The Hellacopters are a Swedish

garage rock Garage rock (sometimes called garage punk or 60s punk) is a raw and energetic style of rock music that flourished in the mid-1960s, most notably in the United States and Canada, and has experienced a series of subsequent revivals. The style is ...

band that was formed in 1994 by

Nicke Andersson Anders Niklas Andersson (born 1 August 1972), also known as Nicke Andersson, is a Swedish musician best known as the singer and guitarist for the rock band The Hellacopters and drummer for the death metal band Entombed (band), Entombed. Besides ...

(vocals and guitar), Andreas Tyrone "Dregen" Svensson (guitar),

Kenny Håkansson Kenny Dick Håkansson is a Swedish musician, best known as the bassist for the Hellacopters. The Hellacopters were founded by Håkansson's childhood friend Nicke Andersson as a side project to his role as a drummer in the death metal band En ...

(bass) and

Robert Eriksson Robert Eriksson may refer to: * Robert Eriksson (politician) * Robert Eriksson (tennis) * Robert Eriksson (speedway rider) See also

* Matz Robert Eriksson, drummer of Swedish rock band The Hellacopters * Robert S. Erikson, political scientist ...

(drums). Andersson (sometimes known as Nick Royale) had been the drummer for death metal band Entombed and Dregen was taking a break from his full-time band

Backyard Babies Backyard Babies is a Swedish Rock music, rock band originally from Nässjö and currently based in Stockholm. The band was formed in 1987 and have released eight studio albums, in addition to winning two Grammis, Swedish Grammy Awards. They ...

. Dregen and Eriksson had been roadies for Entombed, while Håkansson was a childhood friend of Andersson's. The Hellacopters were initially conceived as a side project for Andersson and Dregen, but it eventually became the main songwriting and performance vehicle for Andersson. The band, together with

The Hives The Hives are a Swedish garage rock band formed in Fagersta in 1993. After gaining success in Sweden throughout the 1990s, they rose to worldwide prominence in the early 2000s during the garage rock revival. The band's line-upconsisting of H ...

, is considered one of the most important Swedish bands in the

garage rock revival Garage rock (sometimes called garage punk or 60s punk) is a raw and energetic style of rock music that flourished in the mid-1960s, most notably in the United States and Canada, and has experienced a series of subsequent revivals. The style is ...

and one of the most influential rock bands in Sweden. The band released their Swedish Grammi-winning debut album '' Supershitty to the Max!'' in 1996. Just before a tour opening for

Kiss A kiss is the touching or pressing of one's lips against another person, animal or object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely; depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sex ...

, the band recruited keyboardist and percussionist Anders Lindström (also known as Boba Fett or Boba) on a part-time basis; he would become a full-time member in 1999. After the album ''

Payin' the Dues ''Payin' the Dues'' is the second album released by the Swedish rock band The Hellacopters and their last studio album to feature original guitarist Dregen before his departure from the band to focus full-time on his other band Backyard Babies. ...

'' in 1998, Dregen left the band to return to Backyard Babies full-time, and Mattias Hellberg and Danne Andersson were recruited to complete the band touring responsibilities. After the release of '' Grande Rock'', which featured additional guitar playing from both Lindström and Hellberg,

Robert Dahlqvist Robert Dahlqvist (16 April 1976 – 1 February 2017) was a Swedish guitarist and vocalist best known for his nine-year tenure with the rock band The Hellacopters. He was also the lead singer and lead guitarist for Dundertåget (first known as Thu ...

was hired as a full-time lead guitarist in 1999. With the lineup now solidified, the band released three more studio albums and a

cover album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...

, with many EPs and limited edition releases as well. The Hellacopters disbanded amicably in 2008 so the members could move on to other projects. Eight years later, the band reassembled in 2016, initially for an exclusive performance at

Sweden Rock Festival Sweden Rock Festival is a rock festival outside the town of Sölvesborg in Blekinge in southern Sweden. The festival offers the best possible mix of classic rock, hard rock, metal, blues and related genres. The first version of the festival, k ...

to celebrate the 20 year anniversary of their award-winning debut album '' Supershitty to the Max!''. In October 2021 the band announced that they had signed with the record label

Nuclear Blast Nuclear Blast Records is a German record label with subsidiary, subsidiaries located in Germany, the United States and Brazil. It was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Donzdorf. Originally releasing hardcore punk records, the label moved on ...

to release a new album in the spring of 2022. The album, ''Eyes of Oblivion'', was released on 1 April 2022. The group's latest album, ''Overdriver'', was released on January 31, 2025.

Band history

Formation and ''Supershitty to the Max!''

The band name was inspired by a magazine article discovered by Andersson and Dregen while on tour with Entombed in San Francisco. The article was about how the CIA was spying with helicopters on marijuana fields in Mexico and that the Mexicans called them "Hellacopters." The first Hellacopters rehearsal took place on 4 November 1994 as just a jam session, after two more rehearsals the band released their first single "Killing Allan" in January 1995 on their own label Psychout Records. After releasing their second single "1995," the Hellacopters were signed by White Jazz Records and they released their debut album '' Supershitty to the Max!'' in June 1996. The album was recorded all live in only 26 hours. The band won a Swedish Grammy for the album. Anders "Boba Fett" Lindström, guitarist of the Swedish rock band The Diamond Dogs, was then recruited to play keyboards shortly before they supported

on their Scandinavian dates in June 1997.

''Payin' the Dues'' and Dregen's departure

The band recorded their follow-up album ''

'' in February 1997. The record barely managed to break into the top 20 in Sweden and the top 30s in Finland. Andersson then left Entombed completely to concentrate full-time on the Hellacopters. A Swedish tour included a show at the second largest stage at the

Hultsfred Festival The Hultsfred Festival () was an annual music festival held in Hultsfred, Sweden. It took place at the lake Hulingen for three days in June or July, from Thursday to Saturday. Since the first festival in 1986, its attendance increased from 7,5 ...

, while the band famously played a secret gig backstage on a small makeshift stage. In 1998 the band toured Europe with Gluecifer, with whom they recorded the split album ''Respect the Rock''. Soon after,

Dregen Dregen (born Andreas Tyrone Svensson; 12 June 1973) is a Swedish musician best known as the guitarist of The Hellacopters, as well as Backyard Babies. As of March 2014, Dregen has also served as the newest member of Michael Monroe's solo band ...

left the band and returned to

. With Dregen's departure in the middle of an extensive tour, the band recruited guitarists Chuck Pounder and Mattias Hellberg for their tours of Scandinavia and U.S./Canada, respectively. While on tour in America the band also had the opportunity to jam with legendary Detroit rockers Scott Morgan of the

Sonic's Rendezvous Band Sonic's Rendezvous Band (or SRB) was an American rock and roll band from Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States, forming in 1974, featuring veterans of the 1960s Detroit rock scene. Background Sonic's Rendezvous Band was formed by members of four M ...

and

Wayne Kramer Wayne Stanley Kramer (''né'' Kambes; April 30, 1948 – February 2, 2024) was an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer, and Film score, film and television composer. Kramer came to prominence in the 1960s as the lead guitarist of t ...

of the

MC5 MC5 was an American rock music, rock band formed in Lincoln Park, Michigan, in 1963. The classic lineup consisted of vocalist Rob Tyner, guitarists Wayne Kramer and Fred "Sonic" Smith, bassist Michael Davis (bassist), Michael Davis, and drummer ...

, beginning long working relationships with both.

''Grande Rock'' and Dahlqvist's debut

In September 1998 the band recorded their third album '' Grande Rock''. Due to the absence of a second guitarist, Lindström and Hellberg both contributed on guitar. The album's 1970s classic rock sound was a departure from their previous albums, which featured a louder Detroit punk rock and garage rock sound. One reason for this was that the band recorded the album in an older studio from the 1970s in the Swedish woods, where they learned from an older and more experienced

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who Invention, invent, design, build, maintain and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials. They aim to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while ...

who knew how to create the vintage seventies sound the band desired. ''Grande Rock'' became the band's first album to break into the Swedish top ten, before dropping out of the list after one week. For the ensuing tour, the band considered recruiting an American guitarist but hired

. With Dahlqvist as a full-time replacement for

the band set out on tour along with

, The Nomads and Powder Monkeys.

''High Visibility'' with Chips Kiesbye

In 2000 the band headed back into the studio to record their first album with Robert Dahlqvist who by then had earned the nickname "Strängen" or "Strings" due to all the strings he had broken during rehearsals. It was also their first time working with producer Chips Kiesbye, who had worked with artists such as

Sahara Hotnights Sahara Hotnights are a Swedish rock band from Robertsfors. Since its inception, the band has been composed of lead singer Maria Andersson, drummer Josephine Forsman and sisters Jennie (lead guitar) and Johanna (bass) Asplund. Their style inco ...

, Millencolin, Thåström, The Nomads, The Turpentines, his own band Sator, and many other Swedish rock bands. Kiesbye would become their producer of choice and he produced all of the band's subsequent studio albums. '' High Visibility'' spent twelve weeks on the Swedish charts and was certified gold in that nation. The band set out on a Scandinavian and European tour in support of the album along with the then-unknown band

as their opening act. ''High Visibility'' was later released in the United States and the band's tour was chronicled in the documentary '' Goodnight Cleveland''. The title is a reference to the mockumentary '' This Is Spınal Tap'' in which Derek Smalls yells "Hello Cleveland" to an unseen audience while the band tries to find their way onto the stage. Andersson adapted the phrase at the end of the band's show at the Agora Ballroom.

''By the Grace of God'' and side projects

In early 2002, the band released their first compilation of non-album tracks '' Cream Of The Crap Vol. 1'', the CD's booklet contained one half of a poster designed by Andersson the second half of the poster was included in the second volume of the Cream of The Crap series. The band recorded 20 songs for their fifth album at

Polar Studios Polar Studios was a recording studio in Stockholm, Sweden, which operated from 1978 through 2004. The studio was formed by ABBA musicians Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson and the band's manager Stig Anderson, owner of the Polar Music recording l ...

in Stockholm, 13 of the 20 songs were included on ''

By the Grace of God By the Grace of God (, abbreviated D.G.) is a formulaic phrase used especially in Christian monarchies as an introductory part of the full styles of a monarch. In England and later the United Kingdom, the phrase was formally added to the royal sty ...

''. It became the band's most commercially successful album, debuting at number two in Sweden and number eight in Finland, and the band was rewarded with another gold record in Sweden. The title track also spent seven weeks on the Swedish singles chart and gained significant airplay on radio and TV. The band also had the opportunity to be the opening act for

The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...

and

ZZ Top ZZ Top is an American rock band formed in Houston, Texas, in 1969. For almost 56 years, it consisted of vocalist-guitarist Billy Gibbons, drummer Frank Beard (musician), Frank Beard, and bassist-vocalist Dusty Hill prior to his death in 2021. ZZ ...

in Stockholm and Helsinki. Before recording their next album, the band decided to take a break to find time to focus on other projects. Nicke Andersson worked on his side project The Solution with Scott Morgan, releasing the album '' Communicate!'' in 2004; he also contributed backing vocals for

The Cardigans The Cardigans are a Swedish rock band formed in Jönköping, Sweden in 1992. The main lineup of the band consisted of guitarist Peter Svensson, bassist Magnus Sveningsson, drummer Bengt Lagerberg, keyboardist Lars-Olof Johansson and lead sing ...

album '' Long Gone Before Daylight''. Dahlqvist started a side project called Thunder Express, which was later renamed

Dundertåget Dundertåget, originally known as Thunder Express, was a Swedish rock band formed in 2004 by Robert Dahlqvist. They released four albums before disbanding in 2011. History The band was formed by Dahlqvist in 2004 as a side project to highlight ...

, and also recorded the album ''Fula Gubben Hitler'' with Swedish singer/songwriter Stefan Sundström; Dahlqvist was pictured on the album's cover suspended on a cross. Dahlqvist also toured along with former Hellacopters member Mattias Hellberg in support of the album.

''Rock & Roll Is Dead''

During the Hellacopters' break, the second compilation of non-album tracks '' Cream Of The Crap Vol. 2'' was released. The band claims they have enough material for a Vol. 3 and a Vol. 4, but there are no plans for more parts in the ''Cream of the Crap'' series. Eriksson and Lindstrom also did a small DJ tour in Italy before joining up with the rest of the band to record and release '' Rock & Roll Is Dead'' in 2005. The name is a reference to the band's opinion about the state of the music industry. The album entered the Swedish album charts as number three and reached the top twenty in Finland. In March 2006 The Hellacopters went on their first American tour in three years, and also toured Sweden with

, Millencollin,

and The Soundtrack of our Lives on the Where the Action Is Tour. The track "Nothing Terribly New" was also mentioned several times as one of

E Street Band The E Street Band is an American rock band that has been the primary backing band for rock musician Bruce Springsteen since 1972. In 2014, the E Street Band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. For the bulk of Springsteen's recordin ...

member

Steven Van Zandt Steven Van Zandt (né Lento; born November 22, 1950), also known as Little Steven or Miami Steve, is an American musician and actor. He is a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, in which he plays guitar and mandolin. He has appeared i ...

's favorite garage rock songs.

''Head Off'' and break-up announcement

On 12 October 2007, The Hellacopters announced they would be breaking up after releasing their seventh full-length album '' Head Off'', a collection of cover songs. According to the band, the reason for the breakup was to quit while they were still on top and not because of tension within the band. The album was originally presented as a regular Hellacopters studio album so that the fans would keep an open mind about the music. Håkansson also felt that it was fitting for the fans to get to know eleven new great bands to check out after the band's break up. The album debuted at number four in the Swedish charts and in the top 20 in Finland and Norway. The last Hellacopters shows were played at Debaser Medis in Stockholm 25 and 26 October; the concerts were filmed and streamed live on the band's MySpace page. Several friends and collaborators of the band were in the audience, including members of

, Entombed,

Burst Burst may refer to: *Burst mode (disambiguation), a mode of operation where events occur in rapid succession **Burst transmission, a term in telecommunications **Burst switching, a feature of some packet-switched networks **Bursting, a signaling mo ...

, Stefan Sundström, Texas Terri, Pernilla Andersson and "Demons" (who was the opening band for most of the dates on the tour). The band will also release a double live album, like many of their favorite bands from the 1970s did, with recordings from their entire "Tour Before the Fall."

Hiatus activities

Frontman Nicke Andersson continues to work with his other band Death Breath, originally a side project while he was with The Hellacopters, and plans to record a solo album. He also says that he would like to record and tour once again with his soul band The Solution, but due to all of the different members' involvement with other projects, finding time for everyone to record and tour is difficult. Andersson recently formed the band Cold Ethyl, but this band currently has no intentions of recording or releasing any original material. Robert Dahlqvist returned to his own band

. Kenny Håkansson has plans to form a band with the drummer of the Danish rock band Baby Woodrose; the currently unnamed band is described as "psychedelic rock ala 1971." Robert Eriksson is working with his currently unsigned band Tramp and works at a music youth center called Black Sheep in

Solna Solna ( or , ), also known as Solna Municipality, is a municipality in central Stockholm County, Sweden, located just north of Stockholm City Centre. Its seat is located in the town of Solna, which is a part of the Stockholm urban area. Solna i ...

. In March 2016, the first biography of the band, with every member participating, was released in French. The book, ''The Hellacopters, du kérosène dans les veines'' by Rudy Charis, was published by Camion Blanc and is due to be released in English in 2018. On 3 February 2017, former guitarist Robert Dahlqvist died at age 40. The band's distributor Sound Pollution stated that Dahlqvist died accidentally at home, having drowned in a bathtub following an epileptic seizure. At the time of his death, he had several concerts and appearances scheduled for the coming weeks, and had nearly completed recording a solo album under the pseudonym Strängen.

''Supershitty to the Max!'' anniversary reunion

In April 2016, the band announced that their original lineup would be reuniting for the 20th anniversary of the release of their debut album, '' Supershitty to the Max!'', initially playing the 2016

. The band also announced the release of an exclusive 12-inch vinyl record, with two tracks ("My Mephistophelean Creed" and "Don't Stop Now") written during the ''Supershitty to the Max!'' sessions but recorded in 2016. The Hellacopters went on to play several international festivals in 2016 and 2017, such as the

Roskilde Festival The Roskilde Festival is a Danish music festival held annually south of Roskilde. It is one of the largest music festivals in Europe and the largest in the Nordic countries. It was created in 1971 by two high school students and a promoter. In 1 ...

, with (

Hanoi Rocks Hanoi Rocks were a Finnish Rock music, rock band formed in 1979. They were the first Finnish band to chart in the UK and they were also popular in Japan. By 1984, the band was considered to be on the verge of an international breakthrough when ...

New York Dolls New York Dolls were an American rock music, rock band formed in New York City in 1971. Along with the Velvet Underground, the MC5, and the Stooges, they were one of the first bands of the early punk rock scenes. Although the band never achieved ...

and

Michael Monroe Matti Antero Kristian Fagerholm (born 17 June 1962), better known by his stage name Michael Monroe, is a Finnish rock musician who rose to fame as the vocalist and saxophonist for the glam punk band Hanoi Rocks and has served as the frontman ...

) bass player

Sami Yaffa Sami Yaffa (born Sami Lauri Takamäki; 4 September 1963) is a Finnish bass guitarist best known for his work in New York Dolls, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Pelle Miljoona Oy, Michael Monroe's bands, and Hanoi Rocks. He is currently the bassi ...

replacing original member

for the 2017 shows.

''Eyes of Oblivion''

On 17 December 2021 The Hellacopters announced a new studio album, ''Eyes of Oblivion'', which was released on 1 April 2022. This marked the first time the band had released a full-length album of new material since 2008's ''Head Off'', and the first full length album with Dregen since 1997's ''Payin' the Dues''. Andersson described the album as "

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

meets

Judas Priest Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band formed in Birmingham in 1969. They have sold over 50 million albums and are frequently ranked as one of the greatest metal bands of all time. Judas Priest have also been referred to as one of the p ...

, or

Lynyrd Skynyrd Lynyrd Skynyrd (, ) is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida in 1964. The group originally formed as My Backyard and comprised Ronnie Van Zant (vocals), Gary Rossington (guitar), Allen Collins (guitar), Larry Junstrom ...

meets the

Ramones The Ramones were an American punk rock band formed in the New York City neighborhood Forest Hills, Queens in 1974. Known for helping establish the punk movement in the United States and elsewhere, the Ramones are often recognized as one of th ...

, but the best way to describe this album is that it sounds like The Hellacopters today.". To promote the release of ''Eyes of Oblivion'', the band released a seven-inch vinyl of the album's lead single, "Reap a Hurricane", on 4 February 2022. A music video for "Reap a Hurricane" was also released on the same day as the announcement. On 17 January 2022 the band released the album's title track as its second single. This was followed by the third single, "So Sorry I Could Die", on 4 March 2022.

Musical style

Heavily influenced by early

punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...

and

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

bands such as

Sex Pistols The Sex Pistols are an English punk rock band formed in London in 1975. Although their initial career lasted just two and a half years, they became culturally influential in popular music. The band initiated the punk movement in the United Ki ...

, The Damned,

The Stooges The Stooges or Iggy and the Stooges, originally billed as the Psychedelic Stooges, were an American rock band formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1967 by singer Iggy Pop, guitarist Ron Asheton, drummer Scott Asheton, and bassist Dave Alexande ...

and

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 Jer ...

as well as bands such as

Venom Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a sti ...

Blue Cheer Blue Cheer was an American rock band that initially performed and recorded in the late 1960s and early 1970s and was sporadically active until 2009. Based in San Francisco, Blue Cheer played in a psychedelic blues rock or acid rock style. The ...

and

Motörhead Motörhead () were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1975 by bassist and lead vocalist Lemmy Kilmister, guitarist Larry Wallis and drummer Lucas Fox. Kilmister was the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band a ...

the band's debut album – '' Supershitty to the Max!'' – contained fast-paced songs and

overdriven Distortion and overdrive are forms of audio signal processing used to alter the sound of amplified electric musical instruments, usually by increasing their gain, producing a "fuzzy", "growling", or "gritty" tone. Distortion is most commonly ...

guitars. While the band's second album – ''

'' – was in similar style as their debut album it also displayed a tighter musicianship and songwriting technique as well as keyboards by Anders Lindström. '' Grande Rock'' was the first studio album to be recorded without original guitarist

and was a departure from the band's

Detroit rock Detroit, Michigan, is a major center in the United States for the creation and performance of music, and is best known for three developments: Motown, early punk rock (or proto-punk), and techno. The Metro Detroit area has a musical history sp ...

influenced sound to a more 1970s rock sound. The band continued to evolve their sound throughout their career, while Nicke Andersson claims that all of their music is based around three

chords Chord or chords may refer to: Art and music * Chord (music), an aggregate of musical pitches sounded simultaneously ** Guitar chord, a chord played on a guitar, which has a particular tuning * The Chords (British band), 1970s British mod ...

and a

chorus Chorus may refer to: Music * Chorus (song), the part of a song that is repeated several times, usually after each verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in whic ...

the band had no interest in repeating themselves. On the band's later releases, Andersson's vocals incorporated

soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

influences from his and Scott Morgans side project The Solution. The Hellacopters also recorded many

cover songs In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song released ...

throughout their career of songs from bands and artist such as

Radio Birdman Radio Birdman is an Australian punk rock band formed by Deniz Tek and Rob Younger in Sydney in 1974. ''Classic Rock'' magazine describes them as "Australia’s first influential punk band". History Origins Deniz Tek and Rob Younger f ...

Misfits MiSFiTS was the acronym for the ''Minnesota Society for Interest in Science Fiction and Fantasy''. This organization has now changed its name to GPS, an acronym for Geek Partnership Society. It was founded in 1999 and was the parent non-profit org ...

Smokey Robinson William "Smokey" Robinson Jr. (born February 19, 1940) is an American R&B and soul singer, songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. He was the founder and frontman of the pioneering Motown vocal group the Miracles, for which he ...

Nationalteatern Nationalteatern is a Swedish progg rock group from the 1970s that featured leftist political lyrics. It was originally a traveling theater ensemble with many members, most notably Ulf Dageby, Anders Melander, Totta Näslund, Nikke Ström, Han ...

Alice Cooper Vincent Damon Furnier (born February 4, 1948), known by his stage name Alice Cooper, is an American rock singer and songwriter whose career spans sixty years. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusion ...

, The Nomads,

April Stevens Caroline Vincinette LoTempio (April 29, 1929 – April 17, 2023), known professionally as April Stevens, was an American Grammy Award-winning singer of traditional pop, best known for her collaborations with her younger brother, Nino Tempo, as ...

The Dictators The Dictators are an American rock band formed in New York City in 1973. Known for their acerbic and provocative approach in their music, the Dictators underwent several changes in their lineups. Its founding members included musicians Andy " ...

Love Love is a feeling of strong attraction and emotional attachment (psychology), attachment to a person, animal, or thing. It is expressed in many forms, encompassing a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most su ...

and others. However Andersson asserts that there is a difference between the music that inspires him and the music that has an influence on his music, Andersson has mentioned

country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...

artist

Guy Clark Guy Charles Clark (November 6, 1941 – May 17, 2016) was an American folk and country singer-songwriter and luthier. He released more than 20 albums, and his songs have been recorded by other artists, including Townes Van Zandt, Jerry Jeff ...

as an artist that inspires his songwriting without affecting the band's sound.

Band members

Current

;

:Active: 1994–2008, 2016–present :Instruments: lead vocals, guitars, bass,

clavinet The Clavinet is an electric clavichord invented by Ernst Zacharias and manufactured by the Hohner company of Trossingen, West Germany, from 1964 to 1982. The instrument produces sounds with rubber pads, each matching one of the keys and respond ...

, piano, percussion :Release contributions: all studio albums to date ;

Robert Eriksson Robert Eriksson may refer to: * Robert Eriksson (politician) * Robert Eriksson (tennis) * Robert Eriksson (speedway rider) See also

* Matz Robert Eriksson, drummer of Swedish rock band The Hellacopters * Robert S. Erikson, political scientist ...

:Active: 1994–2008, 2016–present :Instruments: drums, percussion, backing and occasional lead vocals :Release contributions: all studio albums to date ;

:Active: 1994–1997, 2016–present :Instruments: guitars, percussion, backing and occasional lead vocals :Release contributions: from '' Supershitty to the Max!'' to ''

'', ''Eyes of Oblivion'' onward ;

Anders Lindström Anders Carl Lindström, or Boba Fett, as he is often called (born 19 July 1969), is a Swedish rock musician most known for being the organist and pianist of the Swedish rock band The Hellacopters and co-founder and guitarist of The Diamond Dogs. ...

:Active: 1996–2008, 2016–present (full-time from 1999) :Instruments: organ, piano, percussion, guitars, backing vocals :Release contributions: all releases from ''

'' onwards ;Dolf DeBorst :Active: 2018–present :Instruments: bass, backing vocals :Release contributions: none

Former

;

:Active: 1994–2008, 2016 :Instruments: bass, backing vocals :Release contributions: all studio releases until '' Head Off'' ;Danne Andersson :Active: 1997 :Instruments: guitar, backing vocals :Release contributions: none ; Mattias Hellberg :Active: 1997–1998 :Instruments: guitar, backing vocals :Release contributions: '' Grande Rock'' and ''

'' ;

:Active: 1999–2008; died 2017 :Instruments: guitar, backing vocals :Release contributions: all releases from '' High Visibility'' to ''Head Off'' ;

:Active: 2017 :Instruments: bass, backing vocals :Release contributions: none

Timeline

Selected discography

Studio albums * '' Supershitty to the Max!'' (1996) * ''

'' (1997) * '' Grande Rock'' (1999) * '' High Visibility'' (2000) * ''

'' (2002) * '' Rock & Roll Is Dead'' (2005) * '' Head Off'' (2008) * ''Eyes of Oblivion'' (2022) * ''Overdriver'' (2025)

Awards and nominations

; Swedish Grammys: , - , rowspan="1" , 1996 , , '' Supershitty to the Max!'' , , Best Hard Rock , , , - , rowspan="1" , 2006 , , '' Rock & Roll Is Dead'' , , Best Rock Group of the YearNews archive
hellacopters.com Retrieved: 12 July 2009 , , , - , rowspan="2" , 2009 , , rowspan="2", '' Head Off'' , , Best Hard Rock , , , - , Best Live Act , , , - ; P3 Guld: , - , rowspan="2" , 2005 , , rowspan="2" , '' Rock & Roll Is Dead'' , , Best Rock Album of the Year , , , - , Live Act of the Year , , , - , rowspan="1" , 2008 , , rowspan="1" , '' Head Off'' , , Best Live Act , , , - ;

Bandit Rock Bandit Rock is a Swedish radio station which plays rock, punk and heavy metal. The station, now a part of the Nordic Entertainment Group, was founded by American ex-pat Thomas McAlevey and began broadcasting in Stockholm in 1994. Under McAlevey ...

: , - , rowspan="4" , 2009 , , rowspan="4" , '' Head Off'' , , Best Swedish Group , , , - , Best Swedish Album , , , - , Best Swedish Live Act , , , - , Bandit Special Award , , , - ;

Kerrang! Awards The ''Kerrang!'' Awards was an annual music awards show in the United Kingdom, founded by the music magazine ''Kerrang!'' and focusing primarily on rock music. The annual awards featured performances by prominent artists, and some of the awards ...

, - , 1999 , , '' Grande Rock'' , , Spirit of IndependenceKerrang Awards Hall of Fame 1999
blog.kerrangawards.com Retrieved:2010-02-08 , , , - , Yasutora Sado

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hellacopters, The Musical groups established in 1994 Musical groups disestablished in 2008 Swedish hard rock musical groups English-language musical groups from Sweden Swedish garage punk groups Kerrang! Awards winners Gearhead Records artists 1994 establishments in Sweden Liquor and Poker Music artists Man's Ruin Records artists Nuclear Blast artists Sub Pop artists Musical groups from Stockholm