Iron Fist

by Jason BirchmeierAnother 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.