''Apocalypse Dudes'' is the fourth album by the Norwegian band

Turbonegro Turbonegro (Turboneger in Norway) is a Norwegian rock band, active from 1989 to 1998 and from 2002 to the present. The band combines glam rock, punk rock, and hard rock into a self-described "deathpunk" musical style. History Early years (1 ...

. It is the first studio album with Euroboy as the lead guitarist and the last before the band disbanded in December 1998. Released in early 1998 in Norway and Germany, the album was a huge success for the then

underground Underground most commonly refers to: * Subterranea (geography), the regions beneath the surface of the Earth Underground may also refer to: Places * The Underground (Boston), a music club in the Allston neighborhood of Boston * The Underground (S ...

band. Adapting a more

glam rock Glam rock is a style of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s and was performed by musicians who wore outrageous costumes, makeup, and hairstyles, particularly platform shoes and glitter. Glam artists drew on diver ...

-oriented sound, ''Apocalypse Dudes'' set the standard for future Turbonegro records and became the first part of the ''Apocalypse trilogy'', consisting of ''Apocalypse Dudes'' (1998), ''

Scandinavian Leather ''Scandinavian Leather'' is an album by the Norwegian band Turbonegro that followed the band's reunion in 2002 and was released in April 2003 on Burning Heart Records in Sweden, on Bitzcore Records in Germany, on JVC/ Victor Records in Japan, and ...

'' (2003) and '' Party Animals'' (2005).

Production

Following the addition of Euroboy and the drummer Chris Summers, Turbonegro had adapted a new sound with the release of their "

Prince of the Rodeo ''Apocalypse Dudes'' is the fourth album by the Norwegian band Turbonegro. It is the first studio album with Euroboy as the lead guitarist and the last before the band disbanded in December 1998. Released in early 1998 in Norway and Germany, th ...

" single, gradually moving from punk rock to glam rock. The band went into the studio in late 1997, after extensive touring. The band originally planned to release an EP including the songs "Get It On", "Zillion Dollar Sadist" and a cover of

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

's "

Suffragette City "Suffragette City" is a song by English singer-songwriter David Bowie. It was originally released in April 1972 as the B-side of the single "Starman" and subsequently appeared on his fifth studio album ''The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and ...

". But as they wrote more songs, they decided to record an album instead. While its predecessor, ''Ass Cobra'', was an all-out punk rock record, ''Apocalypse Dudes'' adds a more produced, rock-oriented sound characterized by a wall of guitars and blistering solos. "The Age of Pamparius" starts out with an ascending guitar solo over piano and acoustic guitar, reminiscent of

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 ...

, before fading into a myriad of

synth A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and f ...

noises and a whispering voice introducing the album. A plucked guitar

riff A riff is a repeated chord progression or refrain in music (also known as an ostinato figure in classical music); it is a pattern, or melody, often played by the rhythm section instruments or solo instrument, that forms the basis or accompani ...

is then played before the song erupts into fast-paced glam rock. "Get It On" is introduced by thundering drums and a guitar riff in the style of

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 ...

. "Rock Against Ass" and "Don't Say Motherfucker, Motherfucker" contains elements of

pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, earl ...

. "Prince of the Rodeo" features

conga drums The conga, also known as tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed drum from Cuba. Congas are staved like barrels and classified into three types: quinto (lead drum, highest), tres dos or tres golpes (middle), and tumba or salidor (lowest). ...

while "Humiliation Street" is a dark ballad, ending with an extended guitar solo. The album's final song, "Good Head", is a cover version of the song by Schreiner and Seltzer's earlier garage rock band, The Vikings.

Hank von Helvete Hans-Erik Dyvik Husby (15 June 1972 – 19 November 2021), also known as Hank von Helvete and Hank von Hell, was a Norwegian singer best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Turbonegro. Career Von Hell's former band Turbonegro is most we ...

struggled with

heroin Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a potent opioid mainly used as a recreational drug for its euphoric effects. Medical grade diamorphine is used as a pure hydrochloride salt. Various white and brow ...

addiction during the recording process and almost quit the band. The vocals for "Are You Ready (For Some Darkness)" took several days to record due to his poor health. Turbonegro finished the recording in late 1997 and signed a contract with

Virgin Records Virgin Records is a record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman. It grew to be a worldwid ...

to release the album. The album was released 23 February 1998.

Release

''Apocalypse Dudes'' was released on

on CD in Norway, on Boomba Records on 12" vinyl and CD in Germany, on Bitzcore Records on 12" vinyl in Germany and on

Man's Ruin Man's Ruin Records was an independent record label owned and founded by San Francisco Bay Area artist Frank Kozik. After the 1994 release of Man's Ruin's first record ''Experimental Audio Research (EAR): Delta 6'' Kozik worked with artists whom ...

Sympathy for the Record Industry Sympathy for the Record Industry (also known as Sympathy Records or Sympathy 4 the R.I.) is a mainly independent garage rock and punk label formed in 1988 by Long Gone John. The first Sympathy release was the Lazy Cowgirls' ''Radio Cowgirl'' LP ...

on 12" vinyl and CD on 26 January 1999, in the United States. It was re-released on 27 January 2003, on

Burning Heart Records Burning Heart Records is an independent record label formed in 1993 in Fagersta, Sweden, and currently based in Örebro. It has a close affiliation with Californian label Epitaph Records, who own the rights to distribute Burning Heart's output i ...

in Sweden and on

Epitaph Records Epitaph Records is an American independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, most acts signed to the label were punk and pop punk acts, while there are many post-hardcore and emo bands ...

in the USA. It went gold in Norway. ''Apocalypse Dudes'' presents Turbonegro's trademark deathpunk sound, "a new resurgence of glam rock'n'roll" as the Boomba announcement put it - much due to guitarist Euroboy, who had been playing with the band live since 1996. ''Moshable'' magazine commented, "''Apocalypse Dudes'' is the perfect mix of classic 70's US punk / rock'n'roll like

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 ...

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 ...

... every tune on this release is fucking brilliant."

Jello Biafra Eric Reed Boucher (born June 17, 1958), known professionally as Jello Biafra, is an American singer, spoken word artist and politician. He is the former lead singer and songwriter for the San Francisco punk rock band Dead Kennedys. Initially ac ...

was quoted as saying, "The new Turbonegro record is possibly the most important European record ever." The original Boomba announcement from April 1998 said, "This my friends, is a virtually perfect record! Excellent production - a huge, FAT sound; lots of power and excellent songs that you can't get out of your head. Not one let down through 47 minutes of music!! This is not an underground tip !! 'Apocalypse Dudes' appeals to the masses. From punk to metal to mainstream, "Apocalypse Dudes" has something for everyone." Pitchfork rated ''Apocalypse Dudes'' 8.6 out of 10. Punk News rated it four and a half stars out of five.

Legacy

* The track "Age of Pamparius" is used as the theme for MTV's ''

Wildboyz ''Wildboyz'' is an American television series. It is a spin-off and follow-up to '' Jackass''. ''Wildboyz'' debuted in 2003 on MTV, and moved to MTV2 in its third season. The show starred Steve-O and Chris Pontius, who perform stunts and acts ...

''. * The album is listed in ''

1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die ''1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die'' is a musical reference book first published in 2005 by Universe Publishing. Part of the ''1001 Before You Die'' series, it compiles writings and information on albums chosen by a panel of music critics ...

''. * The tracks "Selfdestructo Bust" and "Prince of the Rodeo" were used in '' Jackass: The Game''. * The song "Get It On" was used in season 3 episode 13 of the TV show ''

Sons of Anarchy ''Sons of Anarchy'' is an American action crime drama television series created by Kurt Sutter for FX. Originally aired from September 3, 2008 to December 9, 2014, ''Sons of Anarchy'' follows the lives of a close-knit outlaw motorcycle club ope ...

''.

Track listing

Personnel

(Hans Erik Dyvik Husby) - vocals * Euroboy (Knut Schreiner) - lead guitar *

Rune Rebellion Turbonegro (Turboneger in Norway) is a Norwegian rock band, active from 1989 to 1998 and from 2002 to the present. The band combines glam rock, punk rock, and hard rock into a self-described "deathpunk" musical style. History Early years ( ...

(Rune Grønn) - rhythm guitar *

Pål Pot Pamparius Turbonegro (Turboneger in Norway) is a Norwegian rock band, active from 1989 to 1998 and from 2002 to the present. The band combines glam rock, punk rock, and hard rock into a self-described "deathpunk" musical style. History Early years (1 ...

(Pål Bøttger Kjærnes) - keyboards and percussion *

Happy-Tom Thomas Seltzer (born 27 July 1969 in Hamar, Norway) is a musician in the band Turbonegro, a television talk show host and documentary creator, and an author. Personal life Seltzer was born to an American father and a Norwegian mother. Althou ...

(Thomas Seltzer) - bass * Chris Summers (Christer Engen) - drums

Additional personnel

* Martin Anderson - photography * Oliver Brand - director * Christian A. Calmeyer - engineer * Rocco Clein - director * Dimitri 'from Oslo' Kayiambakis - artwork * Marco Finger - photography * Pal Klaastad - engineer

References

{{Authority control Turbonegro albums 1998 albums Burning Heart Records albums Man's Ruin Records albums Sympathy for the Record Industry albums