Hardcore Superstar was formed in Gothenburg, Sweden in 1997 by Joakim Berggren and Martin Sandvik. Their previous band Link had been grunge-inspired but with their new band they wanted to pull more towards rock 'n' roll. They kept the drummer from Link, Mika Vaino (with the moniker DynaMike), and as lead guitarist they recruited Thomas Silver who had previously been in the band Glamoury Foxx with Jocke and had recently quit the band Green Jesus Saviours. During an early gig, Silver introduced Jocke as "Gothenburg's very own Jocke Berg", a reference to the singer of the Swedish band Kent and the moniker Stuck. Through Silver's contacts with the Gothenburg record label Gain Records they got their song "Hello/Goodbye" included on a promo compilation titled Gain Experience, which led to a record deal with the label. In early 1998, they recorded their debut album, released in Sweden on 4 October. The first pressing of 1000 copies sold very fast, and so did the second pressing. "Hello/Goodbye" was put out as the single and music video.[1]
The band got to support Backyard Babies, Motörhead and Dio, and soon the British company Music For Nations offered the band a new worldwide record deal. By the end of 1998, drummer DynaMike decided to quit. Jocke phoned Magnus "Adde" Andreasson, who at that time was living in Los Angeles where he had been a student at Musicians Institute. Adde, who had formerly been the original drummer of Link and his own band Dorian Gray, accepted the offer and moved home to Gothenburg.[1]
During 1999 the band's second single "Someone Special" became a hit song in Sweden and ended up on the Top 20 of national radio music charts. Instead of re-releasing their debut album with Music for Nations, as the label wanted, the band insisted on recording a new version since they wanted Adde to play on the album and they had already written new songs such as "Liberation" and "Have You Been Around". Bad Sneakers and a Piña Colada became their international debut album, released in the spring of 2000. The music video for "Liberation" was nominated for a Swedish Grammy Award.[2] The entire year was spent on tour in Sweden, Europe and Japan. The tour continued into 2001 when it also took them to Canada for a few shows.
In the winter of 2001 they released the single "Staden Göteborg" together with fellow Gothenburg band LOK. The song is an anthem to their hometown, and in February 2001 the two bands performed a joint set in Gothenburg where all members played together. On Midsummer's Eve they repeated this concept when both bands were the joint support act for AC/DC at Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg. A few days later, Hardcore Superstar were invited to support AC/DC a second time in Turin, where they replaced Megadeth.[3]
In September 2001, the band released their third album, Thank You (For Letting Us Be Ourselves). The album had a more laid back and polished feel than its action rock predecessors, and spawned two singles; "Shame" and "Mother's Love" / "Significant Other".
In the spring of 2003, they recorded their next album and during their summer tour they released the single "Honey Tongue". The album No Regrets was released on 27 August, once again with a different style from the predecessor. A second single, "Still I'm Glad", followed. For this album the Japanese version featured a completely different cover. After touring Sweden and Europe in the autumn and winter they made their first short tour of the US in March 2004, funded by the Swedish Export's Council. The day before their show at CBGB in New York they attended a cocktail party at the Swedish Consulate, where members of the band got into a fist fight with a Swedish tabloid journalist.[4]
When the band returned from the US they decided to take a break, after several years of hard work.[5]
2005–2007
In the spring of 2005 the band made their first signs of a comeback with a few concerts in Italy. They had returned to their former record label Gain and in the summer they released their new single "Wild Boys", which became the most sold heavy metal single in Sweden that summer. By the end of August they did their Swedish comeback gig in Gothenburg, and in October they once again supported Motörhead in Sweden. A second single, "We Don't Celebrate Sundays", was released and on 2 November they released the self-titled album Hardcore Superstar. This return had a rejuvenated and heavier sound. The album was granted top reviews in several major Swedish newspapers[which?] and was nominated for a Swedish Grammy.[6] The songs My Good Reputation and Bag On Your Head were also picked as singles. A show at the Sticky Fingers club in Gothenburg on 25 March 2006 was filmed for a DVD. A festival show in Tokyo during the summer was also released on DVD[7]
With this triumphant return, the band branded their new style as 'street metal'.[8]
The summer of 2007 saw the release of the new single "Bastards" which sold gold in Sweden and went to number 4 on the Swedish singles chart. During their summer tour they played the biggest stage at Sweden Rock Festival, a show that would later be released on DVD.[7]
On 7 November they released the album Dreamin' in a Casket, recorded both at Adde's home studio and in the studio of fellow Gothenburg band In Flames. This album had an even heavier sound than its predecessor. Once again there were top reviews and another Swedish Grammy nomination.[9] The album was also released with a bonus DVD, featuring the documentary "Inside the Casket" about the recordings. The title track and the songs "Silence for the Peacefully" and "Medicate Me" were picked as singles. The following tour was called "Mentally Damaged Tour" and started in Helsinki on 12 November and continued through Europe.
2008–2018
Hardcore Superstar performig in Gothenburg in 2010
On 24 January 2008, it was announced on the band's official website that guitarist Thomas Silver would be leaving the band, since he had "lost his fire and inspiration". Vic Zino, from their current opening act Crazy Lixx, replaced him temporarily for the remainder of the planned tour and when Zino later offered to stay he became the new permanent member of the band.
In March 2009 the world's biggest heavy metal label Nuclear Blast announced the signing of Hardcore Superstar. The seventh album by Hardcore Superstar, entitled Beg for It was released worldwide at the beginning of June 2009. It was once again recorded in the In Flames studio. The first single "Beg For It" was released on 15 April and the song "Into Debauchery" would later get a music video. The album gave the band their third Swedish Grammy nomination in a row.[10] The Japanese edition featured a live version of "Silence for the Peacefully" as the bonus track, while the American version contained two demo songs, one being "Welcome to Your Own Death", and the other "When I Glow", a demo version of "Need No Company", again, from the album Dreamin' in a Casket.
Shortly after the Beg For It tour of the UK in 2010, Hardcore Superstar announced that they were planning to release a new album, as the tour had proved to trigger their creative minds, and as a result, new material was being recorded. On 12 April 2010 they announced four potential song titles from their upcoming album, being "Last Call", "Sick as a Dog", "Won't Be Bullied" and "Sadistic Girls". On 19 May 2010, the band released the titles of four more potential songs from their upcoming album, being "Lowlife", "Beat On the Bully", "Party Ain't Over ´til I Say So" and "Here Comes That Sick Bitch Again". "Last Call", and presumably, judging by the chorus of the song, "Party Ain't Over 'til I Say So", were changed to "Last Call for Alcohol", "Won't Be Bullied", and again, presumably, "Beat on the Bully", were changed to "Bully", while "Sick as a Dog" and "Lowlife" were left off the release. On 9 August 2010, Split Your Lip was announced as the title of the album, as well as a tentative release date, set for January 2011. When the band performed a free show in their hometown Gothenburg on 11 August 2010, they premiered the songs "Here Comes That Sick Bitch", "Last Call for Alcohol" and "Sadistic Girls". The first single, a double A-side featuring both "Moonshine" and "Guestlist" was released with the November issue of Sweden Rock Magazine and was followed by the album release on 26 November, two months earlier than planned. The album had been thoroughly rehearsed and then recorded live in only five days at Studio Bohus south of Gothenburg. The album was followed by intense touring.
On 30 August 2011 the band announced that they would be releasing a Best Of album, with a release date of 26 October. The album was to include songs from all releases, with a brand new song entitled "We Don't Need a Cure". The song premiered on Swedish radio station Bandit Rock on 31 August 2011.
On 30 October 2012, it was announced by Gain and Vic Zino that the next album would be called C'mon Take on Me. The debut single from the album, "One More Minute", was released on 17 January 2013. The album was released on 27 February 2013.[11] It was recorded at Brew House Studio in central Gothenburg. Four music videos were made to the album, for the songs "One More Minute", "Above the Law", "Because of You" and "C'Mon Take On Me".
Hardcore Superstar at Skogsröjet 2012 in Sweden
October 2014 saw the release of a new single, Glue, and the band toured Germany as the opening act for Gotthard. On 24 January 2015 the band performed a full headline set to a sold-out crowd at the Whisky a Go Go in West Hollywood, California, after more than ten years since their latest American show. The night before they also played a six-song opening set for Steel Panther at the 2015 NAMM Jam in Anaheim, California. At the beginning of March 2015 a second single was released from the upcoming album, Touch the Sky, and during the spring tour they premiered several new songs live. The album, titled HCSS was released on 22 April. A large inspiration for the album came when a fan in England managed to dig out old demos from 1994 with the band's predecessor Link, and some of the songs were 20 years old.[12] In 2016, the band embarked on a co-headlining UK and US tour with Michael Monroe.[13]
On 12 October 2017, the band released the single "Have Mercy on Me" for their next album, and it was followed by four more singles ("Bring the House Down", "Electric Rider", "Baboon" and "AD/HD") before the album, You Can't Kill My Rock 'n' Roll, was released on 21 September 2018. All four singles were granted a music video, as well as the title track. The album was nominated for yet another Swedish Grammy award.
2021–2024
During a live stream of the Alive and Streaming podcast, with Ted Aguilar from Death Angel, Jocke announced that the album, which the band had been working on during the pandemic, would be released in 2022, and would be titled Abrakadabra.
The first single from the album, "Catch Me If You Can", was released on 28 August 2021, followed by "Dreams in Red" on 1 October 2021. The third single, "Weep When You Die", was released on 5 November 2021. In January and February 2022 a fourth and fifth single came out, "Forever and a Day" and "Fighter", and on the eve before the album release in March the title track was premiered as a video. The album was released on 25 March 2022.
Adde decided to take a longer break from touring during 2023. Johan Reivén, who produced Abrakadabra and Hardcore Superstar, joined as a temporary live drummer for 2023. On February 6 in 2024 Adde and the band announced that Adde had chosen to leave Hardcore Superstar after 25 years. Johan Reivén was to return as a temporary live drummer.
Loud Park Festival: Tokyo (2007) (Limited Fan Edition)
Inside the Casket: Documentary (2007) (Released through the Dreamin' in a Casket CD/DVD album)
Music videos
"Hello/Goodbye" (1998)
"Liberation" (2000)
"Have You Been Around" (2000)
"Someone Special" (2000)
"Shame" (2001)
"Significant Other" (2001)
"Mothers Love" (2001)
"Staden Goteborg" (with LOK) (2002)
"Honey Tongue" (2003)
"Still I'm Glad" (2003)
"Wild Boys" (2005)
"We Don't Celebrate Sundays" (2005)
"My Good Reputation" (2006)
"Dreamin' in a Casket" (2007)
"Medicate Me" (2007)
"Silence for the Peacefully" (2007)
"Beg for It" (2009)
"Into Debauchery" (2009)
"One More Minute" (2013)
"Above the Law" (2013)
"C'mon Take on Me" (2013)
"Because of You" (2013)
"Last Call for Alcohol" (live video) (2014)
"Off with Their Heads" (2015)
"Don't Mean Shit" (2015)
"Touch the Sky" (live video) (2015)
"Have Mercy on Me" (2017)
"Electric Rider" (2018)
"Baboon" (2018)
"Bring the House Down" (2018)
"AD/HD" (2018)
"You Can't Kill My Rock 'n' Roll" (2018)
"Catch Me If You Can" (2021)
"Dreams in Red" (2021)
"Weep When You Die (2021)
"Forever and a Day" (2022)
"Fighter" (2022)
"Abrakadraba" (2022)
Related Research Articles
Kent was a Swedish alternative rock band formed in Eskilstuna in 1990. With members Joakim Berg, Martin Sköld, Sami Sirviö and Markus Mustonen, the band had numerous radio hits throughout Sweden and Scandinavia and consecutive number-one studio albums on the Sweden top list (Sverigetopplistan) beginning with the release of Verkligen (1996) and led by the single "Kräm ". With origins rooted in distorted rock, they found mainstream success through their alternative rock albums of the mid-1990s, 2000s and 2010s, the latter decades during which they adopted elements of synthpop.
At the Gates is a Swedish death metal band from Gothenburg, formed in 1990. The band was a major progenitor of Gothenburg-style melodic death metal alongside In Flames and Dark Tranquillity. Prior to their first disbandment in 1996, At the Gates released four albums, ending with and including Slaughter of the Soul (1995), which has been seen as a landmark in the mid-1990s Swedish death metal scene. After reuniting for a one-off tour in 2008, the band reformed once again in 2011, and they have since released three more albums: At War with Reality (2014), To Drink from the Night Itself (2018) and The Nightmare of Being (2021).
bob hund is an indie rock band from Sweden. Their music, hard to classify, has been described as "what you might expect if you managed to merge Pere Ubu and Pixies with a touch of Kraftwerk". bob hund have performed mostly in Scandinavia as well as in Poland and England. Some of their performances include Roskilde, Hultsfred, Ruisrock and Quart music festivals.
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 and Johanna (bass) Asplund. Their style incorporates elements of garage rock, power pop and punk rock. The band scored two top-ten singles and five top-ten albums in their native Sweden during their initial run between 1992 and 2011. The band reformed in 2019, releasing their seventh album Love in Times of Low Expectations in 2022.
Clawfinger is a Swedish rap metal band from Stockholm. The group is known for aggressive but melodic music and tackling political and anti-racist themes in their songs.
The Hellacopters are a Swedish garage rock band that was formed in 1994 by Nicke Andersson, Andreas Tyrone "Dregen" Svensson (guitar), Kenny Håkansson (bass) and Robert Eriksson (drums). Andersson had been the drummer for death metal band Entombed and Dregen was taking a break from his full-time band Backyard Babies. 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, is considered one of the most important Swedish bands in the garage rock revival and one of the most influential rock bands in Sweden.
José Gabriel González is a Swedish indie folk singer-songwriter and guitarist from Gothenburg. González is also a member of the band Junip, along with Tobias Winterkorn.
The Knife were a Swedish electronic music duo from Gothenburg, formed in 1999. The group consisted of siblings Karin and Olof Dreijer, who together also run their own record company, Rabid Records. They gained a large international following in response to their 2003 album Deep Cuts.
Bad Sneakers and a Piña Colada is the second full-length album by Swedish hard rock band Hardcore Superstar, released by Music for Nations. It was the first album to be released internationally and usually considered the first full-length album in general. The title comes from the jazz-rock band Steely Dan's song "Bad Sneakers".
Hardcore Superstar is the fifth studio album released in November 2005 by Swedish hard rock band Hardcore Superstar on the record label Gain. It placed #12 on the Swedish album chart and, in 2011, Sweden Rock Magazine name Hardcore Superstar the 3rd best album of the 2000s. The album was re-released in October 2009 with Nuclear Blast and included "Kick On The Upper Class ," "We Don't Celebrate Sundays ," and "Wild Boys (demo)" as bonus tracks..
Lars Salem Al Fakir is a Swedish musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. He regularly collaborates with Vincent Pontare as the songwriting and production duo Vargas and Lagola. Together, they have worked with many artists, including Avicii, Axwell & Ingrosso, Madonna, Seinabo Sey and Lady Gaga. In addition to his songwriting and production work, he releases alternative pop music as Vargas & Lagola.
Dreamin' in a Casket is the sixth full-length album by Swedish hard rock band Hardcore Superstar. It is the band's last release with guitarist Thomas Silver, and their last on Gain Records before switching to Nuclear Blast.
Karl Johan Schuster, known professionally as Shellback, is a Swedish record producer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Shellback was listed as the No. 1 producer of 2012 on Billboard magazine's year end chart, and he also topped the list of their "Top 10 Songwriters Airplay Chart" the same year; he has won four Grammy Awards.
Beg for It is the seventh studio album by Swedish hard rock band Hardcore Superstar. The album was released in Sweden on 3 June 2009, and in the United Kingdom on 8 June 2009. Hardcore Superstar released the album for streaming on their MySpace website on 27 May 2009. The first single to be released from the album was "Beg for It", which has already gained Gold status in Sweden.
Fred Vincent Pontare is a Swedish songwriter, producer, and singer. He is also known by the mononym Vincent. He regularly collaborates with Salem Al Fakir as songwriting, producer, and duo Vargas & Lagola. Together, they have worked with many pre-eminent artists, including: Avicii, Axwell Ʌ Ingrosso, Madonna, Seinabo Sey and Lady Gaga. In addition to their songwriting and production work, they release alternative pop music as Vargas & Lagola.
Live at Sticky Fingers is a live DVD by the Swedish hard rock band Hardcore Superstar. It was recorded on 25 March 2006 at Sticky Fingers, Gothenburg, Sweden and was part of the band's tour to support their new self-titled album Hardcore Superstar.
Split Your Lip is the eighth studio album by Swedish hard rock band Hardcore Superstar. The album was released in Sweden on 26 November 2010, and in the United Kingdom on 29 November 2010.
C'mon Take on Me is the ninth studio album by Swedish hard rock band Hardcore Superstar, released on 27 February 2013. The album was announced on 30 October 2012. The debut single "One More Minute" was officially released on 30 November 2012. The second single, "Above The Law", was officially released on 22 January 2013.
HCSS is the 10th studio album by Swedish hard rock band Hardcore Superstar, released on 22 April 2015 on Gain Records. It is the first Hardcore Superstar album to feature a guest performer, and she has performed the song live a few times with the band. As with their previous album, all pre-orders of the album were signed by all four band members. Following the release of HCSS the band embarked on their first North American tour in over 10 years co-headlining with Michael Monroe.
Vargas & Lagola are a Swedish songwriting and production duo of Vincent Pontare and Salem Al Fakir.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
