MOTORJESUS – Start the engines, please!
At the very latest the 2014 chart entry of their most recent album “Electric Revelation” saw MOTORJESUS conquer the pole position of the German heavy rock scene. Countless festivals (such as the Summer Breeze and the Rock Hard Open Air) and various tours have earned these full-throttle rock musicians with their uncompromising mix consisting of classic rock, traditional metal and punchy rock music resounding success.
As part of a regular inspection, however, they noticed that the band’s engine was no longer running smoothly. “Sometimes life gets in the way,” frontman Chris Birx muses. “Families grow and priorities change. That’s how it goes.” But even the departure of former companions could not stop the gasoline rockers from Mönchengladbach. Instead they’re set to unleash their fifth album release, “Race To Resurrection”. Their latest recording, like its successful predecessor produced by Dan Swanö, is one hundred per cent MOTORJESUS, but even more rounded, more balanced and much more diverse than previous offerings, as their new rock’n’roll MOT attests.
Songs such as the majestic, feet-apart rock number “King Collider”, “Casket Days” with its gigantic chorus (“a death metal tribute, at least in term of its lyrics,” grins the vocalist) and “Burning Black” with its Godzilla riffs groove everything into the ground that isn’t up a tree by the count of three. At the same time, MOTORJESUS have markedly increased their music’s hit potential while assembling the engine. Which explains big block hooklines as on “Burning Black” and “Engines Of War”. The music hits you smack in the face while you find yourself happily singing along. MOTORJESUS have proved that this kind of riff rock mélange isn’t exclusive to Scandinavia and the US – German bands also seem set to produce high-octane heavy rock music from now on.
“The Infernal”, on the other hand, takes an altogether different direction. “It’s our bow to Alice In Chains,” Birx rejoices. And although the grunge era isn’t a bad reference point at all, it merely serves as starting point. Because here we see MOTORJESUS deliver a major world-class power ballad, including creamy acoustic guitars, phat solo guitars and dreamy-melancholy vocal harmonies. So MOTORJESUS can do so much more than smack-in-your-face numbers, they can also write rock songs with substance. A very pleasant surprise.
And once the engine has warmed up nicely, you can really step on the gas – which is precisely what MOTORJESUS do in perfection on “The Storm”, a driving, grooving power metal bow, the epic metal-influenced “Awaken The Tyrants” and the gasoline-for-breakfast rock track “The Chase”.
“Let me put it this way: the vehicle’s still the same,” grins Birx, “but we’ve done some fine tuning to make sure that it wins the upcoming races.” The battle for the 2018 heavy metal crown may only just have started, but MOTORJESUS have already secured themselves a position on the winners’ podium.
THE RACE IS ON!
“MOTORJESUS are back with a vengeance and bunch of killer tracks to make your engines roar! If you like their previous stuff you surely won’t be disappointed! Motorjesus are here to stay!”
– Dan Swanö Producer Songwriter ( Unisound Studio, Witherscape, Edge of sanity, Opeth etc.)
Tracklist:
01 Tales From The Wrecking Ball
02 King Collider
03 Re-Ignite
04 Speedway Sanctuary
05 Casket Days
06 The Infernal
07 Burning Black
08 The Damage
09 The Storm
10 Engines Of War
11 The Chase
12 Running Out Of Time
13 Awaken The Tyrants
Line-up:
– Andy Peters (guitars)
– Chris “Howling” Birx (vocals)
– Oliver Beck (drums)