The Hellacopters

One of the most influential rock bands in Sweden, the Hellacopters combine the raw Detroit garage-punk sound of MC5 and the Stooges with the blazing riffs of AC/DC and Motörhead. Emerging in 1994, the band found commercial success in 1996 with the release of their Grammis Award-winning debut album, Supershitty to the Max! They issued six more acclaimed efforts, including the gold-selling High Visibility (2000) and By the Grace of God (2002), before disbanding in 2008. They reunited in 2016 for a series of live performances and, in 2022, released their long-awaited eighth studio effort, Eyes of Oblivion.
Formed in 1994 in Stockholm and comprised of Entombed drummer Nicke Andersson (vocals and guitar), Backyard Babies guitarist Andreas Tyrone "Dregen" Svensson (guitar), Kenny Håkansson (bass), and Robert Eriksson (drums), The Hellacopters issued their debut single, “Killing Allan,” independently in 1995. A second track, “1995,” appeared shortly after that and caught the attention of White Jazz Records, which added the band to its roster. The blistering Supershitty to the Max!, which was recorded live in the studio over a span of just 26 hours, arrived the following year and took home a Swedish Grammy. Payin' the Dues appeared two years later, followed by the departure of guitarist Svensson, who returned full-time to Backyard Babies. Touring keyboardist and percussionist Anders Lindström (AKA Boba Lee Fett) became an official member of the group ahead of the release of 1999′s classic 70′s rock-leaning Grande Rock. Robert Dahlqvist stepped in the following year as the official replacement for Svensson. He made his studio debut on 2002′s High Visibility, which spent 12 weeks on the Swedish charts and was certified gold. Cream of the Crap! Vol. 1, a compilation of rare singles, B-sides, EP selections, and other non-album tracks, appeared in early 2002. The group’s fifth studio LP, By the Grace of God, arrived later that year and became their most commercially successful effort, debuting at number two in Sweden and number eight in Finland. Cream of the Crap! Vol. 2 appeared in 2004, followed in 2007 by the covers LP Head Off. The group amicably disbanded in 2008.
The Hellacopters reconvened in 2016 with their original lineup to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Supershitty to the Max! After performing at that year’s Swedish Rock Festival, they continued to operate as a touring act, appearing at several international festivals. In 2021, the group announced that they would be releasing a new studio album. The resulting Eyes of Oblivion — which was preceded by the singles “Reap a Hurricane” and the fiery title cut — appeared in 2022. ~ James Christopher Monger