Aces

You can never have enough Motorhead, or at least that's what the group's early record label believes, as they've flooded the marketplace with compilations of the group for years. But still, there's no denying how important and influential this biker metal band has been. And they should be given a medal of honor for offering a much needed alternative to all the pretty-boy glam metal that was permeating the scene during the '80s. Focusing on their first few albums (which are longtime hard rock classics), the 20-track compilation Aces includes all the favorites you'd expect from the group's classic Lemmy-Fast Eddie Clarke-Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor lineup. Even though it's been years since this material first hit, it's impossible not to still be impressed with its ferocity -- "Ace of Spades," "No Class," "Bomber," "(We Are) The Road Crew," and "Stay Clean" are all here. And you also get a handful of standouts from the post-Clarke years -- "Killed By Death," "Shine," and "Deaf Forever." Aces is easily one of the best single-disc Motorhead sets on the market today. Don't expect to find any wimpy ballads here, folks. ~ Greg Prato|