Motorjesus has gone through a lot these past few years. When founded in 1992 the band called themselves The Shitheadz. Few countries appreciated them and the band had to face a lot of censorship. Now, two years after the release of their first full-length album, Dirty Pounding Gasoline, they’re back with Deathrider.

Maybe a little unfortunate, it seems they’ve gone soft after all of the thwart they have known before. I don’t think any of the songs on this album will be banished from any radio-station anymore. But this might be a bad thing, as I get the feeling this might be an album like there a thousand of others. Don’t get me wrong, I really like this album. It’s energetic and melodic. Christoph Birx’s vocals are impressive and the sound of the guitars is amazing.

If you’re looking for the heavy stuff however, you won’t find it here.

‘Distortion Sleep’ and ‘Black Fuel Domination’ are the heaviest songs on the album. When I first heard ‘10 Feet Under Ground’ I thought I was listening to a ballad. I got the wake up call a few seconds later. I really liked the chorus of this one. ‘Death Hammer Overload’ and ‘Legion of Rock’, are examples of what I said before: songs you hear all the time. No original riffs, yet the vocals add a lot to both of the tracks. Finally, I’ve caught myself singing along to ‘Destroyer’, the lead single of the album, which is nicely put together. Like it contains a little part of the other tracks.

At first I wanted to give this record a 7 as a rating, but after listening a second time, I think 8 would be better. So, if you’re into hard rock combined with great vocals and nice guitar sounds, then this is a record for you.