Formed in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1994, the Hellacopters fuse the raw Detroit sound of the MC5 and the Stooges with the robust musical stylings of AC/DC and Motörhead, to produce a virulent package that recalls the garage band sound of the late 60s. The band comprises former Entombed drummer Nicke Andersson aka Nicke Royale (guitar) and former Entombed roadies, Kenny Håkansson (bass), Robert Ericksson (drums), and Andreas "Dregen" Svensson (guitar). Their first release "Killing Alan" (on Andersson's own Psyche Out label) was a blistering debut that heralded an avalanche of limited singles and compilation appearances, many of which became highly collectable. Having built a sizable buzz about themselves in their native Sweden and across Europe, the band recorded their debut album Supershitty To The Max! in a mere 26 hours for Stockholm's White Jazz label. A raucous blast of greasy low-down rock, the album was well received, allowing the band to take to the road in support. Tours with New York legends the Dictators and local heroes the Nomads in Sweden, and with Kiss on the Scandinavian leg of their European tour in early 1997 heightened the band's profile, before a return to the studio for a split EP Respect The Rock with the similarly focused Norwegians Gluecifer.
Having added Bobby Lee Fett (keyboards) to the line-up, the Hellacopters returned to the studio to record Payin' The Dues. An unalloyed blast of rock 'n' roll, the album was well received in the metal and mainstream press allowing the band to turn their attention to the USA, where they subsequently toured with the New Bomb Turks and Fu Manchu. Dregan opted to leave in 1998 to concentrate on the Backyard Babies, who were by now enjoying success in their own right, leaving the band to rely on various friends to fill in, including Danne Andersson (A-Bombs), before the arrival of Robert "Strings" Dahlqvist. Grande Rock followed a year later and indicated the band was clearly shifting towards a 70s FM rock sound. Despite maintaining a punishing live schedule and working on new material, the band members also found time to play in various side projects including Silver Machine, Diamond Dogs, the Hydromatics and the Sewergrooves. These outside commitments did little to slow their pace however, and High Visibility, their major label debut for Universal Records, appeared in 2000. This swaggering collection of prime rock also included "No One Is Gonna Do It For You", an acoustic track highlighting the band's growing maturity.
