Motörhead

With Lemmy Kilminster’s Motörhead quickly approaching its 30th anniversary in 2005, the name has come to represent some of the most consistent metal recordings of the past four decades. Perhaps too consistent, some may argue, as their albums don’t really vary a great deal in substance from one to the next, but you know that every time out there will be at least a handful of classic tracks. Inferno, the band’s second for Sanctuary, is one such album. While it may not go down in time as being a monumental Motörhead release in the same way that say Overkill or Ace Of Spades will, it is still quality. Staying in the same trio line-up that has been Motörhead for nearly a decade now — Lemmy on bass, Mikkey Dee on drums and Phil Campbell on guitar, the band is joined by guitarist Steve Vai on a pair of tracks, including the voracious opener "Terminal Show,” and a string section is present on "Keys To The Kingdom.” The only real surprise is album closer "Whorehouse Blues,” an acoustic blues shuffle with Lemmy and Campbell on acoustic guitars and harmonica. The song may leave those with a more political correct outlook a little upset, but no one ever said these were polite, nice boys we were dealing with.