Review by Felix on December 28, 2021.

Today it is exactly a year ago that Lemmy left us in order to look what's going on in heaven. In view of this date, I want to pay tribute to the one who became an icon of heavy metal. Of course, he does not need to be honoured by an ordinary metalhead from Germany, but I'll just have to do it for my inner hygiene. Iron Fist was my first album of the band and the second metal album I ever bought. (The first was "Let There Be Rock" and I still think that AC/DC deserve a place on this site. However, here is not the place to discuss this.) To be honest, 'Iron Fist', the song as well as the entire album, is nothing else but the afterburner of 'Ace Of Spades', but come on, who gives a f**k about that? Even more than 34 years after its publication, the full-length has its charm, both the music and the lyrics ("You feel much better when you take these little pills / I'm gonna give you 60 bottles, I believe in overkill... I'm the doctor"). What I like the most about Motörhead is the way how they established two things in heavy metal: the dark, sometimes cynical humour and the dirty, coarse element that formed the basis for their compositions. Of course, their sixth album presents these features.

There are some things that all tracks of Iron Fist have in common. They rely on conventional patterns and they are short without redundant parts. Ballads are not included. Back in 1982, an emotional lament like '1916' would not have been possible. Nevertheless, the best songs of the album, which are placed at its beginning, do not only celebrate the triumph of intensity and brutality. In addition to these traits, they welcome the listener with surprisingly catchy elements. Fast Eddie pulls the strings for the last times and the succinct yet concise melodies indicate that Motörhead had more to deliver than absolutely simple tunes, although their rather primitive image spoke another language at the beginning of the eighties. The title track with its alarming chorus ("You know me, evil eye, you know me, prepare to die") alone is worth the money, but the unfriendly 'Go To Hell', the fatalistic 'Loser' and the patronising 'Heart Of Stone' leave some deep cuts as well. They all have this aforementioned iota of catchiness that separates great songs from ordinary noise. In addition, I must mention 'I'm The Doctor' one more time, because its casual approach adds this sarcastic element which reflected Lemmy's personality very well (as far as I, who never met him, know).

Yet besides all these advantages of Iron Fist, one cannot hide the fact that the trio runs out of ideas during the second half of the album. Somewhere I have read an honest statement of Lemmy who said that three of the twelve songs were actually not finished at the time of their recording and this lack of inspiration shimmers through titles such as '(Don't Let 'Em) Grind Ya Down'. If the truth be told, I never have put the album on my turntable in order to listen to the pretty average tracks of the B side. Songs like 'America' or 'Speedfreak' do not score with the same amount of liveliness and belligerence that ennobles the outstanding title track or the further highlights.

One might be of the opinion that the guitar sound is too loud and polished, but I beg to differ. Lemmy's roughshod vocals ensure the necessary degree of ugliness and the album conveys this specific outlaw feeling that made, in combination with the thundering guitars, early heavy metal so unique. Thus, I cannot say that Iron Fist belongs to the most appreciated items of my collection, but it documents the metallic spirit of the early eighties very well. With regard to the better and more famous Ace Of Spades, Iron Fist is the outsider in the community of outsiders and, to a certain extent, the same applied for Lemmy, Philthy Animal and Fast Eddie back in 1982. Even in the metal society, they had a shady reputation. However, Lemmy, we all know it very well, made his way and reached the terminal station on the 28 December 2015. Rest in peace, Mr. Kilmister, and celebrate a good time with Philthy Animal and all the other guys in the celestial (or hellish?) sanctuary. Have a drink on us, unforgotten comrade, and rest assured; those you have left are trying to keep the flame burning.

Rating: 7.4 out of 10