Killed By Deaf: A Punk Tribute To Motörhead Review
Killed By Deaf: A Punk Tribute To Motorhead
Various Artists
Murder One
2025
Due to our October madness here at BAP, I’m a little late getting to yet another killer release, but better late than never when it comes to something this gnarly. This time around, we’re diving headfirst into “Killed By Deaf: A Punk Tribute To Motörhead”. It’s been out a few weeks now, and anyone who eats, sleeps, and bleeds Motörhead has already caught wind of it.
Now, I’ve seen some mixed chatter about this record floating around, but let’s be real, most of that noise is coming from purists who don’t seem to grasp the bloodline between Motörhead and Punk Rock. When Lemmy built Motörhead, his goal was simple: be the loudest, fastest, nastiest band on the planet. Tell me that’s not Punk as hell. Add to that the fact this beast was released on Motörhead’s own sub-label, Murder One, and it’s safe to say the stamp of approval comes straight from the Ace himself.
I’m a certified Motörhead freak, I still own Victory Records’ 1999 tribute “Built For Speed”, which remains essential listening. Dropkick Murphys tearing through “Rock N’ Roll” and Blood For Blood detonating “Ace Of Spades”, that compilation set the bar high. So yeah, my brain was revved to hell for this new one.
The first track out the gate is, naturally, “Ace Of Spades.” This time Pennywise takes the reins, and to my surprise, they nail it. It’s even faster than the original, imagine that. I’ve never been the biggest Pennywise fan (aside from their album with Zoli on vocals), but this version rips hard. The riffing and lead work are clean, tight, and brimming with raw energy.
Then comes Rancid’s turn with “Sex & Death,” and man, they absolutely torch it. I was half-expecting some ragged Reggae-infused nonsense, but Lars leads this one straight into the inferno. It’s angrier, grimier, and somehow even nastier than Motörhead’s version. Major respect.
Next up, my favorite cut of the whole tribute. FEAR, fronted by the legendary Lee Ving, rip into “The Chase Is Better Than The Catch.” Now, if you’ve heard FEAR’s usual approach to covers, you might brace yourself, but don’t. They play it fairly straight while still dripping with that signature FEAR swagger. Ving’s vocals are perfect for this song, his snarl and phrasing are dead-on, his voice sliding right into Lemmy’s lane without imitation. This might honestly be one of the best Motörhead covers I’ve ever heard. Ving’s a national treasure, and this track proves it. “I like a little innocent bitch…” Indeed.
And the hits just keep coming. G.B.H. tackle “Bomber,” and while it slaps hard, I swear they sound like Nashville Pussy here. I had to check twice to make sure it wasn’t. It’s not a bad thing, just unexpected. Instead of my brain getting blown to bits, it got fried Southern-style, and I kinda dig it.
Slaughterhouse, a newer punk act fronted by a female vocalist, tear into “Love Me Like A Reptile.” I hadn’t heard of them before, but now I’m paying attention. Their tone has that early-’80s Post-Punk edge, sharp guitars, clean delivery, and a driving tempo. Even if you didn’t know this was a Motörhead track, you’d still be hooked.
Then there’s the almighty Anti-Nowhere League, who come storming in with “Born To Raise Hell.” Animal and crew light this one up like a Molotov. You can practically smell the cigarette ash and chaos rolling off it. It’s a perfect fit, ANWL and Motörhead have always shared the same filthy DNA, and this cut proves it again.
And of course, we’ve gotta talk about the version of “Neat, Neat, Neat” featuring Lemmy himself alongside The Damned. Some folks have been throwing shade at it, and honestly, I can’t wrap my head around that. If you don’t love this, you probably don’t get The Damned. It’s Lemmy and The Damned on one track, what the hell is there not to love?
This tribute wasn’t on my bingo card for 2025, but damn am I glad it exists. It’s a righteous celebration of Lemmy’s unholy union between Punk and Metal - a reminder that loud, fast, and nasty never goes out of style. Sure, I could nitpick a few lineup choices or wish for different tracks, but that’s the beauty of it: every Motörhead fan has their own sacred list of favorites. It would’ve been RAD as hell to have Cocksparrer do a rousing version of “Killed By Death”!
Bottom line, “Killed By Deaf” roars, rages, and pays proper respect to the loudest band to ever walk the earth. Lemmy would’ve raised his glass to this one, no doubt. Grab the LP edition while you can, crank it until your neighbors move out, and remember: Motörhead lives forever.