Bad Magic

''Bad Magic'' is the twenty-second and final studio album by the British rock band Motörhead. Released on 28 August 2015, it is the fifth release under the UDR / Motörhead Music collaboration of the previous five years.

Due to the death of founder Lemmy four months after the album's release, the band disbanded after 40 years on the road. Surviving members guitarist Phil Campbell and drummer Mikkey Dee stated to numerous media that the band was finished.

"When the Sky Comes Looking for You" was the only song from this album to be played live. In 2016, the album received an ECHO Award nomination for Best Rock/Alternative International, but eventually lost to Iron Maiden's ''The Book of Souls''.

Recording

''Bad Magic'' was written and recorded in Los Angeles, and Cameron Webb again produced the album. In an interview, Motörhead drummer Mikkey Dee told the press that the recording process was different than previously:

Later Lemmy said the whole album was not recorded live, but they:

The cover of "Sympathy for the Devil" was recorded at the request of pro wrestler Triple H.

The band also recorded a cover of David Bowie's "Heroes" during the recording sessions for the album and it was one of the band's last songs recorded together prior to Lemmy's death that same year. The song would be released two years later on 2017's '' Under Cöver'' album.

On 1 December 2022, an expanded edition of the album, ''Seriously Bad Magic'', was announced for release on Silver Lining Records on 24 February 2023, containing "'Heroes'" and two unreleased tracks from the sessions, "Bullet in Your Brain" (which was released as a single to promote the new edition) and "Greedy Bastards". The CD release will also include a live album, ''Sayonara Folks!'', recorded at the Mt. Fuji Rock Festival in 2015, and a box set will contain both releases plus a bonus interview disc, ''Lemmy: War, Love, Death and Injustice''.

Critical reception

''Bad Magic'' received a Metacritic score of 80 out of 100, indicating generally positive reviews from critics. Chad Bowar of Loudwire wrote that the songs on the album had a timeless sound, meaning that listeners wouldn't know if they were written during the year the album was released or in the early '80s.

Ray Van Horn Jr. from Blabbermouth.net, noted that with ''Bad Magic'', given Lemmy's health problems:

However, he continues that:

Sean Barry of Consequence of Sound points to the song, "Till the End", and writes that:

Barry ends the review writing:

Commercial performance

The album debuted on the ''Billboard'' 200 at No. 35, No. 2 on the Hard Rock Albums chart, and No. 5 on the Rock Albums chart, selling 10,325 copies in its first week. The album has sold 36,000 copies in the United States as of June 2016.

Track listing

Note: "Heroes" was previously released on '' Under Cöver'' (2017).

Personnel

Motörhead
* Lemmy – vocals, bass
* Phil Campbell – guitars, piano on "Sympathy for the Devil"
* Mikkey Dee – drums

Additional musicians
* Jimmi Mayweather and Nick Agee – backing vocals on "Shoot Out All of Your Lights'"
* Brian May – guitar solo on "The Devil"

Production
* Cameron Webb – producer, mixing, engineer
* Sergio Chavez – engineer
* Nick Agee – engineer
* Mike Sassano – engineer
* Kyle McAulay – engineer
* Michael Fernandez – engineer
* Michael Eckes – engineer
* Robin Florent – engineer
* Kris Fredriksson – engineer ("The Devil" and Todd Campbell on "Victory or Die" and "Evil Eye")
* Motörhead – executive producers
* Lemmy – cover design concept, doodles
* Mark DeVito – cover art direction, design
* Steffan Chirazi – creative direction, booklet design
* Kai Swillus – creative direction, booklet design
* Robert John – photography

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

* Regarding French sales, the SNEP gives ''Bad Magics highest position as 14.

References

External links

*

''Bad Magic''
at UDR

{{Authority control

2015 albums
Motörhead albums