Aftershock is the 21st studio album by Motörhead. Originally expected to be released in mid-2013, it was released separately on 18 October in Germany, on 21 October in the rest of Europe, and on 22 October in North America and the rest of the world. It is the fourth album released under the UDR GmbH / Motörhead Music collaboration, with ADA as the distributor for the first time.
Recording
In an August 2012 interview with Artisan News Service during the Rockstar Mayhem Festival tour of 2012, Motörhead drummer Mikkey Dee revealed that the band had written a number of songs already for a follow-up to 2010's The Wörld Is Yours, but that the band were continuing to write. He then went on to say that the new album would be recorded and released in 2013. In an interview with Classic Rock Revisited, Lemmy was asked about the possibility of the albumconsisting of all covers. Lemmy said that it had been discussed and that "it would be fun to do". He further noted that if a covers album would be made, the band's varying musical tastes would ensure a diverse track listing. In late October 2012, it was announced that the band had made plans to enter the studio in January 2013. In addition, Cameron Webb, who had produced the previous four albums, would again return to produce the new album. The title was revealed on 18 June 2013.
Release
Aftershock earned mostly positive reviews. Brandon Ringo of New Noise Magazine gave it a full five stars, acclaimed the album as the best Motörhead had released in 20 years, and praised its return to basics. Sammy O'Hagar of MetalSucks commented, "Everything sounds as snarling and nasty as it always has and always will be." "The hammer-down moments are the most satisfying," observed Mojo's Phil Alexander, "with 'End of Time', 'Death Machine' and the frenetic 'Queen of the Damned' confirming you will not hear a louder, more defiant rock 'n' roll album this year." Hank Shteamer of Pitchfork noted that, despite the three-year gap between The Wörld Is Yours and Aftershock, the album offered nothing new. Nevertheless, he called it "deeply satisfying and frequently thrilling… In theory, what the band does might seem overfamiliar, but in practice, it's a minor miracle that they're still doing it so well." USA Today made Aftershock its album of the week and praised Phil Campbell's contribution, saying the album contains "some of his finest work". Reviewer Kevin Fitzpatrick remarked on the blues influences on Aftershock, acknowledging that " worn Chuck Berry's, Robert Johnson's and Little Richard's influences on their sleeves for the entirety of their 40 year career." Aftershock sold 11,000 copies in the United States in its first week, to land at no.22 on the Billboard 200.
