HOW DO you describe a group like The Hellacopters? The most accurate term would probably be 'High Energy Rock'n'Roll', but it's both a short cut and an understatement. After five years of touring around the world, you only need to see them live to realise that - believe me, I've been there!
And as for 'High Visibility' (the band's fourth full album, and their first for Universal), well, that only adds even more fuel to the fire - believe me, I've heard it!
Unlike most contemporary 'rock' acts who are either struggling aimlessly for originality (a word that seldom equals good), or else simply trying to copy the latest fad (which normally equals lame), The Hellacopters are a band with a real sense of identity plus a clear idea of their position in the 60-year-old history of recorded music. Within this history, there's a strong tradition of timeless, honest tunes straight outta the hearts and souls of hardworkin' men and women, and it is this tradition that the Stockholm-based 'Copters are most keen to tap into…
Obviously, prime Detroit movers & shakers such as Sonic's Rendezvous Band, the MC5 and The Stooges were, and still are, a cornerstone influence on the group's music, but in order to get the full picture here, you've gotta dig a bit deeper than that. After all, none of the above could have existed without the delta blues heroes, Chuck Berry, James Brown or John Coltrane; by the same token, there'd be no Hellacopters without Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Rolling Stones, AC/DC or The Ramones, so before yelling 'cliché' instead of 'classic', just remember that you can't have one without the other..
THE HELLACOPTERS first sprang into life back in 1994 when Nick Royale, Kenny Hakansson, Robert Eriksson and Backyard Babies' lead guitarist Dregen decided to get together to record a three-track 7" single for mainman Royale's own Psychout label - a record that now sells for 150 dollars and upwards on the worldwide collector's market! After a couple more underground singles and countless hell-for-leather shows, the four-man line-up opted to strike a deal with Stockholm's independent White Jazz label, and it was this company that was responsible for issuing the band's 'Supershitty To The Max' debut (1996) - a semi-classic, Grammy Award-winning (!) album laid down in a mere 26 hours at Sunlight Studios, Stockholm, under the intense gaze of producer Tomas Skogsberg.
With 'Supershitty…' raising the profile of the group all around Europe, they were now able to focus even more heavily on the touring side, taking days off only when they felt the need to go back into the studio to record; indeed, at last count, the ever-prolific 'Copters have successfully released 25-plus 7" singles complete with exclusive material, supporting the grassroots activities of cool and credible labels the world over…
By 1997, the band were moving ahead at a rapid rate of knots, and it wasn't long before they had both recruited a fully-fledged fifth member, Bobby Lee Fett on piano, and decided to re-enter Sunlight Studios to set to work on what would become their highly praised second album, 'Payin' The Dues'. As ever with these guys, however, they couldn't resist the smell of the crowd for too long… especially as their next bout of road doggin' saw them playing a series of Scandinavian shows alongside New York legends Kiss - an outfit whose heyday activities had had a major impact on the fledgling Nick Royale.
THE FOLLOWING year saw the departure of guitarist Dregen, who could no longer comfortably juggle his time between The Hellacopters and Backyard Babies, leaving the remaining four to head off into the 'middle of nowhere' (somewhere in Sweden) to turn their collective attention to the third studio album, a record that would eventually emerge under the highly appropriate 'Grande Rock' legend…
In the meantime, a combination of good friends and trustworthy strangers helped to fill the gap in the ranks as the band took their authentic rock'n'roll manoeuvres to eager audiences in Australia, Japan and the US, the latter visit coinciding with the American release of 'Supershitty…' via the ultra-cool Man's Ruin label.
Then, in early '99, Robert 'Strings' Dahlqvist - a guitar player of genuine stature and ability - was welcomed into the group on a permanent basis, taking his stage-right position for a world tour that was underpinned by the June release of 'Grande Rock' on White Jazz in Europe, plus the Autumn appearance of both 'GR' & 'Payin' The Dues' via Sub Pop in the States.
More sold-out shows were to follow in March of this year, after which the increasingly famous five entered Polar Studios in Stockholm to kickstart the sessions for the 'High Visibility' album - their first major label release, and a record that sees them developing their trademark style and sound to a greater degree than ever before. Produced by Chips K. (The Nomads, Sator, The Turpentines, etc.) and mixed by David Bianco (Posies, Springsteen, Pavarotti, etc.), the result is quite simply a seriously smokin' record from one of the most defiantly original acts around today.
In short, 'High Visibility' - 13 tracks, all meat, no fat - is released internationally on October 16th, and I'm sure you don't need me to tell you that live dates will follow!
- RICK DAGGER
