The '90s witnessed a surprising and somewhat overlooked renaissance for
Lemmy Kilmister and
Motoerhead, starting with 1991's
1916. The follow-up,
March or Die, was woefully subpar and overly commercial, and many dismissed
1916 as a fluke and gave the band up for dead. However,
Motoerhead then embarked on a run of quality albums for smaller, lower-profile labels;
Bastards,
Sacrifice, and
Overnight Sensation were surprisingly consistent, written and performed with conviction in the classic
Motoerhead style. The band slipped a bit with 1998's
Snake Bite Love, but have thankfully stormed into the new millennium in top form.
We Are Motoerhead maintains the generally high standard of the band's second decade, and while there aren't many speed-freak theatrics (exception: opener
"See Me Burning"), the grimy attitude that's always driven their best work is fully intact. Pared back down to a trio,
Kilmister and company deliver a tight, blistering set that's both well-executed and typical of
Motoerhead's long since established sound. There are no real revelations here, except perhaps that
Kilmister still hasn't lost anything to age; of course, longtime fans will be happy to have yet another fine
Motoerhead record to add to the collection. ~ Steve Huey
