Motörhead: Under Cöver

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Motörhead covering other people’s songs was never really about faithful interpretation. The basic philosophy seemed to be much simpler: take the song, plug it into Lemmy, Phil Campbell and Mikkey Dee, turn everything up until it hurts, and see what survives. Under Cöver collects some of the finest examples of that approach, and the results sound unmistakably like Motörhead regardless of who wrote the originals.

Originally released in 2017, Under Cöver draws together recordings made at different points between 1992 and 2015. Judas Priest, the Sex Pistols, David Bowie, Rainbow, Ted Nugent, The Rolling Stones, Ozzy Osbourne, Ramones, Twisted Sister and Metallica all get fed through the Motörhead machine. Rather than functioning as a novelty covers record, it provides a revealing look at the music that helped shape the band’s own brand of rock ‘n’ roll.

The obvious emotional centre is the band’s extraordinary interpretation of David Bowie’s “Heroes.” Recorded with producer Cameron Webb during the Bad Magic sessions in 2015, it was one of the final songs Lemmy, Campbell and Dee recorded together. Campbell later recalled that Lemmy loved the finished version and was extremely proud of it. Hearing Lemmy’s battered voice tackle Bowie after everything he’d lived through gives the song an entirely different kind of weight.

Elsewhere, Motörhead attack everything from punk and classic rock to heavy metal. Their version of Metallica’s “Whiplash” is particularly notable: it earned Motörhead the 2005 Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance, a wonderfully circular moment considering how heavily Metallica had been influenced by Lemmy and company in the first place.

The collection also demonstrates just how naturally other artists’ material could become Motörhead material. There’s no attempt to disguise the band’s identity or carefully reproduce the originals. Lemmy’s bass remains filthy and overdriven, Campbell’s guitar cuts straight through the middle and Dee attacks the drums with characteristic precision and force. By the time they’re finished, these aren’t simply cover versions—they sound like songs Motörhead might have written themselves.

This 2026 BMG vinyl reissue puts Under Cöver back onto a single black vinyl LP, retaining the complete eleven-track collection. It arrives on 11 September 2026, making this a straightforward new pressing for anyone who missed the earlier vinyl editions.

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