| Inferno | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by Motörhead | ||||
| Released | June 22, 2004 | |||
| Recorded | 2004 NRG, Paramount, Maple Studios |
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| Genre | Heavy metal | |||
| Length | 50:58 | |||
| Label | SPV GmbH | |||
| Producer | Cameron Webb | |||
| Motörhead chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | [1] |
| Rolling Stone | [2] |
Inferno is the seventeenth album by the British band Motörhead. Released in 2004, it features some heavy tracks (like "Terminal Show" and "In the Name of Tragedy"), but also some rock'n'roll tracks ("Killers", "Life's a Bitch"). "Whorehouse Blues" is an acoustic track, which reflects on the thirty years of Motörhead's existence. Guitarist Steve Vai plays on "Terminal Show" and "Down on Me". "In the Black" was featured in the video game Brütal Legend.
In November 2005, a special, 30th anniversary edition of Inferno was released with a bonus DVD, which contains 6 live tracks from the band's 30th anniversary show, a documentary and the "Whorehouse Blues" video.
Contents |
The final song on the album, "Whorehouse Blues", was somewhat of a departure for the band in terms of influence. It was described as a country blues style song, and was distinguished by the playing of acoustic guitar by all three band members, with Lemmy also taking up harmonica towards the end. Mikkey Dee explained his role change from drums to guitar by saying "I've been playing guitar all my life a little bit, because guitars have always been around, so it's nothing spectacular in my eyes". He also stated that "it's quite fun to walk onstage and do that song. And we definitely surprised the audiences..." [3]
Filming of the video was due to take place in a Stringfellow's club, but Peter Stringfellow objected to the song title and the associations it brought with it, and withdrew any involvement. With twenty-four hours left until the shoot, they found a club in Ealing.[4]
Joe Petagno, long time sleeve artist for the band, offered these comments on the concept behind the album cover this time round:
When I first decided to do the Inferno cover, I had the idea it should be Mars, the god of war. But I wanted to take the original three chrome heads I had created two years earlier and show it in the process of being formed at the foundry. Being poured, the molten metal, which goes through down the centre of the picture. It also formed the sword in the new logo. It's also an axis mundi, the centre of the world, which holds the whole Mars planet together. It's a circle, Mars is almost exploding. There are these soldiers coming in from the sides, which is very much like Iraq or any other hotspots in the world. At the same time as this Mars exploration shit was going on on TV... Great. Millions of people are dying, there's water on Mars, I'm so fucking happy. It came about because I was irritated about "Can't we just figure it out?"... all the hypocrisy yet again, all the bloodshed, all the stupidity... it's in that cover. It was kind of a comeback to the Overkill and taking a second shot at it, really.[5]
All tracks composed by Phil Campbell, Mikkey Dee and Lemmy
With: