Ever wonder what it would sound like if members of Anthrax, White Zombie, and Fates Warning got together and jammed after an evening of hard drinking and listening to old 70s metal albums? It would probably sound something like Motor Sister, who are less of a supergroup per se and more of a group of friends getting together to have a good ol’ hard rockin’ time. You may be wondering, who are these friends? Well, it’s Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian and his wife Pearl on vocals, Armored Saint/Fates Warning bassist Joey Vera, White Zombie/Exodus drummer John Tempesta, and Rollins Band guitarist/singer Jim Wilson. Talk about a who’s who of heavy!
Motor Sister released their debut album, Ride, back in 2015, only to disappear outright, and understandably so. All of the members are overly busy with their main bands/projects. For them to get together again, the stars would have to align as pigs flew across the night sky, or something like that. Lo and behold, it only took 7 years, but said figures of speech have finally happened in some form or another. Motor Sister are back with their second album, Get Off. As you can see, they sure love their sexual innuendos.
The best way to describe Motor Sister’s music is fast, loose, and loud. Their lyrics are blunt and their music is even more blunt; a raw blend of punk aggression, hard rock swagger, and metallic mayhem. Cuts like the rough and ready “Can’t Get High Enough”, brazen “Coming for You”, and full throttle “Bulletproof”, owe a lot to pioneers like Motörhead and The Dictators. It also helps that the production and approach scream late 70s rock n’ roll. Hell, I could imagine a coked out Lester Bangs hearing this album and proclaiming it to be a “revelation”. Then again, he’d probably say the same if he lived to hear Midnight, but I digress.
When they aren’t putting their pedal to the metal, Motor Sister indulges in thick, groovy, pseudo-psychedelic Sabbath worship. I wouldn’t necessarily call “Lion’s Den” or “1,000,000 Miles” “doom metal”, but their riffs certainly have an Iommi-esque quality to them. There’s also the blatant nods to soulful, hook laden 70s hard rock. Many of these songs boast hooks reminiscent of Bon Scott era AC/DC, while vocalists Wilson and Pearl play off each other like Coverdale and Hughes in Deep Purple Mk. III. And then there’s the occasional oddball, like the Segerian balladry of “Sooner or Later”, or the sleazy glitter rock of “Time’s Up”.
Get Off plays out like a mixtape of lost 70s bangers that your stoner cousin compiled for you. You wouldn’t trust him behind the wheel of your car, or alone with your girlfriend, but dammit his denim jacket with the hand painted Blue Öyster Cult hook and cross on the back doesn’t lie. He sure wouldn’t steer you wrong musically! Neither does Motor Sister. If you’re planning a house party for this weekend and looking for a soundtrack, look no further than Get Off.
6 out of 10
Label: Metal Blade Records
Genre: Heavy Metal/Hard Rock
For fans of: Motörhead, AC/DC, Black Sabbath