Iron Fist

Motorhead were riding high in the early-'80s, courtesy of such big U.K. hit albums as ACE OF SPADES and NO SLEEP 'TIL HAMMERSMITH, so there was no reason to worry about an imminent, career-threatening turmoil. Or so fans thought. Problems were brewing behind the scenes--longtime guitarist "Fast" Eddie Clarke would be exiting the band after only one more studio album, 1982's IRON FIST. Produced by Clarke himself, though it didn't achieve the instant classic status of the previous two, FIST kept Motorhead in the heavy metal spotlight.
The title track remains a rapid fire Motorhead classic, while such oft-overlooked rockers as "Got To Hell" and "Sex and Outrage" proved to be highlights. By 1983, Motorhead announced the addition of a new (albeit short lived) line-up, featuring ex-Thin Lizzy guitar slinger Brian Robertson, while Clarke formed a new band, Fastway.|

Another first-rate Motorhead 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 Motorhead'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 Motorhead 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 Motorhead, slowly but steadily. Not until the '90s would they reach heights near this again. ~ Jason Birchmeier