Review Summary: Only way to feel the noise is when it’s good and loud
Motörhead may have established a strong identity with their self-titled album, but 1979’s Overkill could be seen as their true debut. Having shed the baggage of early members and lingering material, this album sees the trio consolidate their tropes with boosted musicianship matched by focused songwriting. There’s a real sense in pushing forward throughout, both as a band and throwing down a gauntlet of extremity for groups from Venom and Metallica to follow through the following decade.
While Motörhead set a standard for high velocity openers with their self-titled song, they never had one with such a strong statement of intent as Overkill’s title track. Plenty of hard rock and metal bands had utilized double bass drumming by this point but you’d be hard pressed to find patterns with this degree of filth, especially when reinforced by these grimy bass lines and flailing solos. Throw in Lemmy’s rock ’n roll declarations, relentless instrumental breaks, and two false endings and you’ve got an anthem that is simultaneously exhilarating and exhausting.
The album’s other songs may not reach the same levels of intensity, but they still offer plenty of grit and attitude. “Stay Clean” and “(I Won’t) Pay Your Price” keep the momentum going nicely, the former pairing a driving rhythm with washed out guitars and vocals while the latter has a more straightforward click-clack heft. I also love the swing on ”No Class,” self-admitted ZZ Top ripoff riff and all, as well as the interweaving bass and vocal lines of “Tear Ya Down.”
Of course, there’s also a lingering sense of seventies-inspired dynamics that help set Overkill apart from the classic lineup’s subsequent outings. “Capricorn” and “Metropolis” feel like the last hurrah for Lemmy’s Hawkwind-isms, the former being a personal favorite as it pairs a spacey stop-start pattern with echoing vocals calling out autobiographical reflections. The closing “Limb From Limb” also serves as an example of the shifts in sound, as it opens on a sleazy blues crawl and climaxes on another burst of speed.
Ace of Spades may be the most famous Motörhead album, but Overkill is arguably their most important. Having already debuted with a personality-defining mission statement, this is where everything truly comes together. While the band may not have intended to be anything more ambitious than simple rock ‘n roll, the musicianship puts forth some serious power and the songwriting has more variety than they are even given credit for. As far as I’m concerned, this is their magnum opus as well as a damn near perfect album.
