Louder Than Noise… Live in Berlin (Live in Berlin 2012)

Album review

There won't be any more studio albums, and most of the band's B-sides have been discarded, which means that only live recordings and reissues remain to be released as monuments to one of rock'n'roll's greatest ever groups. On 5 December 2012, Motörhead played one of their biggest shows in Germany, at the Velodrom in Berlin. 12,000 loyal followers turned out to see the band and its leader, the unforgettable Lemmy Kilmister. The singer-bassist was not in top form, as he was already severely weakened by the disease which would take his life almost exactly three years later. But in spite of everything, his unflagging charisma made its mark on the performance that evening. Supported as never before by the infernal duo of Phil Campbell and Mikkey Dee, the band were able to put on a performance that was truly "Louder than Everything Else".

That night, Motörhead played 15 songs and were on stage for just over an hour. Of course, the greatest classics were all there, from Overkill to Ace of Spades, as well as Over the Top and Killed By Death. The engine took a minute to really get started, but the second half of the set was a real Motörhead, with all the on-stage energy that was the group's hallmark. The band's power owes a lot to impeccable timing from the drummer, who gives a little bit extra to make up for any weakness on the part of the singer-bassist. Louder Than Noise... Live in Berlin lacks the freshness or the raw strength of the concerts of the 80s, but it does have an incredible steam-roller robustness, forged over years of touring after the band had settled into its definitive line-up.

This is an overwhelming arsenal of rock'n'roll, and it has been well-served by the mixing work done by Cameron Webb. Webb has worked faithfully with the band for years, producing the albums Bad Magic, Aftershock, The Wörld Is Yours, Motörizer, Kiss of Death, and Inferno, as well as various other official live releases. It is an hour of sound and fury; but above all an hour of joy for an audience which will always remember its idols. This is a new live compilation to add to the trophy cabinet: a tribute to an artist who, even after his death, is still hailed by fans as a god of rock. © Chief Brody / Qobuz