Album Review: Motörhead – Orgasmatron (40th Anniversary Edition)

BMG – November 6^th, 2026

Reviewer – Chris O’Connor

Some forty-five years ago, I became a card-carrying member of the Motörheadbangers. Somewhere in the mists of time, and due to a failing memory, my four-digit membership number has disappeared, but my affection for Lemmy and his gloriously uncompromising musical wrecking crew certainly hasn’t. Which brings us to ‘Orgasmatron‘, an album that has divided the faithful since 1986, but one I’ve always considered a magnificent, criminally underrated beast.

Emerging after three years of contractual wrangling and personnel upheaval, ‘Orgasmatron‘ introduced the formidable four-piece combination of Lemmy, Phil Campbell, Würzel and former Saxon drummer Pete Gill. Producer Bill Laswell delivered a distinctly unconventional sonic landscape, one that famously displeased the band themselves. Yet, for all its perceived shortcomings, there was something deliciously sinister about its dense, almost suffocating atmosphere.

Forty years later, we can finally examine the evidence from both sides. This splendid anniversary edition preserves Laswell‘s original vision, freshly remastered, while longtime Motörhead producer Cameron Webb has returned to the original multitracks to create an alternative mix. And what a difference! Webb brings a welcome clarity and crispness to proceedings, allowing the individual instruments to breathe without sacrificing an ounce of the band’s trademark ferocity. The original’s brooding atmosphere has its own peculiar charm, but this new interpretation really allows the sheer strength of the material to shine through.

And what songs! The opening ‘Deaf Forever’ is a thunderous declaration of intent, while ‘Nothing Up My Sleeve’ and ‘Mean Machine’ deliver the sort of breakneck rock ‘n’ roll that could strip the paint from a battleship. Built For Speed is quintessential Motörhead, all swaggering defiance and irresistible momentum, while ‘Doctor Rock’ remains a gloriously infectious invitation to turn everything up beyond sensible limits.

Then there’s the extraordinary title track. Brooding, hypnotic and positively apocalyptic, ‘Orgasmatron’ finds Lemmy delivering a devastating condemnation of organised religion, political manipulation and warfare. It’s among his finest lyrical achievements, and a reminder that beneath that famously gruff exterior lurked a remarkably perceptive and intelligent songwriter.

The additional material makes this celebration particularly enticing. Rehearsals and studio outtakes offer fascinating glimpses into the album’s development, while the complete 1986 BBC Friday Rock Show session captures the band in magnificently belligerent form. For those of us who grew up with Tommy Vance‘s legendary broadcasts, that alone brings a considerable nostalgic thrill.

Ultimately, ‘Orgasmatron‘ deserves recognition as one of Motörhead‘s boldest and most rewarding albums. Whether you favour Laswell‘s murky original or Webb‘s alternative interpretation, the sheer strength of the material is undeniable. This lovingly assembled anniversary edition celebrates an album that refused to play by anybody’s rules, much like Lemmy himself. Forty years on, the locomotive still thunders relentlessly down the tracks, and this particular Motörheadbanger wouldn’t dream of getting out of its way. Magnificent!

Track List:

3LP Version

LP1 – 40th Anniversary Master
Side A
1. Deaf Forever
2. Nothing Up My Sleeve
3. Ain’t My Crime
4. Claw
5. Mean Machine

Side B
1. Built For Speed
2. Ridin’ With The Driver
3. Doctor Rock
4. Orgasmatron

LP2  – Cameron Webb 40th Anniversary Remix
Side A
1. Deaf Forever
2. Nothing Up My Sleeve
3. Ain’t My Crime
4. Claw
5. Mean Machine

Side B
1. Built For Speed
2. Ridin’ With The Driver
3. Doctor Rock
4. Orgasmatron

LP3  – Rehearsals, Outtakes And Sessions
Side A
1.  Orgasmatron & On The Road  (Studio Rehearsal  – 1985)
2.  Nothing up My Sleeve  (Studio Outtake – 1985)
3. Doctor Rock & Ridin’ With The Driver  (Studio Rehearsal  – 1985)

Side B
4.  Claw (Alternate Version)
5.  Mean Machine (Studio Outtake – 1985)
6.  Killed By Death (BBC Radio 1 Friday Rock Show)
7. Orgasmatron (BBC Radio 1 Friday Rock Show)
8. Doctor Rock (BBC Radio 1 Friday Rock Show)
9. Deaf Forever (BBC Radio 1 Friday Rock Show)
10. Orgasmatron (Spoken Word) (BBC Radio 1 Friday Rock Show)

2CD Version

CD One
40th Anniversary Master
1. Deaf Forever
2. Nothing Up My Sleeve
3. Ain’t My Crime
4. Claw
5. Mean Machine
6 Built For Speed
7. Ridin’ With The Driver
8 Doctor Rock
9. Orgasmatron

Outtakes, Rehearsals (1986)
10. Orgasmatron & On The Road  (Studio Rehearsal  – 1985)
11.  Nothing up My Sleeve  (Studio Outtake – 1985)
12.  Doctor Rock & Ridin’ With The Driver  (Studio Rehearsal  – 1985)
13.   Claw (Alternate Version)
14 .  Mean Machine (Studio Outtake – 1985)

CD TWO
Cameron Webb 40th Anniversary Remix (2026)
1. Deaf Forever
2. Nothing Up My Sleeve
3. Ain’t My Crime
4. Claw
5. Mean Machine
6. Built For Speed
7. Ridin’ With The Driver
8. Doctor Rock
9. Orgasmatron

Radio One Friday Rock Show (1986)
10. Killed By Death (BBC Radio 1 Friday Rock Show)
11. Orgasmatron (BBC Radio 1 Friday Rock Show)
12. Doctor Rock (BBC Radio 1 Friday Rock Show)
13. Deaf Forever (BBC Radio 1 Friday Rock Show)
14. Orgasmatron (Spoken Word) (BBC Radio 1 Friday Rock Show)

Web Links:

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