The '90s witnessed a surprising and somewhat overlooked renaissance for
Lemmy Kilmister
and
Motoerhead
, starting with 1991's
1916
. The follow-up,
March or Die
, was woefully subpar and overly commercial, and many dismissed
as a fluke and gave the band up for dead. However,
then embarked on a run of quality albums for smaller, lower-profile labels;
Bastards
,
Sacrifice
, and
Overnight Sensation
were surprisingly consistent, written and performed with conviction in the classic
style. The band slipped a bit with 1998's
Snake Bite Love
, but have thankfully stormed into the new millennium in top form.
We Are Motoerhead
maintains the generally high standard of the band's second decade, and while there aren't many speed-freak theatrics (exception: opener
"See Me Burning"
), the grimy attitude that's always driven their best work is fully intact. Pared back down to a trio,
Kilmister
and company deliver a tight, blistering set that's both well-executed and typical of
's long since established sound. There are no real revelations here, except perhaps that
still hasn't lost anything to age; of course, longtime fans will be happy to have yet another fine
record to add to the collection. ~ Steve Huey