Despite bridging the gap between the advent of heavy metal and the NWOBHM, and influencing every traditional metal band whose ever walked the face of the earth, UFO gave one of the most unceremonious farewells of all time. Admittedly, this was no fault of their own. Their farewell trek was quickly dashed due to the COVID pandemic. It was subsequently pushed off until 2021, then pushed again until 2022, before lead singer Phil Mogg’s near fatal heart attack ended things altogether, and understandably so. This is a man well into his 70s who, unlike us “normal folk”, indulged in the rock n’ roll lifestyle to an extreme, so much so that Sharon Osbourne branded him a “bad influence” on her Ozzy. Let that sink in for a second.
Taking these concerns into consideration, it makes perfect sense that Mogg’s days of trekking around the world, singing his heart out (no pun intended) for 2 hours a night, every night, 10 months out of 12, are long gone. Lucky for us, however, his recording days are not, and thankfully so. The only thing less ceremonious than UFO’s farewell from the concert stage is their farewell from the studio: A jaunt that ended with an uneven collection of covers titled The Salentino Cuts (2017). In other words, its been a decade since we last heard Mogg’s iconic voice grace a collection of original music, which I’m thrilled to be reviewing today in the form of the self titled debut from Moggs Motel.
Despite the change in personnel and moniker, Moggs Motel is, for all purposes, a new UFO album. The band plays the same energetic hard and heavy rock synonymous with the legendary British outfit. Furthermore, the entire affair is co-piloted by none other than Mogg’s old UFO cohort, Neil Carter. Carter would step up to the plate heavily on albums such as Mechanix (1982) and Making Contact (1983), so to say his talents are a welcome addition to the fold would be an understatement. Together, Mogg and Carter breeze through a collection of loud n’ proud rockers, chock full of the tropes one would come to expect when spinning a classic UFO album.
Whether you’re in the market for razor sharp guitar work (“Sunny Side of Heaven”, “Weather”, “Shane”) or the witty lyricism that has been a signature of Mogg from No Place to Run onwards (“Apple Pie”, “Tinker Tailor”), these British bad boys got you covered. Yes, even at 76, Mogg draws deep from the same colorful lyrical well as his old mate Phil Lynott, all the while sounding not a day past Lights Out. Seriously folks, with what sounds like minimal post-production, Mogg’s synonymous baritone bellows over these songs with power and finesse. It’s hard to choose a choice cut on such a crowded playing field, but the Sabbath flavored “Other People’s Lives” and ’70s UFO throwback “Wrong House” go toe to toe for top honors.
Moggs Motel is open for business, complete with a landing pad on top for incoming UFOs, whenever they may arrive. Indeed, the fire burning inside these two veterans is nothing short of alien, and the rest of the band drives it on home as well (shame on me for not having individual names at hand). Life after UFO is looking grand for Mr. Mogg. And if UFO were to follow in the footsteps of their peers and ultimately pull the “we’re back” card, I wouldn’t even be mad. Whether or not that happens, at least we have Moggs Motel to rest our heads at.
7 out of 10
Label: Cleopatra Records
Genre: Hard Rock
For fans of: UFO, Whitesnake, Black Sabbath