A short film that Motörhead shot to help promote 1982’s Iron Fist has been restored for the world to see. The film is being released in conjunction with the 40th-anniversary reissue of the album, which hits stores on Sept. 23.
The film, which runs about 3 minutes, depicts the members of Motorhead — Lemmy Kilmister, Fast Eddie Clarke and Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor — looking over the remains of a medieval battlefield. There’s smoke, swords, blood, carnage and other gnarly stuff. It’s a really cool-looking clip and very reminiscent of Motörhead’s cheeky style.
The original trailer was filmed with Gustav Holst’s “Mars, Bringer of War,” as the backing music. But the new trailer features the previously unreleased demo, “Ripsaw Teardown.” Per the band’s YouTube page, the clip was directed by Nick Mead. “It was only used officially on a few occasions during the early days of the Iron Fist Tour. This short film would never have been seen by many outside of those select audiences for multiple years. After being nixed from the stage show, the film was sequestered to exist only within the VHS trading circles of the pre-streaming era. Now it has been restored to it’s former glory and includes a previously unreleased instrumental, ‘Ripsaw Teardown’ as the backing track.”
The 40th-anniversary edition of Iron Fist will hit stores on Sept. 23. A press release describes that while “the album was rudely dismissed by critics on release, it now reveals itself as a vital snapshot of the band at a crucial period. It followed the consecutive triumphs of Ace Of Spades and No Sleep Til Hammersmith, when the three-piece found themselves caught in the tornado of success, but in true Motörhead style, they careered into their next phase at such velocity it transcended logic or reason to become this trio’s final kamikaze joyride.”
The collection is being released in new deluxe editions. One edition features hardback book-packs in two CD and triple LP formats, with a hammer fist blow, remaster of the original album, previously unreleased demo bonus tracks and a full concert, originally broadcast on Radio Clyde from 18th March 1982. Add to that the story of the album and many previously unseen photos. Another limited edition will include blue and black swirl of the original standalone album.
Pre-order the set here.