Various Artists – Motorhead Tribute India
Iron Fist
Rs. 200 (MP3), Rs. 400 (CD)
It’s one thing to have a tribute gig, but it’s another thing to actually record a tribute album. Twelve artistes salute the mighty, unstoppable force of heavy metal and rock ‘n roll that is Motorhead. It’s bad enough that most people are cautious of what they would call a ‘good’ cover or rendition of another artiste’s song, because people love the original composition oh-so-much. The 12 bands on Motorhead Tribute India cast aside that aspersion, and the result is an ambitious, risky and extremely diverse album.
Let’s not forget that Motorhead is best known for ‘Ace Of Spades’, and possibly, ‘The Game’, the latter a theme song written for ‘professional wrestler’ Triple H. Mumbai’s Dormant Inferno gets a shot at putting its own death / doom metal spin on the most famous track on this album, and it doesn’t disappoint. As for ‘Ace Of Spades’, well, you’ll have to look a bit harder to find that hidden track, a stoner session from Bevar Sea, complete with djembe and vocal by Avinash Ramchander.
But if you are a loyal, die-hard fan of Motorhead, this album is a great way to discover Indian metal. There’s a variety of acts — ranging from the abrasive black metal attack by 1833 AD on ‘Dead And Gone’ to the much more measured, brooding rendition of ‘Orgasmatron’ by Solar Deity. There’s an uneasy mix of slow and fast songs, though. The list works well till Albatross’ ballad-esque version of ‘God Was Never On Your Side’ throws you into sludge band Shepherd’s top-notch version of ‘Sacrifice’. Sure, there’s the inimitable thrash styling of Mortar on ‘I Am The Sword’, but the overtly atmospheric Djinn and Miskatonic version of ‘I Don’t Believe A Word’ and Purgation’s barely listenable death metal version of ‘Terminal Show’ is least likely to please fans.
Another setback that needs to be discounted, though, is the uneven recording quality on songs. Considering Indian bands’ small recording budgets, not every band would be booking a high-end studio for their songs. Nonetheless, this one is for the Motorhead altruists and Indian metal enthusiasts alike.
