Reviews

Another first-rate {$Motörhead} album -- the fifth in a row, to be precise -- {^Iron Fist} is the final one to feature the band's classic lineup, as guitarist {$"Fast" Eddie Clarke} would depart following the album's completion. Released in 1982, {^Iron Fist} is mostly distinguished from its predecessors in terms of production, and not favorably. {$Clarke} produced this album himself, whereas industry veterans {$Jimmy Miller} and {$Vic Maile} had respectively manned {$Motörhead}'s past four albums. {$Clarke}'s production is a bit sterile in comparison, with his guitar in the forefront, sounding slightly more polished than usual. These are minor points, however. {^Iron Fist} is a fine {$Motörhead} album, and there's not much at all to complain about here. As usual, the performance is ferocious and there several standout songs ({&"Iron Fist,"} {&"Heart of Stone,"} {&"Speedfreak,"} {&"[Don't Let 'Em] Grind You Down"}) amid a strong selection overall. If {^Iron Fist} falls a little short of its four-star predecessors, it's still in a class with those albums, at least relative to what would follow in the years to come. Sadly, it was downhill from here for {$Motörhead}, slowly but steadily. Not until the '90s would they reach heights near this again. [{@Earmark} released a special picture disc LP for collectors.] ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide