- Kiss of Death, Motörhead’s 18th studio album, is reissued in a deluxe edition on July 3, 2026 by BMG.
- The record has been half-speed remastered from the original tapes.
- The box set includes an unreleased live performance from the 2007 Lowlands Festival in the Netherlands.
- The liner notes by Dave Ling pay tribute to Phil Campbell, who passed away in March 2026.
At Woodbrass, we all have a story with Motörhead. Mine is a CD I grabbed in 2006, cover art by Joe Petagno, Snaggletooth on fire: Kiss of Death. Twenty years later, BMG is reissuing the album in a deluxe version that arrives at a poignant moment: Lemmy left us at the end of 2015, and Phil Campbell passed away last March. This reissue is far from just a catalog item.
A Highly Anticipated Deluxe Reissue
The announcement came on May 13: BMG will release on July 3, 2026, an anniversary edition of Kiss of Death, available on double vinyl and double CD.
Here’s what this expanded version includes:
- The original album half-speed remastered from the original tapes
- An unreleased live recording from the 2007 Lowlands Festival in Biddinghuizen
- Liner notes by Dave Ling (Classic Rock), paying tribute to Phil Campbell
- Three bonus tracks on the CD version, including the famous studio and live cover of “R.A.M.O.N.E.S.”
- A new lyric video for “God Was Never On Your Side,” directed by Andy Pilkington
Half-speed mastering is a cutting technique where the source tape and the lacquer disc spin at half their normal speed. The result: the cutting stylus has twice as much time to engrave the high frequencies. This yields greater precision, brighter highs, and enhanced dynamics. It’s a premium method long reserved for audiophiles.
Looking Back at “Kiss of Death,” the Classic Trio in Top Form
Released on August 29, 2006, on the Steamhammer label, Kiss of Death captures the trio of Lemmy Kilmister (bass, vocals), Phil Campbell (guitar), and Mikkey Dee (drums) in beastly form. Their second collaboration with producer Cameron Webb after Inferno, the album was recorded across several Californian studios.
Thirteen tracks, including the unstoppable “Sucker,” “One Night Stand,” “Trigger,” and the gritty ballad “God Was Never On Your Side”, a frontal attack on preachers of all kinds. Two special guests leave their mark: Mike Inez (Alice in Chains) on “Under the Gun” and C.C. DeVille (Poison) on the solo of “God Was Never On Your Side.” The album climbed to number 4 on the German charts, the highest ranking in the band’s career in Germany.
An Unreleased Live: Lowlands 2007
The real collector’s bonus is the concert “Live at Lowlands, 2007”, recorded at the Dutch festival during the post-album tour. Twelve tracks ranging from “Snaggletooth” to a closing “Ace of Spades,” including “Killers,” “Killed by Death,” and “Going to Brazil.” A setlist that shows how the band covered their catalog without nostalgia or complacency.
A Reissue That Feels Like a Tribute
It’s impossible to listen to this 2026 version without thinking of Phil Campbell. The Welsh guitarist, who joined Motörhead in 1984, passed away on March 13, 2026, at age 64. He was the band’s sole six-stringer for twenty years, leaving his mark on landmark albums like Orgasmatron, 1916, and Bastards.
Dave Ling’s liner notes, the longtime pen of Classic Rock, pay him a direct tribute. BMG isn’t just making a commercial move: the label is closing a chapter in rock history. The Kiss of Death lineup — Lemmy, Phil, Mikkey — will never be replicated.
Why This Album Deserved Its Reissue
Let’s be honest: in Motörhead’s vast discography, Kiss of Death hasn’t always received the recognition it deserved. Sandwiched between Inferno and Motörizer, it was long seen as a continuation album. Twenty years on, hindsight proves it right: coherent, varied, and furious, it blends classic speed metal, gritty mid-tempo, and twilight ballads. The half-speed remaster should bring back the grain of Lemmy’s bass and sharpen Phil’s solos.
Loud, Fast, and Eternal
At a time when deluxe reissues multiply without always adding much value, this one ticks all the boxes: serious remastering, authentic unreleased material, a strong narrative. The perfect opportunity to understand why Motörhead remains one of the pillars of pure rock’n’roll. See you on July 3.
Sources
- Blabbermouth – Motörhead: 20th-Anniversary Expanded Edition Of ‘Kiss Of Death’ Due In July
- Consequence – Motörhead’s Kiss of Death Gets 20th Anniversary Deluxe Reissue
- The MetalList – Motörhead Announce 20th-Anniversary Expanded Edition of ‘Kiss Of Death’ for July
- Metal-Rules – 20th Anniversary Edition Of Kiss Of Death On Expanded Double LP And 2CD
- Wikipedia – Kiss of Death (Motörhead album)
