Inferno (album)
Encyclopedia
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.
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..."
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
.
, long time sleeve artist for the band, offered these comments on the concept behind the album cover this time round:
, Mikkey Dee
and Lemmy
With:
Steve Vai
Steven Siro "Steve" Vai is a three time Grammy Award-winning American guitarist, songwriter and producer who has sold over 15 million albums. Steve Vai is widely known as a flamboyant guitar virtuoso....
plays on "Terminal Show" and "Down on Me". "In the Black" was featured in the video game Brütal Legend
Brütal Legend
Brütal Legend is an action-adventure/real-time strategy game created by Double Fine Productions and published by Electronic Arts for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The game was released during October 2009 in North America and Europe...
.
In November 2005, a special, 30th anniversary edition of Inferno was released with a bonus DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
, which contains 6 live tracks from the band's 30th anniversary show, a documentary and the "Whorehouse Blues" video.
History
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 bluesCountry blues
Country blues is a general term that refers to all the acoustic, mainly guitar-driven forms of the blues. It often incorporated elements of rural gospel, ragtime, hillbilly, and dixieland jazz...
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
Mikkey Dee
Micael Kiriakos Delaoglou , better known as Mikkey Dee is a drummer/songwriter in the Heavy metal band Motörhead. A Swede of Greek descent, he has been known for his speed and precision since his mid-80s stint with King Diamond.- Early life :Delaoglou began his musical career with local bands...
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..."
Filming of the video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
was due to take place in a Stringfellow's club, but Peter Stringfellow
Peter Stringfellow
Peter James Stringfellow is an English nightclub owner.-Early life:Stringfellow was born on 17 October 1940 to Elsie and James William Stringfellow , a steelworker...
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
Ealing
Ealing is a suburban area of west London, England and the administrative centre of the London Borough of Ealing. It is located west of Charing Cross and around from the City of London. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. It was historically a rural village...
.
Sleeve artwork
Joe PetagnoJoe Petagno
Joe Petagno is an artist known principally for creating images used on rock album covers, for bands such as Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Nazareth, Motörhead, Roy Harper, Marduk, Nightshade, and Illdisposed....
, 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 MarsMars (mythology)Mars was the Roman god of war and also an agricultural guardian, a combination characteristic of early Rome. He was second in importance only to Jupiter, and he was the most prominent of the military gods worshipped by the Roman legions...
, 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 mundiAxis mundiThe axis mundi , in religion or mythology, is the world center and/or the connection between heaven and Earth. As the celestial pole and geographic pole, it expresses a point of connection between sky and earth where the four compass directions meet...
, 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 OverkillOverkill (album)Overkill is the second album released by Motörhead, in 1979, and their first for Bronze Records. It peaked at number 24 on the UK charts.It had a big impact in the British punk culture of that time, paving the way for UK82. Kerrang! magazine listed the album at No...
and taking a second shot at it, really.
Track listing
All tracks composed by Phil CampbellPhil Campbell (musician)
Philip Anthony Campbell has been the lead guitarist of the British heavy metal band Motörhead since 1984. He is also the former guitarist of Persian Risk.-Early life and career:...
, Mikkey Dee
Mikkey Dee
Micael Kiriakos Delaoglou , better known as Mikkey Dee is a drummer/songwriter in the Heavy metal band Motörhead. A Swede of Greek descent, he has been known for his speed and precision since his mid-80s stint with King Diamond.- Early life :Delaoglou began his musical career with local bands...
and Lemmy
- "Terminal Show" – 3:45
- "Killers" – 4:14
- "In the Name of Tragedy" – 3:03
- "Suicide" – 5:07
- "Life's a Bitch" – 4:13
- "Down on Me" – 4:12
- "In the Black" – 4:31
- "Fight" – 3:42
- "In the Year of the Wolf" – 4:17
- "Keys to the Kingdom" – 4:46
- "Smiling Like a Killer" – 2:44
- "Whorehouse Blues" – 3:53
Credits
- Lemmy – vocals, bass, harmonica on "Whorehouse Blues"
- Phil CampbellPhil Campbell (musician)Philip Anthony Campbell has been the lead guitarist of the British heavy metal band Motörhead since 1984. He is also the former guitarist of Persian Risk.-Early life and career:...
– guitar, acoustic lead guitar on "Whorehouse Blues" - Mikkey DeeMikkey DeeMicael Kiriakos Delaoglou , better known as Mikkey Dee is a drummer/songwriter in the Heavy metal band Motörhead. A Swede of Greek descent, he has been known for his speed and precision since his mid-80s stint with King Diamond.- Early life :Delaoglou began his musical career with local bands...
– drums, acoustic rhythm guitar on "Whorehouse Blues"
With:
- Steve VaiSteve VaiSteven Siro "Steve" Vai is a three time Grammy Award-winning American guitarist, songwriter and producer who has sold over 15 million albums. Steve Vai is widely known as a flamboyant guitar virtuoso....
– guitar on "Terminal Show" and "Down On Me" - Curtis Mathewson – strings on "Keys to the Kingdom"
- Joe PetagnoJoe PetagnoJoe Petagno is an artist known principally for creating images used on rock album covers, for bands such as Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Nazareth, Motörhead, Roy Harper, Marduk, Nightshade, and Illdisposed....
– sleeve artwork - Recorded at NRG, Paramount, Maple Studios
- Produced, mixed and engineered by Cameron Webb
- Additionally engineered by Bob Koszela, Sergio Chavez and Chris Rakestraw
- Assisted by Sergio Chavez, Corey Gash, George Gumbs
- Mixed at Paramount Studios
- Mastered at Capitol Records by Kevin Bartley
Live at Hammersmith Apollo, June 16, 2005
- "Killers" – 6:15
- "Love for Sale" – 5:25
- "Tragedy" – 3:22
- "(We Are) The Road Crew" – 3:34
- "Whorehouse Blues" – 4:59
- "Bomber" – 3:59
- Total running time – 27:34
The Guts and the Glory – The Motörhead Story
- Interviews with Lemmy, Phil Campbell, Mikkey Dee, Eddie ClarkeEddie ClarkeEdward Allan Clarke better known as "Fast" Eddie Clarke, is a guitarist who was a member of British heavy metal bands Fastway and Motörhead.-Early days:...
and Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor - Total running time – 64:00