Motörhead: Overkill (Blue/Green Vinyl, 50th Anniversary, Half-Speed Master)

THIS IS A PRE-ORDER ITEM EXPECTED TO SHIP ON OR NEAR FEB 28

Following up on your first album is no easy task but then not all bands were Motorhead. When not destroying crowds with their trademark no holds-barred, head pounding hard rock, they got to work on the follow up to their self-titled debut. The result? An ear shredding, skull splitting record featuring the likes of hit singles Overkill and No Class and an indelible imprint in the history books of rock. Honouring the 50th year of one of the greatest and most influential hard rock bands of all time, this classic album is now available on coloured vinyl, with the half speed masters created from the original tapes.

If Motörhead’s self-titled debut was a battle cry, then Overkill was the full-fledged blitzkrieg. Released in 1979, Overkillcemented Motörhead’s place as one of the loudest, rawest, and most unrelenting forces in rock and roll history. It took the snarling aggression of their debut and cranked every dial to the maximum—faster, heavier, and more unapologetically ferocious.

From the very first second, the album’s opening track, Overkill, detonates like a bomb. With Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor’s legendary double-bass drumming rattling the speakers, the song feels less like music and more like a head-on collision. It was one of the earliest examples of double-kick drumming in rock, laying the groundwork for speed metal, thrash, and beyond. Lemmy’s signature distorted bass growls beneath Fast Eddie Clarke’s fiery guitar work, setting the tone for the chaos that follows.

Tracks like Stay Clean and I’ll Be Your Sister show off Motörhead’s ability to blend punk speed with bluesy, hard-hitting riffs, while No Class delivers a swaggering, groove-heavy anthem dripping with attitude. Capricorn slows things down just enough to prove that even at a reduced tempo, Motörhead could still sound dangerous. But they never stay in one gear for long—songs like Tear Ya Down and Limb from Limb keep the adrenaline surging, ensuring that Overkill never overstays its welcome.

Lyrically, the album doesn’t waste time on deep introspection or overcomplicated narratives. Instead, it sticks to what Lemmy did best—spitting out tales of rebellion, debauchery, and living life at full throttle. His vocal delivery is as raw and commanding as ever, a sandpaper snarl that feels like it was forged in smoke-filled bars and endless highways.

What makes Overkill truly special is its sheer impact. It didn’t just refine Motörhead’s sound; it set a new standard for heaviness and speed in rock music. It was a defining moment—not just for the band, but for the evolution of heavy music as a whole. Without Overkill, it’s hard to imagine the rise of thrash metal, punk-infused rock, or even some of the most extreme forms of metal that would follow.

Even decades later, Overkill remains an untouchable classic—an album that doesn’t just demand to be played loud, but demands to be felt. It’s a relentless, no-frills, full-throttle masterpiece, proving once and for all that Motörhead wasn’t just a band; they were a way of life.

BY RUE MORGUE RECORDS