On November 8, 1980 Motorhead kicked off the 80’s scene by providing one of their most highly acclaimed albums, Ace Of Spades which would later become one of the major influences of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. Since the band had already been projecting a heavy tone since the mid-70s, their material came off as too aggressive for listeners at the time. Their music would soon be the driving force for other acts like Iron Maiden and Saxon, who were merely building their empire, to push the idea that Motorhead had already been crafting for the past five years in three different albums, into mainstream success.
This album offers the band’s most polished production yet by continuing the intensity of their previous two releases, Overkill and Bomber. However this time around, the group lightened on the signature speed metal roots embedded in those records and instead amplified the hard rock component that was dimmed in most songs prior.
Beginning with the fastest, self-titled track on the album, Ace Of Spades is a new breed of speed that isn’t comparable to anything else Motorhead had done before. Although they were no strangers to expeditious tempos, this tune is one of the more iconic numbers that would enable a following of bands, who may not have dared to play as fast as they did if they hadn’t taken a few pointers from this rapid fire single, to catch up to Motorhead’s capacity.
Side one is packed with riff-heavy songs such as Love Me Like A Reptile and Live To Win which both contain a touch of blues guitar within the solos. Other tracks nail the tone of the album with strong melodies and assertive hooks used in Shoot You In The Back and Fast And Loose. (We Are) The Road Crew is a fan favorite that is best played live due to its chant-worthy lyrics.
The second half of Ace Of Spades brings forth more straight-forward hard rock, however it does carry some filler tunes. Some may enjoy the uplifting melodies in Fire, Fire and Dance, however it sounds too familiar even for Motorhead and follows the traditional rock and roll format a little too consistently.
Bite The Bullet is a great transition from these low points and does its best to build a bridge that’ll eventually lead into the next song. Jailbait compels you with the collaborative playing of “Fast” Eddie Clarke and Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor from start to finish. Arguably the best number on side two is The Chase Is Better Than The Catch, because of how well Lemmy ties his vocals together alongside the guitar licks. The album ends with a bang, using an explosive and chaotic closing track called The Hammer.
Overall, this fourth installment in Motorhead’s archive proved that they were tinkering with the future foundation of 80’s heavy metal. Introducing this branch of metal at the time that they did may not have helped benefit them as pioneers of speed metal, but it certainly gave bands who were already established such as Black Sabbath and Judas Priest a couple of things to think about when they were in need of a fresh sound to draw attention to themselves. The band’s consistent success with Ace Of Spades also paved the way for another genre that would triumph a few years into the 80’s: Thrash!
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