The first real showcase for the classic Lemmy/Fast Eddie/Philthy lineup, Motörhead’s Overkill was bashed out with typical speed. Leaving Chiswick Records behind, the band signed with another indie label, Bronze, and released a cover of “Louie Louie” as a non-LP single, which was successful enough to get the band on the TV show Top Of The Pops, and convince Bronze to invest in a full album.

The group worked with producer Jimmy Miller on Overkill and its follow-up, Bomber, and his ability to corral otherwise out-of-control personalities (he’d worked with the Rolling Stones on Beggars Banquet, Let It Bleed, Sticky Fingers, Exile On Main St., and Goats Head Soup) served the band well. Overkill has a raucous edge, juxtaposing the metallic thunder of the double bass-driven title track against punkier, under-three-minute anthems like “No Class,” “Stay Clean,” “(I Won’t) Pay Your Price” and “Tear Ya Down.” The band’s more psychedelic hard rock side was still present, as well, of course, on the slower “Metropolis” and “Capricorn.”