As far as new record Aftershock is concerned though, Lemmy is as hearty and hale as ever. Kilmister's voice has always had an endearing shopworn quality to it; the rough-around-the-edges croak makes the subject matter of songs like "Do You Believe" with its opening line of "Don't know what I did last night but I sure did it good" completely believable.

And while Lemmy's voice usually emanates from someplace foggy, the music doesn't; "Heartbreaker," "Coup de Grace" and "Death Machine" are full of classic Motorhead sounds as Lemmy plucks out a fast rhythm on his bass while guitarist Phil Campbell sends notes rocketing into the stratosphere.

The speedy grooves are what Motorhead fans live for but some of the most interesting tunes on Aftershock are departures from the formula. "Lost Woman Blues" is a mid-tempo '70s-style blues rocker influenced by Jimi Hendrix that ends with a bit of John Lee Hooker boogie while "Dust and Glass" sounds like something ZZ Top might have done on an early album like Rio Grande Mud.

Nothing here goes so far that fans won't dig it though and tunes like "Going to Mexico" and "Queen of the Damned" provide the much-adored good old-fashioned pummeling that's expected.

Some internet rumors have gone so far as to proclaim Lemmy dead; clearly nothing could be further from the truth.