Hardcore Superstar

Emerging from Gothenburg during the late 1990s, Hardcore Superstar largely disregarded the extreme death metal for which their hometown remains famous, instead cultivating a style rooted in melodic thrash and glammed-up hard rock, most notably the sleazy L.A. pop-metal aesthetic of the 1980s. The self-described “street metal” outfit has collected multiple Swedish Grammi nominations across their career, with key releases such as Bad Sneakers and a Piña Colada (2000), Beg for It (2009), HCSS (2015), and Abrakadabra (2022) resonating strongly with metal audiences beyond Sweden.

Vocalist Jocke Berg, guitarist Silver Silver, bassist Martin Sandvik, and drummer Magnus Andreasson delivered their debut album, It’s Only Rock ’n’ Roll, through Gain Records in 1998, earning early approval from Motörhead’s Lemmy. Following support dates with Motörhead across Scandinavia, the band secured a deal with Music for Nations and tracked their second album, Bad Sneakers and a Piña Colada, during 1999. Three Swedish Top Ten singles emerged from that record, while relentless touring expanded their following. The punchy yet relaxed Thank You (For Letting Us Be Ourselves) surfaced in 2001, succeeded by No Regrets in 2003, which included the hit single “Honey Tongue.” That effort marked their final release for Music for Nations; they returned to Gain for the well-received self-titled fifth studio album in 2005, which garnered another Swedish Grammi nomination.

Dreamin’ in a Casket appeared in 2007 and proved to be guitarist Thomas Silver’s last recording with the group before his departure in 2008. Crazy Lixx’s Vic Zino stepped in as his replacement and made his first studio contribution on the internationally acclaimed Beg for It, issued by Nuclear Blast in 2009. Split Your Lip followed in 2010, and the band’s inaugural compilation, The Party Ain’t Over ’Til We Say So, arrived the next year. Singles “One More Minute” and “Above the Law” preceded their ninth album, C’mon Take on Me, in 2013, while HCSS in 2015 became the first Hardcore Superstar project to feature a guest performer—Swedish reggae singer Etzia. Late in 2017 the band issued the single “Have Mercy on Me” ahead of their Grammi-nominated eleventh album, You Can’t Kill My Rock ’n Roll. During 2021 they put out five singles, among them the regional hits “Weep When You Die” and “Catch Me If You Can,” all of which featured on the 2022 long-player Abrakadabra.