The Hellacopters are a Swedish

garage rock Garage rock (sometimes called garage punk or 60s punk) is a raw and energetic style of rock and roll that flourished in the mid-1960s, most notably in the United States and Canada, and has experienced a series of subsequent revivals. The sty ...

band that was formed in 1994 by

Nicke Andersson Nicke Andersson (born 1 August 1972), also known as Nick Royale, is a Swedish musician best known for his work as the singer and guitarist for the rock band The Hellacopters and drummer for the death metal band Entombed. He was also briefly the ...

(vocals and guitar), Andreas Tyrone "Dregen" Svensson (guitar),

Kenny Håkansson Kenny Håkansson is a Swedish musician, best known as the bassist for the Hellacopters. The Hellacopters were founded by Håkansson's childhood friend Nicke Andersson as a side project to his role as a drummer in the heavy metal band Entombed. ...

(bass) and

Robert Eriksson Robert Eriksson (born 23 April 1974) is a Norwegian politician for the Progress Party (Norway), Progress Party. He served as Ministry of Labour (Norway), Minister of Labour and Social Inclusion in Solberg's Cabinet from 2013 to 2015. He was ele ...

(drums). Andersson (sometimes known as Nick Royale) had been the drummer for death metal band Entombed and Dregen was taking a break from his full-time band

Backyard Babies Backyard Babies are a Swedish rock band originally from Nässjö and currently based in Stockholm. The band was formed in 1989 and over the years they have released seven studio albums and won two Swedish Grammy Awards. They are largely at ...

. Dregen and Eriksson had been roadies for Entombed, while Håkansson was a childhood friend of Andersson's. The Hellacopters were initially conceived as a side project for Andersson and Dregen, but it eventually became the main songwriting and performance vehicle for Andersson. The band, together with

The Hives The Hives are a Swedish rock band that rose to prominence in the early 2000s during the garage rock revival. Their mainstream success came with the release of the album ''Veni Vidi Vicious'', containing the single "Hate to Say I Told You So". T ...

, is considered one of the most important Swedish bands in the

garage rock revival Garage rock (sometimes called garage punk or 60s punk) is a raw and energetic style of rock and roll that flourished in the mid-1960s, most notably in the United States and Canada, and has experienced a series of subsequent revivals. The sty ...

and one of the most influential rock bands in Sweden. The band released their Swedish Grammi-winning debut album ''

Supershitty to the Max! ''Supershitty to the Max!'' is the debut album by the Swedish rock band The Hellacopters. It was recorded in just 26 hours during February 1996 at Sunlight Studios in Stockholm and released in June that year. The album was initially released ...

'' in 1996. Just before a tour opening for

Kiss A kiss is the touch or pressing of one's lips against another person or an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sexual attraction, ...

, the band recruited keyboardist and percussionist Anders Lindström (also known as Boba Fett or Boba) on a part-time basis; he would become a full-time member in 1999. After the album ''

Payin' the Dues ''Payin' the Dues'' is the second album released by the Swedish rock band The Hellacopters and their last studio album to feature original guitarist Dregen before his departure from the band to focus full-time on his other band Backyard Babies. Th ...

'' in 1998, Dregen left the band to return to Backyard Babies full-time, and

Mattias Hellberg Mattias Hellberg (born 13 June 1973) is a Swedish musician. Hellberg has worked with a variety of Swedish bands and artists in different genres, both as a permanent member and as guest or session member. Recording career Hellbergs career started ...

and Danne Andersson were recruited to complete the band touring responsibilities. After the release of ''

Grande Rock ''Grande Rock'' is the third album released by the Swedish rock band The Hellacopters. Due to the departure of original guitarist Dregen, pianist Anders Lindström stepped in to record guitars under the pseudonym Boba Lee Fett. The record was re ...

'', which featured additional guitar playing from both Lindström and Hellberg,

Robert Dahlqvist Robert Dahlqvist (16 April 1976 – 1 February 2017) was a Swedish guitarist and vocalist best known for his nine-year tenure with the rock band The Hellacopters. He was also the lead singer and lead guitarist for Dundertåget (first known as Thu ...

was hired as a full-time lead guitarist in 1999. With the lineup now solidified, the band released three more studio albums and a

cover album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

, with many EPs and limited edition releases as well. The Hellacopters disbanded amicably in 2008 so the members could move on to other projects. Eight years later, the band reassembled in 2016, initially for an exclusive performance at

Sweden Rock Festival The Sweden Rock Festival is an annual rock/metal festival held in Sweden since 6 June 1992. While having a clear rock/metal focus, the festival is noted for its diversity across these genres, from southern rock bands such as Molly Hatchet to de ...

to celebrate the 20 year anniversary of their award-winning debut album ''

''. In October 2021 the band announced that they had signed with the record label

Nuclear Blast Nuclear Blast is a record label and mail order record distributor with subsidiaries in Germany, the United States and Brazil. The label was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Germany. Originally releasing hardcore punk records, the label mov ...

to release a new album in the spring of 2022. The album, ''Eyes of Oblivion'', was released on 1 April 2022.

Band history

Formation and ''Supershitty to the Max!''

The band name was inspired by a magazine article discovered by Andersson and Dregen while on tour with Entombed in San Francisco. The article was about how the CIA was spying with helicopters on marijuana fields in Mexico and that the Mexicans called them "Hellacopters." The first Hellacopters rehearsal took place on 4 November 1994 as just a jam session, after two more rehearsals the band released their first single "Killing Allan" in January 1995 on their own label Psychout Records. After releasing their second single "1995," the Hellacopters were signed by White Jazz Records and they released their debut album ''

'' in June 1996. The album was recorded all live in only 26 hours. The band won a Swedish Grammy for the album. Anders "Boba Fett" Lindström, guitarist of the Swedish rock band The Diamond Dogs, was then recruited to play keyboards shortly before they supported

on their Scandinavian dates in June 1997.

''Payin' the Dues'' and Dregen's departure

The band recorded their follow-up album ''

'' in February 1997. The record barely managed to break into the top 20 in Sweden and the top 30s in Finland. Andersson then left Entombed completely to concentrate full-time on the Hellacopters. A Swedish tour included a show at the second largest stage at the

Hultsfred Festival The Hultsfred Festival ( sv, Hultsfredsfestivalen) was an annual music festival held in Hultsfred, Sweden. It took place at the lake Hulingen during three days in the June or July, from Thursday to Saturday. Since the first festival in 1986, it ...

, while the band famously played a secret gig backstage on a small makeshift stage. In 1998 the band toured Europe with

Gluecifer Gluecifer is a Norwegian hard rock band based in Oslo. Formed in 1994, they produced several underground releases during their first years of existence and soon claimed to be "kings of rock". History In 1997, the album ''Ridin' the Tiger'' ...

, with whom they recorded the split album ''Respect the Rock''. Soon after,

Dregen Dregen (born Andreas Tyrone Svensson; 12 June 1973) is a Swedish musician best known as the guitarist of The Hellacopters, as well as Backyard Babies. As of March 2014, Dregen has also served as the newest member of Michael Monroe's solo band, ...

left the band and returned to

. With Dregen's departure in the middle of an extensive tour, the band recruited guitarists Chuck Pounder and

for their tours of Scandinavia and U.S./Canada, respectively. While on tour in America the band also had the opportunity to jam with legendary Detroit rockers Scott Morgan of the

Sonic's Rendezvous Band Sonic's Rendezvous Band (or SRB) was an American rock and roll band from Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States, forming in 1974, featuring veterans of the 1960s Detroit rock scene. Background Sonic's Rendezvous Band came from the ashes of four Mic ...

and Wayne Kramer of the

MC5 MC5, also commonly called The MC5, is an American rock band formed in Lincoln Park, Michigan, in 1963. The original line-up consisted of Rob Tyner (vocals) Wayne Kramer (guitar), Fred "Sonic" Smith (guitar), Michael Davis (bass), and Dennis ...

, beginning long working relationships with both.

''Grande Rock'' and Dahlqvist's debut

In September 1998 the band recorded their third album ''

''. Due to the absence of a second guitarist, Lindström and Hellberg both contributed on guitar. The album's 1970s classic rock sound was a departure from their previous albums, which featured a louder Detroit punk rock and garage rock sound. One reason for this was that the band recorded the album in an older studio from the 1970s in the Swedish woods, where they learned from an older and more experienced

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the l ...

who knew how to create the vintage seventies sound the band desired. ''Grande Rock'' became the band's first album to break into the Swedish top ten, before dropping out of the list after one week. For the ensuing tour, the band considered recruiting an American guitarist but hired

. With Dahlqvist as a full-time replacement for

the band set out on tour along with Wayne Kramer, The Nomads and Powder Monkeys.

''High Visibility'' with Chips Kiesbye

In 2000 the band headed back into the studio to record their first album with Robert Dahlqvist who by then had earned the nickname "Strängen" or "Strings" due to all the strings he had broken during rehearsals. It was also their first time working with producer

Chips Kiesbye Chips Kiesbye is the guitarist and vocalist for the Swedish rock band Sator formed in the late 1980s in Borlänge. Kiesbye is also successful music producer and has worked with several of Sweden's most successful rock bands and artists such as ...

, who had worked with artists such as

Sahara Hotnights Sahara Hotnights are a Swedish rock band from Robertsfors, Sweden. Their style incorporates elements of garage rock, power pop and punk. History The band formed sometime around 1991/1992, "due to boredom". While in Australia, Josephine Forsman b ...

Millencolin Millencolin is a Swedish punk rock band that was formed on 12 October 1992 by Nikola Šarčević, Mathias Färm, and Erik Ohlsson in Örebro, Sweden. In early 1993, drummer Fredrik Larzon joined the band. The name Millencolin is derived from t ...

, Thåström, The Nomads, The Turpentines, his own band Sator, and many other Swedish rock bands. Kiesbye would become their producer of choice and he produced all of the band's subsequent studio albums. ''

High Visibility ''High Visibility'' is an album released by the Swedish rock band The Hellacopters and the first studio album to feature the new guitarist Robert Dahlqvist. The album was released on both CD and vinyl; the first vinyl release featured the music ...

'' spent twelve weeks on the Swedish charts and was certified gold in that nation. The band set out on a Scandinavian and European tour in support of the album along with the then-unknown band

as their opening act. ''High Visibility'' was later released in the United States and the band's tour was chronicled in the documentary '' Goodnight Cleveland''. The title is a reference to the mockumentary '' This Is Spınal Tap'' in which Derek Smalls yells "Hello Cleveland" to an unseen audience while the band tries to find their way onto the stage. Andersson adapted the phrase at the end of the band's show at the Agora Ballroom.

''By the Grace of God'' and side projects

In early 2002, the band released their first compilation of non-album tracks '' Cream Of The Crap Vol. 1'', the CD's booklet contained one half of a poster designed by Andersson the second half of the poster was included in the second volume of the Cream of The Crap series. The band recorded 20 songs for their fifth album at

Polar Studios Polar Studios was a recording studio in Stockholm, Sweden, which operated from 1978 through 2004. The studio was formed by ABBA musicians Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson and the band's manager Stig Anderson, owner of the Polar Music recording ...

in Stockholm, 13 of the 20 songs were included on ''

By the Grace of God By the Grace of God ( la, Dei Gratia, abbreviated D.G.) is a formulaic phrase used especially in Christian monarchies as an introductory part of the full styles of a monarch. For example in England and later the United Kingdom, the phrase was fo ...

''. It became the band's most commercially successful album, debuting at number two in Sweden and number eight in Finland, and the band was rewarded with another gold record in Sweden. The title track also spent seven weeks on the Swedish singles chart and gained significant airplay on radio and TV. The band also had the opportunity to be the opening act for

The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...

and

ZZ Top ZZ Top is an American rock band formed in 1969 in Houston, Texas. For 51 years, they comprised vocalist-guitarist Billy Gibbons, drummer Frank Beard and vocalist-bassist Dusty Hill, until Hill's death in 2021. ZZ Top developed a signature sound ...

in Stockholm and Helsinki. Before recording their next album, the band decided to take a break to find time to focus on other projects. Nicke Andersson worked on his side project The Solution with Scott Morgan, releasing the album ''

Communicate! ''Communicate!'' is the first studio album by soul band The Solution formed by Nicke Andersson and Scott Morgan recorded at Atlantis Studio and mixed in Polar Studios. The album was released in 2004 and was followed up with ''Will Not Be Telev ...

'' in 2004; he also contributed backing vocals for

The Cardigans The Cardigans is a Swedish rock band formed in Jönköping, Sweden, in 1992 by guitarist Peter Svensson, bassist Magnus Sveningsson, drummer Bengt Lagerberg, keyboardist Lars-Olof Johansson and lead singer Nina Persson. Post-hiatus shows since 2 ...

album ''

Long Gone Before Daylight ''Long Gone Before Daylight'' is the fifth studio album by Swedish rock band the Cardigans. Released in Japan on 19 March 2003 and in Europe from 24 March by Stockholm Records, it was their first studio album since the release of '' Gran Turismo' ...

''. Dahlqvist started a side project called Thunder Express, which was later renamed Dundertåget, and also recorded the album ''Fula Gubben Hitler'' with Swedish singer/songwriter Stefan Sundström; Dahlqvist was pictured on the album's cover suspended on a cross. Dahlqvist also toured along with former Hellacopters member

in support of the album.

''Rock & Roll Is Dead''

During the Hellacopters' break, the second compilation of non-album tracks '' Cream Of The Crap Vol. 2'' was released. The band claims they have enough material for a Vol. 3 and a Vol. 4, but there are no plans for more parts in the ''Cream of the Crap'' series. Eriksson and Lindstrom also did a small DJ tour in Italy before joining up with the rest of the band to record and release ''

Rock & Roll Is Dead ''Rock & Roll Is Dead'' is the sixth studio album released by the Swedish rock band The Hellacopters. The first edition of the CD came with a 25-minute bonus DVD entitled ''Poking at the Stiff'' and chronicled the second of the two weeks of rec ...

'' in 2005. The name is a reference to the band's opinion about the state of the music industry. The album entered the Swedish album charts as number three and reached the top twenty in Finland. In March 2006 The Hellacopters went on their first American tour in three years, and also toured Sweden with

Millencollin Millencolin is a Swedish punk rock band that was formed on 12 October 1992 by Nikola Šarčević, Mathias Färm, and Erik Ohlsson in Örebro, Sweden. In early 1993, drummer Fredrik Larzon joined the band. The name Millencolin is derived from ...

and

The Soundtrack of our Lives The Soundtrack of Our Lives, often abbreviated T.S.O.O.L., was a Swedish rock band that formed in Gothenburg in 1995 and disbanded in 2012. The band's style draws heavily from sixties and seventies rock and punk, such as Rolling Stones and Igg ...

on the

Where the Action Is Tour Where the Action Is (WTAI) was a tour featuring Swedish rock bands that toured throughout Sweden between 2004 and 2006 with several high profiled Swedish bands and artists such as ''The Hellacopters'', ''The Hives'', ''The Ark'', ''Moneybrother'' ...

. The track "Nothing Terribly New" was also mentioned several times as one of

E Street Band The E Street Band is an American rock band, and has been musician Bruce Springsteen's primary backing band since 1972. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014. For the bulk of Springsteen's recording and performing caree ...

member

Steven Van Zandt Steven Van Zandt (né Lento; born November 22, 1950), also known as Little Steven or Miami Steve, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor. He is a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, in which he plays guitar and mandolin ...

's favorite garage rock songs.

''Head Off'' and break-up announcement

On 12 October 2007, The Hellacopters announced they would be breaking up after releasing their seventh full-length album ''

Head Off ''Head Off'' is the seventh album released by the Swedish rock band The Hellacopters. The album consists of cover songs from acts that the band felt that everyone should know about and listen to. The 2,500 units of the vinyl release all come wi ...

'', a collection of cover songs. According to the band, the reason for the breakup was to quit while they were still on top and not because of tension within the band. The album was originally presented as a regular Hellacopters studio album so that the fans would keep an open mind about the music. Håkansson also felt that it was fitting for the fans to get to know eleven new great bands to check out after the band's break up. The album debuted at number four in the Swedish charts and in the top 20 in Finland and Norway. The last Hellacopters shows were played at Debaser Medis in Stockholm 25 and 26 October; the concerts were filmed and streamed live on the band's MySpace page. Several friends and collaborators of the band were in the audience, including members of

, Entombed,

Burst Burst may refer to: *Burst mode (disambiguation), a mode of operation where events occur in rapid succession **Burst transmission, a term in telecommunications **Burst switching, a feature of some packet-switched networks ** Bursting, a signaling m ...

, Stefan Sundström,

Texas Terri Texas Terri (born Terri Laird; April 6, 1955) is an American punk rock singer, songwriter and actress, originally from Austin, Texas, United States. Texas Terri has been compared to Wendy O. Williams and others by the music press. Like Williams ...

, Pernilla Andersson and "Demons" (who was the opening band for most of the dates on the tour). The band will also release a double live album, like many of their favorite bands from the 1970s did, with recordings from their entire "Tour Before the Fall."

Hiatus activities

Frontman Nicke Andersson continues to work with his other band

Death Breath Death Breath is a Swedish death metal band featuring Robert Pehrsson ( Thunder Express/ Dundertåget) and Nicke Andersson, formerly of the death metal band Entombed, who wanted to return to playing drums and death metal. The members of the ban ...

, originally a side project while he was with The Hellacopters, and plans to record a solo album. He also says that he would like to record and tour once again with his soul band The Solution, but due to all of the different members' involvement with other projects, finding time for everyone to record and tour is difficult. Andersson recently formed the band

Cold Ethyl The Hellacopters are a Swedish rock band, active between 1994 and 2008 and again since 2016. The band was formed by vocalist and guitarist Nicke Andersson, guitarist Dregen, bassist Kenny Håkansson and drummer Robban Eriksson, later keyboard pl ...

, but this band currently has no intentions of recording or releasing any original material. Robert Dahlqvist returned to his own band Dundertåget. Kenny Håkansson has plans to form a band with the drummer of the Danish rock band Baby Woodrose; the currently unnamed band is described as "psychedelic rock ala 1971." Robert Eriksson is working with his currently unsigned band Tramp and works at a music youth center called Black Sheep in

Solna Solna Municipality ( sv, Solna kommun or , ) is a municipality in Stockholm County in Sweden, located just north of Stockholm City Centre. Its seat is located in the town of Solna, which is a part of the Stockholm urban area. Solna is one of t ...

. In March 2016, the first biography of the band, with every member participating, was released in French. The book, ''The Hellacopters, du kérosène dans les veines'' by Rudy Charis, was published by Camion Blanc and is due to be released in English in 2018. On 3 February 2017, former guitarist Robert Dahlqvist died at age 40. The band's distributor Sound Pollution stated that Dahlqvist died accidentally at home, having drowned in a bathtub following an epileptic seizure. At the time of his death, he had several concerts and appearances scheduled for the coming weeks, and had nearly completed recording a solo album under the pseudonym Strängen.

''Supershitty to the Max!'' anniversary reunion

In April 2016, the band announced that their original lineup would be reuniting for the 20th anniversary of the release of their debut album, ''

'', initially playing the 2016

. The band also announced the release of an exclusive 12-inch vinyl record, with two tracks ("My Mephistophelean Creed" and "Don't Stop Now") written during the ''Supershitty to the Max!'' sessions but recorded in 2016. The Hellacopters went on to play several international festivals in 2016 and 2017, such as the

Roskilde Festival The Roskilde Festival is a Danish music festival held annually south of Roskilde. It is one of the largest music festivals in Europe and the largest in the Nordic countries. It was created in 1971 by two high school students and a promoter. In 1 ...

, with (

Hanoi Rocks Hanoi Rocks was a Finnish rock band formed in 1979. They were the first Finnish band to chart in the UK and they were also popular in Japan. The band broke up in June 1985 after drummer Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley died in a drunk driving accide ...

New York Dolls New York Dolls were an American rock band formed in New York City in 1971. Along with the Velvet Underground and the Stooges, they were one of the first bands of the early punk rock scenes. Although the band never achieved much commercial succe ...

and

Michael Monroe Matti Antero Kristian Fagerholm (born 17 June 1962), better known by his stage name Michael Monroe, is a Finnish rock musician who rose to fame as the vocalist for the glam punk band Hanoi Rocks, and has served as the frontman for all-star sid ...

) bass player

Sami Yaffa Sami Yaffa (born Sami Lauri Takamäki; 4 September 1963) is a Finnish bass guitarist best known for his work in New York Dolls, Michael Monroe's bands, and Hanoi Rocks. He is currently the bassist for the Michael Monroe band and The Compulsions ...

replacing original member

for the 2017 shows.

''Eyes of Oblivion''

On 17 December 2021 The Hellacopters announced a new studio album, ''Eyes of Oblivion'', which was released on 1 April 2022. This marked the first time the band had released a full-length album of new material since 2008's ''Head Off'', and the first full length album with Dregen since 1997's ''Payin' the Dues''. Andersson described the album as "

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

meets

Judas Priest Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band formed in Birmingham in 1969. They have sold over 50 million albums and are frequently ranked as one of the greatest metal bands of all time. Despite an innovative and pioneering body of work in th ...

, or

Lynyrd Skynyrd Lynyrd Skynyrd ( ) is an American rock music, rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida. The group originally formed as My Backyard in 1964 and comprised Ronnie Van Zant (lead vocalist), Gary Rossington (guitar), Allen Collins (guitar), Larry Ju ...

meets the

Ramones The Ramones were an American punk rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first true punk rock group. Despite achieving a limited commercial appeal in the United ...

, but the best way to describe this album is that it sounds like The Hellacopters today.". To promote the release of ''Eyes of Oblivion'', the band released a seven-inch vinyl of the album's lead single, "Reap a Hurricane", on 4 February 2022. A music video for "Reap a Hurricane" was also released on the same day as the announcement. On 17 January 2022 the band released the album's title track as its second single. This was followed by the third single, "So Sorry I Could Die", on 4 March 2022.

Musical style

Heavily influenced by early

punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...

and

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

bands such as

Sex Pistols The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band formed in London in 1975. Although their initial career lasted just two and a half years, they were one of the most groundbreaking acts in the history of popular music. They were responsible for ...

, The Damned,

The Stooges The Stooges, originally billed as the Psychedelic Stooges, also known as Iggy and the Stooges, was an American rock band formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1967 by singer Iggy Pop, guitarist Ron Asheton, drummer Scott Asheton, and bassist Dave ...

and

The Heartbreakers The Heartbreakers, sometimes referred to as Johnny Thunders' Heartbreakers, were an American punk rock band formed in New York City in 1975. The band spearheaded the first wave of punk rock. History Johnny Thunders (vocals/guitar) and Jerry N ...

as well as bands such as

Venom Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a sti ...

Blue Cheer Blue Cheer was an American rock band that initially performed and recorded in the late 1960s and early 1970s and was sporadically active until 2009. Based in San Francisco, Blue Cheer played in a psychedelic blues rock or acid rock style, and ...

and

Motörhead Motörhead () were an English rock band formed in London in 1975 by Lemmy (lead vocals, bass), Larry Wallis (guitar) and Lucas Fox (drums). Lemmy was also the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band are often considered a precu ...

the band's debut album – ''

'' – contained fast-paced songs and

overdriven Distortion and overdrive are forms of audio signal processing used to alter the sound of amplified electric musical instruments, usually by increasing their gain (electronics), gain, producing a "fuzzy", "growling", or "gritty" tone. Distort ...

guitars. While the band's second album – ''

'' – was in similar style as their debut album it also displayed a tighter musicianship and songwriting technique as well as keyboards by Anders Lindström. ''

'' was the first studio album to be recorded without original guitarist

and was a departure from the band's

Detroit rock Detroit, Michigan, is a major center in the United States for the creation and performance of music, and is best known for three developments: Motown, early punk rock (or proto-punk), and techno. The Metro Detroit area has a rich musical hist ...

influenced sound to a more 1970s rock sound. The band continued to evolve their sound throughout their career, while Nicke Andersson claims that all of their music is based around three

chords Chord may refer to: * Chord (music), an aggregate of musical pitches sounded simultaneously ** Guitar chord a chord played on a guitar, which has a particular tuning * Chord (geometry), a line segment joining two points on a curve * Chord ( ...

and a

chorus Chorus may refer to: Music * Chorus (song) or refrain, line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in which all verse ...

the band had no interest in repeating themselves. On the band's later releases, Andersson's vocals incorporated

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...

influences from his and Scott Morgans side project The Solution. The Hellacopters also recorded many

cover songs In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or Sound recording and reproduction, recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referr ...

throughout their career of songs from bands and artist such as

Radio Birdman Radio Birdman is an Australian punk rock band formed by Deniz Tek and Rob Younger in Sydney in 1974. The group influenced the work of many successful, mainstream bands, and are now considered instrumental in Australia's musical growth. Hist ...

Misfits Misfits or The Misfits may refer to: Film and television * ''The Misfits'' (1961 film), a film starring Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, and Montgomery Clift * ''The Misfits'' (2011 film), a Mexican film * ''The Misfits'' (2021 film), an American ...

Smokey Robinson William "Smokey" Robinson Jr. (born February 19, 1940) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and former record executive director. He was the founder and front man of the Motown vocal group the Miracles, for which he was also chief ...

Nationalteatern Nationalteatern is a Swedish progg rock group from the 1970s that featured leftist political lyrics. It was originally a traveling theater ensemble with many members, most notably Ulf Dageby, Anders Melander, Totta Näslund, Nikke Ström, Hans Mo ...

Alice Cooper Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier, February 4, 1948) is an American rock singer whose career spans over five decades. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusions, including pyrotechnics, guillot ...

, The Nomads,

April Stevens April Stevens (born Caroline Vincinette LoTempio; April 29, 1929) is an American singer best known for her collaborations with her younger brother, Nino Tempo. Biography Stevens has recorded since she was twenty two years old. Her most popula ...

The Dictators The Dictators are an American punk rock band formed in New York City in 1973. Critic John Dougan said that they were "one of the finest and most influential proto-punk bands to walk the earth." Origins The band was formed in 1972 by Andy "Ad ...

Love Love encompasses a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most sublime virtue or good habit, the deepest Interpersonal relationship, interpersonal affection, to the simplest pleasure. An example of this range of ...

and others. However Andersson asserts that there is a difference between the music that inspires him and the music that has an influence on his music, Andersson has mentioned

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

artist

Guy Clark Guy Charles Clark (November 6, 1941 – May 17, 2016) was an American folk and country singer-songwriter and luthier. He released more than 20 albums, and his songs have been recorded by other artists, including Jerry Jeff Walker, Jimmy Buffet ...

as an artist that inspires his songwriting without affecting the band's sound.

Band members

Current

;

:Active: 1994–2008, 2016–present :Instruments: lead vocals, guitars, bass,

clavinet The Clavinet is an electrically amplified clavichord invented by Ernst Zacharias and manufactured by the Hohner company of Trossingen, West Germany, from 1964 to 1982. The instrument produces sounds by a rubber pad striking a point on a tension ...

, piano, percussion :Recording contributions: all studio recordings ;

Matz Robert Eriksson Robert Eriksson or simply Robban as he is often called, is best known as the drummer of Swedish rock band The Hellacopters, who were active between 1994 and 2008. Eriksson is currently playing With his new band called Tramp and recently reunited S ...

:Active: 1994–2008, 2016–present :Instruments: drums, percussion, backing and occasional lead vocals :Recording contributions: all studio recordings ;

Anders Lindström Anders Lindström, or Boba Fett, as he is often called, is a Swedish rock musician most known for being the organist and pianist of the Swedish rock band The Hellacopters and co-founder and guitarist of The Diamond Dogs. Life and career Lindstr ...

:Active: 1996–2008, 2016–present (full-time from 1999) :Instruments: organ, piano, percussion, guitars, backing vocals :Recording contributions: all recordings from ''

'' onward ;

:Active: 1994–1997, 2016–present :Instruments: guitars, percussion, backing and occasional lead vocals :Recording contributions: from ''

'' to ''

'', ''Eyes of Oblivion'' onward ;Dolf DeBorst :Active: 2018–present :Instruments: bass, backing vocals :Recording contributions:none

Former

;

:Active: 1994–2008, 2016 :Instruments: bass, backing vocals :Recording contributions: all studio recordings to ''

'' ;Danne Andersson :Active: 1997 :Instruments: guitar, backing vocals :Recording contributions: None ;

:Active: 1997–1998 :Instruments: guitar and backing vocals :Recording contributions: ''

'' and ''

'' ;

:Active: 1999–2008; died 2017 :Instruments: guitar, backing vocals :Recording contributions: all recordings from ''

'' to ''Head Off'' ;Sami Yaffa :Active: 2017 :Recording contributions: None

Timeline

Selected discography

;Studio albums * 1996 – ''

'' * 1997 – ''

'' * 1999 – ''

'' * 2000 – ''

'' * 2002 – ''

'' * 2005 – ''

'' * 2008 – ''

'' * 2022 – ''Eyes of Oblivion'' ;Compilations * 2002 – '' Cream of the Crap Vol. 1'' * 2004 – '' Cream of the Crap Vol. 2'' * 2006 – '' Air Raid Serenades''

Awards and nominations

; Swedish Grammys: , - , rowspan="1" , 1996 , , ''

'' , , Best Hard Rock , , , - , rowspan="1" , 2006 , , ''

'' , , Best Rock Group of the YearNews archive
hellacopters.com Retrieved: 12 July 2009 , , , - , rowspan="2" , 2009 , , rowspan="2", ''

'' , , Best Hard Rock , , , - , Best Live Act , , , - ;

P3 Guld P3, P-3, P.3, or P03 may refer to: Entertainment * ''Persona 3'', a 2006 video game * '' Postal III'', a 2011 video game * ''Third'' (Portishead album), 2008 music album * P3 Club, a fictional nightclub in the television series '' Charmed'' * ''P ...

: , - , rowspan="2" , 2005 , , rowspan="2" , ''

'' , , Best Rock Album of the Year , , , - , Live Act of the Year , , , - , rowspan="1" , 2008 , , rowspan="1" , ''

'' , , Best Live Act , , , - ;

Bandit Rock Bandit Rock is a Sweden, Swedish radio station which plays rock (music), rock, punk (music), punk and heavy metal (music), heavy metal. The station, now a part of the Nordic Entertainment Group, was founded by American ex-pat Thomas McAlevey and be ...

: , - , rowspan="4" , 2009 , , rowspan="4" , ''

'' , , Best Swedish Group , , , - , Best Swedish Album , , , - , Best Swedish Live Act , , , - , Bandit Special Award , , , - ;

Kerrang! Awards The Kerrang! Awards are an annual music awards show in the United Kingdom, founded by the music magazine ''Kerrang!'' and focusing primarily on rock music. The annual awards features performances by prominent artists, and some of the awards of mo ...

, - , 1999 , , ''

'' , , Spirit of IndependenceKerrang Awards Hall of Fame 1999
blog.kerrangawards.com Retrieved:2010-02-08 , , , - , Yasutora Sado

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hellacopters, The Musical groups established in 1994 Musical groups disestablished in 2008 Swedish hard rock musical groups English-language singers from Sweden Garage punk groups Kerrang! Awards winners Gearhead Records artists 1994 establishments in Sweden Liquor and Poker Music artists Man's Ruin Records artists Nuclear Blast artists Sub Pop artists