format: LP
year: 1990
country: Belgium
label: Alcatraz
#: 101
info: 4-panel folded insert
style: Motörhead
Side A:
Side B:
"...probably had the strongest Motörhead-sound, without becoming a coverband" said the internet, but surely this is the usual type of exaggerations one expects to surround a band with a fairly obvious main influence? No. No it certainly isn't. It's an understatement and in fact, Vulcain sound like a generic fast Heavy Metal band by comparison. Only a professor emiritus in motörheadology would be able to discern any meaningful differences between Belgium's SHELL SHOCK and the original and I certainly do not carry that title. If I wanted to be mean I would call them the AB/CD of Motörhead but that would be a really cheap shot and lets not ever mention AB/CD on The Corroseum again thank you. But you get the point.
Now obviously this means "Die For Allah" is a great album, but I noticed it required some repeated playing to really get into the groove of it. After that = perfect beer-guzzling party record! The describing-the-music-part of the review feels a bit reduntat this time around, so I'll put it like this:
There are the really heavy, steamroller-type tracks - the 'Orgasmatron's if you will - and they're probably my favourites, "Ayatollah", "An Eye For An Eye" and the absolute scorcher "Mr. President". Then there's the fast ones, out of which my fave is probably "(I don't believe in) Fairy-Tales" but there's also "Nail You Down", "Knock Out" and the great faster-than-fast "Fired Up" ...and stuff inbetween, like the complete crusher "Solitaire". And etc.
(Btw, this highly generic paragraph is now open-source for anyone who wants to make their own quick-review of any Motörhead-album of their choice. Just change the song titles and you're good to go.)
As far as Belgian rarities go, this remains a highly coveted one so keep your elbows sharpened, and should it leave you hungry for more, there are 3 more S.S.-rippers to be found on the "Breaking With Tradition"-compilaton on the same label, released in 1991.