Review by Rosh on March 19, 2021.

The New Wave of British Heavy Metal in the early 1980's is commonly thought to be the point at which this loud and larger than life genre of music began to gain steam and become much faster and more aggressive, but one need look no further than the early work of Motörhead (okay, punk is important in the equation too) for a sense of where the increased focus on speed came from. In early 1979, Overkill was released and its title track is to this day considered an indispensable influence on speed metal, and in 1980 the band would release the not even remotely overrated Ace of Spades which was the recipe for sheer badassery. And yet, the more balanced and paced Bomber, seems to be the band's most overlooked early album - a shame, because it's the most essential Motörhead album for my money. However, having been released in October 1979, it was sandwiched between their two most popular albums. Despite this, it doesn't really matter to me that Overkill came first, because Bomber was still ahead of its time for 1979 and showed enough songwriting progression from Lemmy and co. to be an extremely worthy follow-up album not even a full year later.

Herein, though, lies the disadvantage of releasing more than one album in such a short span of time. One or more of them is likely to be overlooked, and it just so happens that the two more canonically important albums overshadow the one that is the most varied and consistent of the bunch. Like I said above, there's a great deal of fully realized songwriting chops on display on Bomber; it's got plenty of hooks which are usually just a few simple notes or power chords like in the main riffs of 'Lawman' and 'Sharpshooter', not to mention the main bassline of 'Stone Dead Forever'. I feel that it's overall a bit riffier fare than on Overkill, both on these balls-out tracks and on slower ones like 'Sweet Revenge', which is much more involved than the bluesier songs Motörhead had done up to this point like 'Capricorn'. However, it never reaches Sabbath levels of emphatic riffiness (which defined heavy metal music in general), therefore still lending the music the looser, more rock 'n' roll feel that makes this band feel so charming and timeless.

Bomber is also really well-paced, and I love that. Side A is pretty much flawless since it's got kind of a valley structure; 'Dead Men Tell No Tales' is really energetic and inspires the listener with a good message about staying clean (if nothing else I always sing "but I don't care for lies!" to myself), but then the album gradually slows down before picking up again on 'Sharpshooter'. 'Poison' might be slightly less memorable than the first four songs, but there's really nothing truly bad I can say about that song, either. Side B is honestly even better, though - I especially like 'All The Aces' and 'Talking Head', since they're the prime examples of satisfying deep cuts for full-album listeners. In fact, whenever I include "Traditional Heavy Metal" bands on my playlists to break up the Grave, Incantation, and Bolt Thrower, I'll usually throw 'Talking Head' into the shuffle. Finally, you get an awesome burst of energy to close out the album with the titular 'Bomber', which showed Lemmy's interest in history as much as women and having a good time. This is definitely an album where I prefer the older CD pressings without the bonus tracks. The live songs and B-sides are cool on the Sanctuary reissue, but this album feels complete as it is, clocking in just under 37 minutes.

So that's all I have to say about Motörhead's third album. It's their best early album because it has the most variety and no filler at all. Ultimately a pretty humble album, it's nothing the average rock or metal fan won't get down with even if they do prefer Overkill or Ace of Spades. For me though, this album is a desert island necessity because it's feel-good kinda stuff and that's generally not the music I gravitate towards. And yet, there's not a ton that I have to say about this album, because it's rock 'n' roll, nothing more and certainly nothing less!

Rating: 10 out of 10

Review by Felix on January 3, 2021.

Lemmy (R.I.P.) was a challenge. He challenged the laws of ageing, the alcohol industry and academic music fans. He was a thorn in the side of people who thought (with good reasons) that there are better hobbies than collecting Nazi memorabilia. And sometimes he even called on his followers to fight. This was mostly the case whenever he had recorded a ballad. Many of them are really not the shit you want to smoke. 'Don’t Let Daddy Kiss Me' is among these examples for a calm Motörhead song gone wrong. That’s a pity, because it's empathic lyrics are remarkable, but the musical execution sucks. To be honest, it sucks completely and right from the beginning. Lemmy’s voice opens the track and it sounds weak, powerless and odd. Is this the same singer who claims “I am the voice of broken glass”, a line from 'Burner'? Anyhow, 'Don’t Let Daddy Kiss Me' would have been a noteworthy poem, but as a piece of music it belongs in the trash can.

Fortunately, Bastards as a whole deserves a much more positive description. There are probably not many dudes who count this album to Motörhead’s most relevant albums and I do neither, but it definitely shows its muscles. Apart from the terrible ballad, the quartet (yes, quartet) covers the range from good time rockers with piano support ('Bad Woman') over pretty harsh, rock ’n’ roll inspired tracks to speed / thrash metal. The last category is represented by the excellent 'Burner'. Here Lemmy’s vocals really sound like clashing glass, while the restlessly advancing guitars and the hammering drums form an outstanding speedster in the catalogue of the legend. By the way, this song kicks off the best part of the album. The directly following 'Death or Glory' is another intensive, swift number. Mikkey Dee swings the hammers and his comrades at the (bass) guitars do not hesitate to show their fresh, energetic and impulsive side as well. The lyrics of 'Death or Glory' appear as Motörhead’s version of the lyrics of “Sympathy for the Devil”, but with an emphasis on World War II, how could it be otherwise? Finally, 'I Am the Sword' brings the album back on a more rocking yet still heavy track. These three highlights have all that it needs to enrich a Motörhead album; they are compact and avoid useless gimmicks, they sound straight and catchy, they enthuse with directness and the typical Lemmy paradox: this filthy purity that made his band (and himself) to something special.

However, this trio after the somewhat unspectacular opener is not the only reason to enjoy the album. 'Liar', a bone-dry headbanger, grabs you by the collar, no matter whether it is blue or white. I always liked the fact that Motörhead can provide a good mood, but they can be very humourless as well. 'Liar' confirms this thesis with regard to its second part. 'Lost in the Ozone' also reflects a surprisingly serious and thoughtful band. Moreover, the melancholy of the lyrics is underlined by the dragging tempo of this song. I don’t want to say that I was surprised about the fact that Lemmy was a thinking man, but I did not know so far that he also took care about the climate. Religion, World War II, politics, okay – but here he broadened the spectrum.

Apart from the differences in terms of style and tempo, all songs benefit from the voluminous and powerful production. The guitars have an all-embracing sound, the drums are perfectly staged and Lemmy is, well, Lemmy. With all his authenticity, vocal constraints and perpetual unrest. The mid-paced 'We Bring the Shake' with its flawless flow is the final jewel, before the repetitive yet solid 'Devils', carried by a simple yet decent riff, brings the album to an end. It clocks in at 48 minutes, but its impact lasts longer. Or is there anybody out there who does not want to listen to some songs again?

Rating: 7.9 out of 10