Fifty years after Motörhead changed the metal scene and helped unknowingly launch the punk one, their songs still echo like thunder across generations. To mark the milestone of their 50th anniversary, a pack of punk legends and cult heroes have joined forces to pay homage to the loudest, fastest, and most dangerous band on Earth with Killed By Deaf: A Punk Tribute To Motörhead.

The lineup reads like a who’s who of punk’s various eras, from Rancid, Pennywise, Lagwagon, and The Bronx to Fear, GBH, Anti-Nowhere League and more. Each band takes a home run swing at Motörhead’s catalog and makes it their own. From Pennywise taking on the herculean task of “Ace Of Spades” to Rancid’s snarling spin on “Sex & Death,” this record doesn’t just pay tribute; it celebrates the unfiltered chaos that Lemmy himself would’ve raised a glass to.

Even more historic is the inclusion of a previously unreleased version of “Neat, Neat, Neat,” featuring The Damned, with Lemmy himself joining in. It’s a perfect union of the punk and metal ethos, a living, breathing time capsule of everything that made both scenes so important. The Bronx tear through “Over The Top” with the kind of precision they bring to their own tunes, while GBH’s version of “Bomber” makes you wonder if this is the exact song they used to jam on in their rehearsal room in their early days. The Casualties shred through “The Hammer,” and Anti-Nowhere League give “Born To Raise Hell” all the filthy swagger it demands.

There’s reverence here, sure, but not restraint. Because to truly honor Motörhead, you can’t play it safe. You’ve got to try to play it like they did… loud, distorted, and sweaty. Motörhead never fit neatly into either the punk or metal scene, so they bulldozed through both, influencing everyone from hardcore kids to metal legends. Killed By Deaf captures that crossfire nicely — 14 bands writing one deafening love letter to a group that refused to slow down, turn down, or grow up.