that they always appealed to both punks and head-banging metalheads.

"We sounded like punk but looked like metal. I always felt we were more punk than metal anyway."

"I call it rock 'n' roll, but if I had to go down one side or the other I'd say we had more in common with punk than we have in common with heavy metal."

"We came out at the same time as the punks," Lemmy says.

The band's self-titled official debut album was released in 1977.

Motorhead quickly built a rabid following through killer live shows and albums that were able to translate that power.

1981's legendary live album "No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith" rocketed to #1 on the U.K. album charts.

Another notable album in Motorhead's canon is 1991's critically acclaimed, Grammy-nominated "1916," which was nominated for Best Metal Performance.

Motorhead earned a second Grammy nomination in 2000 for Best Metal Performance with a tribute to Metallica's 'Enter Sandman' on the "ECW: Extreme Music" album.

As a live act, Motorhead are still pretty much untouchable. Few scenes in heavy metal match Lemmy on stage -- standing his ground, head tilted slightly upward as he growls ferociously into his microphone and unleashes thunder from his Rickenbacker bass.

Campbell's screaming sonic overload guitar completes the roaring string section, while Dee, surely one of the most inventive and brutal drummers you ever heard, drives along like a locomotive.

Live, and on CD and on video, there is no one like them.

Motorhead is also promoting "Inferno" with yet another World Tour beginning tonight in Cologne, Germany.

"Inferno" is also an enhanced CD, which allows fans to sign up for Motorhead Internet service at www.motorheadrules.com.

"Inferno" Track Listing:
1. Terminal Show
2. Killers
3. In The Name Of Tragedy
4. Suicide
5. Life's A Bitch
6. Down On Me
7. In The Black
8. Fight
9. In The Year Of The Wolf
10. Keys To The Kingdom
11. Smiling Like A Killer
12. Whorehouse Blues

Motorhead Confirmed 2004 Tour Dates:
June 4th Cologne, Germany [Rock AM Ring]
June 5th Nurnberg, Germany [Rock IM Park]
June 6th Bologna, Italy [Gods Of Metal-Parco Nord Arena]
June 8th Burjassot, Spain [Casa De La Cultura]
June 11th Vienna, Austria [Aerodrome Festival]
June 12th Lichtenvoorde, Holland [Arrow Rock Festival]
June 13th Berlin, Germany [Luckau Festival]
June 19th Debechen, Hungary [Vekeri-Lake Festival]
June 25th Switzerland [Frauenfeld Festival]
June 26th Dessel, Belgium [Graspop]
July 5th Athens, Greece [Omicrom Music Open Air Festival]
July 9th Borlange, Sweden [Peace & Love Festival]
July 10th Finland [Ruisrock Festival]
August 5th Hamburg, Germany [Wacken Festival]
August 7th Switzerland [Fat Tire Festival]
August 8th Belgium [Nandrin Festival]
August 20th Prague, CH [Trutnov Open Air]
November 3rd Belfast, UK [Ulster Hall]
November 4th Dublin, UK [The Olympia]
November 5th Tramore, UK [Co. Waterford South]
November 6th Killarney, UK [INEC]
November 9th Glasgow, UK [Barrowlands]
November 10th Liverpool, UK [Academy]
November 11th Sheffield, UK [Octagon Theatre]
November 13th Newcastle, UK [City Hall]
November 14th Manchester, UK [Apollo]
November 15th Nottingham, UK [Rock City]
November 17th Exeter, UK [University]
November 18th Bristol, UK [Colston Hall]
November 19th Southampton, UK [Guildhall]
November 21st Newport, UK [Newport Center]
November 22nd Norwich, UK [UEA]
November 23rd Folkestone, UK [Leas Cliffe Hall]
November 25th Birmingham, UK [Academy]
November 26th Cambridge, UK [Corn Exchange]
November 27th London, UK [Hammersmith Apollo]
November 29th Amsterdam, Holland [Pepsi Stage]
November 30th Hardenberg, Germany [Podium]
December 1st Osnabruck, Germany [Halle Gartlage]
December 3rd Erfurt, Germany [Thuringenhalle]
December 4th Magdeburg, Germany [A.M.O.]
December 5th Wiesbaden, Germany [Schlachthof]
December 7th Dusseldorf, Germany [Philipshalle]
December 8th Hannover, Germany [Capitol]
December 9th Dresden, Germany [Schlachthof]
December 10th Stuttgart, Germany [Congress Center]

Copyright 2003-2008 Internet Music Media. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

---

[Top]