Motörhead spent two years in court, fighting with GWR, before finally signing to Epic and entering the studio at the end of 1990 to record 1916, an album that was seen by many at the time as a strong comeback following the relatively lackluster Rock ‘N’ Roll. Indeed, the major label connection (and the associated PR push) is likely what got the band their first-ever Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance, though they lost to Metallica. A mixed bag with some surprising stylistic departures, 1916 is an interesting album, if not a wholly successful one.

The main thing that’s got to be discussed is the title track, a morose ballad that closes the disc. Built around acoustic guitar and somber keyboards, Lemmy croons(!) a story of young men sent off to die in World War I. It’s unlike anything else in the Motörhead catalog, a companion piece to the Pogues’ “And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda” and one of the most upfront exhibitions of Lemmy’s decidedly antiwar views. The rest of the album is typical Motörhead, of course — fast, loud, and catchy, with as much rock ‘n’ roll swagger as metal aggression, if not more. Among the high points: “I’m So Bad (Baby I Don’t Care),” “No Voices In The Sky,” and “R.A.M.O.N.E.S,” a tribute to his friends and peers. Note that most of those come early in the disc’s first half; 1916 starts strong, but peters out toward the end.