Published on May 6, 2003
Under dramatic circumstances the ship known as Turbonegro
seemingly sunk one fateful night in 1998 when its captain, Hank von
Helvete (vocals) was admitted to a psychiatric ward after a gig in
Milan, Italy. With the strength of their album at that time,
Apocalypse Dudes (reviewed on this website on
04/04/2003), coupling with the
band’s mysterious disappearance, all the ingredients for an
underground Turbonegro legacy were mixed over the years to make the
band one of today’s most intriguing underground punk acts. For
testimony to this, listen to Nicholaus Arson of the Hives declaring
that “something as great as Turbonegro happens only once every
century.”
With Hank’s demons apparently put to rest in the summer of 2002,
the
Apocalypse Dudes lineup were enticed to not only reform at
three major festivals including the Bizarre (Germany) and Quart
(Norway) Festivals, but to headline them. Without missing a beat,
the band enjoyed a rebirth rarely seen as their over-the-top
performances led to a scramble by labels to sign them for their
first studio album in five years culminating with today’s release,
Scandinavian Leather.
Without a doubt, Turbonegro surely faced a daunting task in
dusting off those years of dust in determining the formula for
Scandinavian Leather. Upon first listen, it is very obvious
that the album is created from the very same mold as its
predecessor with the intro, “The Blizzard of Flames,” mirroring the
same prog-rock acoustic concept as the introduction to
Apocalypse Dudes‘ opening track, “The Age of Pamparius.”
Musically, the album stays the course in making this comparative
claim with the same punk n’ roll format that catapulted the band
into underground stardom. Tracks such as “Sell Your Body (to the
Night)” and “Fuck the World” are the anthems in which the
foundations of
Scandinavian Leather have been built. “Sell Your Body (to
the Night)” features lead guitarist Knut Schreiner scorching his
solos in his traditional breakneck fashion, most notably in the
last half of the song. If Schreiner’s coming-out party as being a
true guitar virtuoso was defined by the legendary lead riff
performed on
Apocalypse Dudes‘ “Prince of the Rodeo,” his effort here is
nearly as memorable. The story has it that Schreiner was given the
band’s lead guitar role after filling in for former
lead-turned-keyboardist Pal Pot Pamparius when Pamparius himself
couldn’t actually duplicate the riff.
“Train of Flesh” has the same catchy and bouncing guitar style
that’s found on the
Apocalypse Dudes song, “Zillion Dollar Sadist.” Otherwise,
the song pales in comparison, as the lyrical delivery doesn’t pack
the same punch. Actually, it’s hard to not make similar statements
about most of the tracks on this album. If you take my word that
the formula for
Scandinavian Leather has been determined to mirror
Apocalypse Dudes, this album seemingly takes on the added
water ingredient. The ingredient turns the songs”Locked Down” and
“Drenched in Blood” into forgettable punk-pop tracks with no
defining edges of their own.
Surely, music fans of today will be given sufficient opportunity
to witness Turbonegro’s renaissance considering the fact that MTV’s
Jackass crew has already collaborated with the band to shoot
a video for the upcoming single, “Sell Your Body (to the Night).”
This is an opportunity that should be embraced and not scorned as
I’ll be the first to admit in arguing Turbonegro’s high water mark
has been elevated to possibly insurmountable heights with
Apocalypse Dudes.
Rarely do the circumstances regarding reunion albums center on
dramatic plots. Turbonegro’s current revival culminating with
Scandinavian Leather defies that claim and will surely take
the band to a level of worldwide awareness greater than it has
currently experienced.