Motörhead will be honoured by the Los Angeles City Council on August 26th in celebration of their 40 year anniversary and the upcoming release of their new album, Bad Magic. Council member José Huizar will be conducting the honour, which will take place at 10 AM at the council chambers at city hall.

Motörhead have released a lyric video for their new song, “Electricity”, featured on the band’s upcoming Bad Magic album. Bad Magic is the band’s 22nd studio album and is slated to be released August 28th via UDR Music / Motörhead Music. The album was recorded at NRG Studios in Los Angeles, CA with long-time producer Cameron Webb. Bad Magic is the follow up to the band’s highly successful album Aftershock which saw Motörhead enjoy their most successful year yet, including a fourth Grammy nomination.

After 40 years rattling teeth, bones and ears with their legendary rock’n’roll, you might excuse Motörhead if they wanted to ease off. Put their feet up. Relax a little. But that’s just it… this is Motörhead.

And instead, Motörhead gleefully say a loud and hearty ‘bollocks’ to that sort of feeble-minded thinking with their 22nd studio album, Bad Magic. Bristling with thunderous attitude, pioneering spirit and some of the fiercest rhythms and riffs that’ll beat your ears into submission this year, Bad Magic is a massive kick in the teeth for anyone who dared believe it might be otherwise. Indeed, if those people still remain, they would do well to grab some big fat earplugs, fall to their knees and pray like buggery, because big-rig head crushers like “Thunder & Lightning” (streaming below) and the especially l-o-u-d “Teach‘Em How To Bleed” show that Motörhead are as strong, mean, loud, relentless, uncompromising and goddam heavy as ever.

 

 

Drawing on their own vast catalogue of road-warrior freewheeling rock’n’roll spirit, Bad Magic also strides confidently into some of the earlier attitudes of Motörmusic. Written and recorded in the studio together, for the first time in the Kilmister/Campbell/Dee era, the more ‘live’ approach to creating Bad Magic has obviously paid dividends in this regard. There is the driving malevolence of “Choking On Your Screams”,  with Lemmy in magnificently omnipotent vocal mood, “Electricity” carries a hefty chunk of punk attitude married with some of Phil Campbell’s best lead work in years, while “Shoot Out All Of Your Lights” is all devilish, greasy biker-borne-screw-you-and yours, Mikkey Dee’s tribal drums pounding out a great path for more Kilmister proclamations. The boys even enjoyed a guest appearance from Queen’s Brian May on “The Devil”, adding a scintillating solo on this thunderous Motörstomper.

Produced at NRG Studios with long-time producer Cameron Webb, Bad Magic came together after a couple of years which saw Motörhead enjoy their most successful international era in over two decades off the back of their last release Aftershock. Lemmy also finally decided to face the fact he is flesh, blood and mortal like all of us, adjusting his lifestyle to kick the ass of health-issues and re-emerging stronger, leaner and meaner than ever. His own personal performances on Bad Magic rank as some of the most wide-ranging and unique he has delivered in years, and on the ballad “Until The End”, Lemmy opens up with equal levels explanation and intent on the simple but important matters which life conjures for us all. Add to all of this a wonderfully executed, gritty delivery of The Rolling Stones classic “Sympathy For The Devil”, and it will be clear to anyone with a pair of ears that Bad Magic is Motörhead’s finest work in over two decades.

Tracklisting:

“Victory Or Die”
“Thunder & Lightning”
“Fire Storm Hotel”
“Shoot Out All Of Your Lights”
“The Devil”
“Electricity”
“Evil Eye”
“Teach Them How To Bleed”
“Till The End”
“Tell Me Who To Kill”
“Choking On Your Screams”
“When The Sky Comes Looking For You”
“Sympathy For The Devil” (Rolling Stones cover)

Pre-orders at the following links:

- Standard Jewel Case
- Limited Box
- Digi Pack
- Vinyl
- iTunes

Motörhead, who are embarking on a 40th anniversary world tour in support of Bad Magic, have announced a US tour. These North American shows start in mid-August, with Saxon and Anthrax as special guests on select dates, before ending with the now-legendary Motörboat Cruise between September 28th – October 2nd from Miami, Florida to Nassau, Bahamas. The cruise also features Slayer, Anthrax and a bumper line-up of bands including three exciting new acts, Others, Budderside, and No Words.

North American tour dates:

August
19 - Riverside, CA - RHA
21 - Las Vegas, NV - House Of Blues
22 - Los Angeles, CA - Shrine
24 - San Francisco, CA - Warfield
27 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Complex
28 - Denver, CO - Riotfest

September
1 - Austin, TX - Cedar Park Center
2 - San Antonio, TX - Aztec
4 - Dallas, TX - Bomb Factory
5 - Houston, TX - House Of Blues
8 - St Louis, MO - Pageant
9 - Indianapolis, IN - Murat
11 - Chicago, IL - Riotfest
12 - Detroit, MI - Fillmore
15 - Wallingford, CT - Oakdale
16 - Wantagh, NY - Jones Beach
19 - Toronto, ONT - Riotfest
22 - Philadelphia, PA - Tower Theatre
23 - Charlotte, NC - Fillmore
25 - Orlando, FL - House Of Blues