Ian Fraser Kilmister, better known as Lemmy, was a cornerstone of rock, ascending from humble beginnings in Stoke-On-Trent, England to rock prominence as the frontman for the hard-hitting band Motörhead. Founding the group in 1975 after stints with smaller bands and a memorable period as Jimi Hendrix’s roadie, Lemmy witnessed the evolution of rock music firsthand, from catching The Beatles before their fame to touring globally with iconic acts.
Motörhead, famously clarifying at each show that “We are Motörhead and we play Rock and Roll,” despite being categorized under hard rock and metal, continued to mesmerize fans across the world until Lemmy’s death in 2015. Despite releasing 23 studio albums and cultivating a loyal fanbase through relentless touring rather than massive record sales, Lemmy openly criticized the direction in which some 1990s metal bands were heading.
Slipknot and Limp Bizkit
In the late 90s, two bands in particular drew Lemmy’s ire: Slipknot and Limp Bizkit. Despite Slipknot’s emergence in 1995 and their debut album hitting shelves by 1999, Lemmy expressed discontent with their musical style in a 2000 interview with Ear Candy magazine. His critique extended to Limp Bizkit, who by that time had released three albums, saying, “That’s right & fucking people like Limp Bizkit, I don’t understand it. I don’t understand their success. What the fuck is this, its just rubbish! You’re just garage attendants with fucking gas masks on. And I mean I don’t mind kids having their own thing, I’m all for it. When you’re 17, you want a 17-year-old band to play for you, you don’t want these old fuckers like me.”
His blunt assessment didn’t stop with them, he also targeted Slipknot directly, “I understand that & but Slipknot is just crap! And I know crap when I hear it, been listening to it all my life you know? And that’s crap, believe me & it’s a good example of crap. A lot of these new bands have a riff and no song. I was brought up to admire songs. A good well crafted song. Like the Beatles were 5 years into their career and they were doing ‘Yesterday’,” Lemmy lamented.
Marilyn Manson and Tool
Moreover, Lemmy discussed the Nu Metal genre and other popular 90s acts, notably Marilyn Manson and Tool, in a conversation with Hot Press. Regarding the challenges Motörhead faced in gaining traction in the U.S, Lemmy didn’t mince words, “We’re not pretty enough and the music’s too brutal for them. Everything there is fad-driven. Limp fucking Bizkit and Tool and all that. It’s just fucking hopeless. If that’s the future of rock ‘n’ roll, it’s suicide for me.”
On Marilyn Manson, Lemmy observed the disconnect between the artist’s visual presentation and musical output. “All mouth and no tights. The show’s great but that last record of his was hopeless. Fair play to him for getting up people’s noses. But he needs to come up with a few decent tunes,” he expressed.