Biography
Sweden's Hellacopters rank among the country's most pivotal rock acts, fusing the gritty Detroit garage-punk drive of MC5 and the Stooges with the scorching guitar attack of AC/DC and Motörhead. The group surfaced in 1994 and secured mainstream traction two years later via their Grammis Award-winning first full-length, Supershitty to the Max!. Six further well-received releases followed, among them the gold-certified High Visibility (2000) and By the Grace of God (2002), before the band dissolved in 2008. They returned in 2016 for select concerts and, in 2022, delivered their long-anticipated eighth studio album, Eyes of Oblivion.
Established that same year in Stockholm, the lineup featured Entombed drummer Nicke Andersson handling vocals and guitar, Backyard Babies guitarist Andreas Tyrone "Dregen" Svensson on guitar, Kenny Håkansson on bass, and Robert Eriksson on drums. The Hellacopters put out their first single, "Killing Allan," on their own in 1995. Another cut, "1995," surfaced soon afterward and drew notice from White Jazz Records, which promptly signed them. The ferocious Supershitty to the Max!, captured live in the studio across just 26 hours, reached stores the next year and claimed a Swedish Grammy. Payin' the Dues followed in 1998, after which guitarist Svensson exited to rejoin Backyard Babies full-time. Keyboardist and percussionist Anders Lindström (AKA Boba Lee Fett), already a touring member, was elevated to official status ahead of 1999's Grande Rock, steeped in classic 1970s rock. Robert Dahlqvist arrived the subsequent year as Svensson's permanent successor and made his recorded bow on 2002's High Visibility, which logged twelve weeks on the Swedish charts and earned gold status. Early that year the compilation Cream of the Crap! Vol. 1 gathered rare singles, B-sides, EP cuts, and other non-album material. The band's fifth studio album, By the Grace of God, appeared later in 2002 and became their biggest seller, entering at number two in Sweden and number eight in Finland. Cream of the Crap! Vol. 2 arrived in 2004, succeeded in 2007 by the covers collection Head Off. The members parted on amicable terms in 2008.
The Hellacopters reassembled in 2016 with the original roster to mark the twentieth anniversary of Supershitty to the Max!. Following an appearance at that year's Swedish Rock Festival, they resumed activity as a live unit and played multiple international festivals. In 2021 the group confirmed plans for a fresh studio album. Eyes of Oblivion, previewed by the singles "Reap a Hurricane" and the blazing title track, surfaced in 2022.
Established that same year in Stockholm, the lineup featured Entombed drummer Nicke Andersson handling vocals and guitar, Backyard Babies guitarist Andreas Tyrone "Dregen" Svensson on guitar, Kenny Håkansson on bass, and Robert Eriksson on drums. The Hellacopters put out their first single, "Killing Allan," on their own in 1995. Another cut, "1995," surfaced soon afterward and drew notice from White Jazz Records, which promptly signed them. The ferocious Supershitty to the Max!, captured live in the studio across just 26 hours, reached stores the next year and claimed a Swedish Grammy. Payin' the Dues followed in 1998, after which guitarist Svensson exited to rejoin Backyard Babies full-time. Keyboardist and percussionist Anders Lindström (AKA Boba Lee Fett), already a touring member, was elevated to official status ahead of 1999's Grande Rock, steeped in classic 1970s rock. Robert Dahlqvist arrived the subsequent year as Svensson's permanent successor and made his recorded bow on 2002's High Visibility, which logged twelve weeks on the Swedish charts and earned gold status. Early that year the compilation Cream of the Crap! Vol. 1 gathered rare singles, B-sides, EP cuts, and other non-album material. The band's fifth studio album, By the Grace of God, appeared later in 2002 and became their biggest seller, entering at number two in Sweden and number eight in Finland. Cream of the Crap! Vol. 2 arrived in 2004, succeeded in 2007 by the covers collection Head Off. The members parted on amicable terms in 2008.
The Hellacopters reassembled in 2016 with the original roster to mark the twentieth anniversary of Supershitty to the Max!. Following an appearance at that year's Swedish Rock Festival, they resumed activity as a live unit and played multiple international festivals. In 2021 the group confirmed plans for a fresh studio album. Eyes of Oblivion, previewed by the singles "Reap a Hurricane" and the blazing title track, surfaced in 2022.
Albums
