Kiss of Death (Motörhead album)

Kiss of Death
Studio album by Motörhead
Released 29 August 2006
Recorded 2006[1]
Studio Paramount Studios and NRG Studios, Hollywood, California
Maple Studios, Costa Mesa, California[1]
Genre Heavy metal
Length 44:54 (standard)
50:05 (BT version)
Label SPV GmbH[1]
Producer Cameron Webb[1]
Motörhead chronology
BBC Live & In-Session
(2005)BBC Live & In-Session2005		 Kiss of Death
(2006)		 The Essential Motörhead
(2007)The Essential Motörhead2007
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic [2]
DrownedInSound(favourable) [3]

Kiss of Death is the 18th studio album by the band Motörhead, released on 29 August 2006, on Steamhammer, their ninth with the label.

Recording

Kiss of Death was the second album Motörhead recorded with producer Cameron Webb and continues the heavy, blistering sound evident on the band's previous LP Inferno. As Joel McIver notes in his 2011 Motörhead memoir Overkill: The Untold Story of Motörhead:

"..'God Was Never on Your Side' showcases Lemmy's lyrical doom-mongering as never before; 'Kingdom of the Worm' — the album's lead single — was an acerbic commentary on the modern world; and one song, the ponderous 'Going Down,' was co-authored by Campbell's son Todd.."

Mike Inez from Alice in Chains and C.C. Deville from Poison also play on the album. 'Kingdom Of The Worm' received its world premiere on Friday, 19 May, during Lemmy's appearance on the "Jonesy's Jukebox" radio show on Indie 103.1 FM.

Release

The album reached #4 in Germany, marking Motörhead's highest entry ever in the German charts. Kiss of Death is also notable for being the final Motörhead album to feature original artwork by longtime artist Joe Petagno.

Critical reception

A review on Drowned in Sound suggests that Motörhead is not a band that focuses on innovation and progression and that they are happy doing more of the same and their fans are more than happy to receive it, this album being no exception. Otherwise the review notes the tracks as:

"..twelve slices of good old-fashioned, foot-stomping, fist-pumping rock ‘n’ roll.."

And warns not to assume that the album is boring as the band still manage to:

"..slay most of the shit out there.."

And reminds us that:

"..Motörhead are living hard-rock legends.."

Continuing, the review states the lyrics are as entertaining as ever and that with Lemmy's style of singing, coupled with a:

"..plethora of insanely catchy twelve-bar riffs that most bands would happily die for, the album is yet another timeless Motörhead classic.."

Greg Prato of AllMusic praises the band's longevity but feels:

"..there are too many songs that sound like run-of-the-mill modern-day metal (such as 'Living in the Past' and 'Sword of Glory'), rather than the classic Motörhead sound you'd expect.."

Speaking about "Sword of Glory," Lee Marlow of Classic Rock states:

"..Lemmy's ability to wring fresh poignancy from the idiocy of war and its mark on history has long been one of Motörhead's sharpest weapons.."

Track listing

All tracks written by Kilmister, Campbell, Dee except where noted.

CD
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Sucker" 2:59
2."One Night Stand" 3:05
3."Devil I Know" 3:00
4."Trigger" 3:53
5."Under the Gun" 4:44
6."God Was Never on Your Side" 4:20
7."Living in the Past" 3:45
8."Christine" 3:42
9."Sword of Glory" 3:57
10."Be My Baby" 3:40
11."Kingdom of the Worm" 4:08
12."Going Down"Kilmister, Campbell, Dee, Todd Campbell3:35
Total length:44:54
Sanctuary bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
13."R.A.M.O.N.E.S." (2006 Version)Kilmister, Campbell, Michael "Würzel" Burston, Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor1:22
  • Re-recorded with Mikkey Dee on drums
SPV GmbH limited edition bonus track [1]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
13."Whiplash"James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich3:49
  • This limited-edition release was in a tri-fold digipak sleeve, with an artwork poster. The booklet differed slightly from that of the standard release in that there was no brickwork surrounding the central image, just a black border.

Personnel

Credits adapted from the Kiss of Death liner notes.[1]

Production

  • Cameron Webb – producer, mixing, engineer
  • Bob Kulick – producer ("Whiplash")
  • Bruce Bouillet – producer ("Whiplash")
  • Sergio Chavez – additional engineering
  • Kevin Bartley – mastering
  • Motörhead – executive producers
  • Lemmy – sketches and handwriting
  • Steffan Chirazi – creative direction
  • Mark Abramson – art direction and design
  • Robert John – photography
  • Michael Shreiber – Latin translation
  • Joe Petagno – album cover, Snaggletooth

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Kiss of Death, Motörhead, SPV GmbH, SPV 99910 CD Ltd, 2006 Liner Notes, page 21, 22, 23, rear
  2. ↑ AllMusic Review
  3. ↑ DrownedInSound Review
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