Before they conquered the world with speed, filth, and fury, Motörhead were three hungry outlaws holed up in an old cinema-turned-studio in Fulham, West London, creating and sharpening what would become their one-of-a-kind sound. Now, nearly 50 years later, those very first sessions have surfaced on The Manticore Tapes, a rare document of the band’s beginnings.

Recorded in August 1976 at Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s famed Manticore Studio, the newly restored tracks capture the birth of the classic “Three Amigos” lineup - Lemmy Kilmister on bass and vocals, “Fast” Eddie Clarke on guitar, and Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor on drums. It was the beginning of a reign that would redefine hard rock, metal, and punk, giving them all a run for their money. This recording, long believed lost, is Motörhead putting in the first gallon of gas and starting their engine.

Back then, Motörhead’s future was anything but certain. They were broke, battered, and almost forgotten. Manager Frank Kennington, a former Who roadie, had managed to book the band into Manticore, where bands could write, rehearse, and record under one roof. Lemmy, Clarke, and Taylor laid down their first sessions with Ronnie Lane’s mobile studio, operated by engineer Ron Faucus. The resulting tapes are pure dynamite - rough, roaring, and uncompromising. These are the embryonic blasts of songs that would remain in the band’s live set through the end of the decade.

Restored by longtime Motörhead producer Cameron Webb and mastered by Andrew Alekel, The Manticore Tapes doesn’t clean up the grime, it glorifies it. It’s all here - Lemmy’s bass buzzing like a chainsaw dipped in Jack Daniels, Clarke’s riffs slashing through the mix, and Taylor’s unhinged drumming always teetering on the edge of collapse. As Motörhead roars through their 50th anniversary this year, The Manticore Tapes serves as a holy relic from a time when the band’s legacy was in its infancy. And yet, hearing these tracks now, there’s no question as to what would become their destiny. This is the sound of revolution in real time.