Customer Reviews

High Visibility

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

At first I decided to entertain the thought of listening to this record just to see what kind of [music] Nicke Andersson (original and founding member of Entombed) had been doing since his great but short lived death metal carreer. I am more than pleasantly surprised. Hearing this the first time around I knew that this album would be a critical addition to my collection of CDs which is very eclectic. This album has a very 70s rock feel to it something that you really don't hear any other modern rock bands attempt or for that matter pull it off like these guys. You can definitely hear some old Alice Cooper, Kiss, maybe even some Lynard Skynard sounding guitar solos. Anyways if you like the sound of 70s rock n'roll then the Hellacopters will blow you away. This is easily my new my new favorite album (for the time being...)

Awesome Album! What I love about this group is their ability to combine the hard nosed, heavy approach of the MC5-Stooges with the catchy, pop sensibilities of the Ramones-70's punk. The songwriting is in great shape. I think in some ways the addition of Dahlquist, the tutelage of Scott Morgan (Sonic's Rendezvous Band)and the keyboard work of Bobba Fett has brought this group's abilities up a notch. In some ways, they have come very close to what the Aussie group Radio Birdman was achieving in their sound. I love it and you will to.

The perfect musical blend of fury & restraint. It may not rock as hard as previous releases, but this album contains better songwriting and overall muscianship compared to previous works. And hey, sometimes you want it cleaner & meaner. To draw a comparison between "High Visibility" and previous Hellacopter's cds and the MC5's "Kick Out The Jams" & the less furious "High Time" would be somewhat of an injustice to both bands. But, for lack of a better reference point, I'll stand (well maybe lean a little) by the comparison. A must have for any Hellacopters or hard rock fan.

Things sure have changed in the Hellacopter camp in the years after their phenomenal debut in 1994. It's pretty much universally agreed upon that the turning point was "Grande Rock", when Nick and company started dropping the "garage-punk" feel of being generally underproduced studio-wise. But let's be realistic, part of the magic of the debut was the raw urgency that they portrayed in those short, noisy blasts of brilliance. So, even though it took a few years, they have turned a full 180 with "High Visibility" - their most produced and professional album to date. In fact, this hardly sounds like the same band that they once were. But before I keep making comparisons to give you the impression that this isn't worth your time, let me say this: despite the differences between "then and now" over the course of their extremely inspired and prolific career, "High Visibility" is still an awesome album in its own right.
Continuing Nick's mission of channeling the vibes of the 1970's into what could be appropriately called "High Energy Rock", this record is full of rock music that's better than any classic rock I've ever heard. They've moved on from the buzzsaw power chords of the MC5, The Stooges, and the Dead Boys; instead, think of The Who, Lynyrd Skykyrd, the Rolling Stones, even more KISS, and so on and so forth, mixed in with the aforementioned early proto-punk godfathers. Get the picture? And considering the slightly altered direction they've taken, Nick sure does seem to have a more appropriate singing voice than the throat-scratch wailing of Dregen... even though that was so perfectly suited on their early releases.
Something else of a strange twist is the fact that "High Visibility" is the first Hellacopters album on a major label - and judging by its success in their native Sweden, it won't be their last, either. But before you scream "sell-out" from atop your soapbox, just keep in mind that the entire album was written and recorded prior to their knowledge of even being asked to be on a major. There's no loss of drive and hunger from these Rock Gods gone big league. While most bands would suffer from changing their sound and moving onto bigger avenues of success, these `copters are still just as driven to play flat-out no nonsense Rock-n-Roll. Thankfully, this is still a band fiercely dedicated to what they do and how they do it - no compromise, no matter how big they've gotten. On top of that, these boys are still as down to earth and as far from pretentious as you can get. For once it's cool to have a group worthy of being "Rock Gods" while not having the all-too-nauseating "Rock God Ego Syndrome".
No less than three songs were released from this album as singles in their homeland, and all three were good enough to deserve being thrust into the charts there. The first two singles, "Hopeless Case Of A Kid In Denial" and "Toys And Flavours" are catchy, wailing rock-n-roll numbers that are EASILY two of the best tracks that the band has ever pinned. What many have come to many fans as a complete shocker - or perhaps we all knew it was coming? - was the inclusion of a ballad, "No Song Unheard", also released as a single. In fact, "No One's Gonna Do It For You" carries the same sort of mellow vibe, so there are definitely signs that the boys are moving into dynamic territory. No matter though - The Hellacopters write ballads just like they write everything else - oozing with infectious and vital Rock (capital R included, buddy - and don't you forget it), ready to be considered classic right from the get-go.
The world needs more Rock bands like the Hellacopters, quite honestly. I know that there's a ton of decent rock-n-roll to be found when you look toward the underground circuit, but The Hellacopters aren't ashamed to get huge doing it. "High Visibility" was yet another excellent record proving that Rock will always have a vital place in the world, and that the old adage is proven true - Rock-N-Roll Will Never Die.

This is in fact no 'Supershitty to the Max'or 'Payin' the Dues'.I suppose you could consider it a more matured 'Grande Rock'.The songs are not as fuzzy and furious as '...to the Max', and they are not as fast as 'Payin' the Dues'. It has been stripped and rebuilt and then polished over 100 times. It is the same Hellacopters that released all of those venom spitting albums, but this one is a little more laid back and alot more wiser.

The Hellacopters "High Visibility"is doubtless their best album and such a roaring orgy of riff rock that one can only wonder why other bands are permanently lauded(and not even the White Stripes manage to marshal this insane amount of energy) while the Hellacopters remain big players only in Europe.

The breakneck speed at which the album rolls is only matched by its crunching tunefulness and ability to launch anthems such as "Hopeless case of a kid in Denial" ,"Baby Borderline","Toys and Flavors"or"Throw Away Heroes"on a frighteningly regular basis.

This is how all the 21st century rock n'roll should sound like.

Before getting this album, the only Hellacopters disc I was familiar with was *Payin' the Dues*, which was a raging slab a metal/punk with an unmistakable groove that rocked out to a ridiculous extent. In contrast, I can hardly believe that *High Visibility* is even by the same band! Here the 'Copters have traded in the head-bashing Stooges/MC5-based heavy rock of their previous albums with a much more musicianly sound that is closer to the southern rock of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Allman Brothers, or Molly Hatchet (but in a heavier fashion than those bands). This may be due to the band's changing line-up. Former lead guitarist Dregen, now back with his fulltime band Backyard Babies, was a frantic punk with a barrage of piledriving metal/punk riffage. His replacement, Robert Dahlqvist, in contrast is a laidback blues/boogie virtuoso. Bobby Fett, previously an occasional guest star but now a fulltime member, also makes a big difference with his blues-based piano and organ work. But the major story is the growing skills of leader Nicke Andersson (a.k.a. Nick Royale), who is an extremely gifted songwriter, and a Swede who is clearly interested in the entire history of rock n' roll.

Having previously tackled the entire Detroit sound with the punk and metal focus of the previous albums, here Nicke has gone down to the American South, which gives his band much more of a groove and has increased their musical chops to epic levels. Even this album's photography looks like it's influenced by 70's American working-class rock. Also, Nicke is no longer screaming at the top of his lungs but is now actually singing like an American troubadour, and he's doing it well too. On some of this album's heaviest rockers, like "Truckloads of Nothin'," "A Heart Without Home," or "Envious," if you imagine them being played with trashier guitar licks and more screaming, they might just sound more like the old 'Copters. But the biggest surprises here are this band's first ever mid-tempo, easygoing semi-ballads, especially the majestic "No Song Unheard" which could even be mistaken for a rockin' Billy Joel or Neil Young. The Hellacopters sure have many different influences, and who knows which styles they'll incorporate into their diverse vision next. But as always, everything the Hellacopters do, they do very well indeed.

I can't think of anything much to write about this album, so all I will say is that this is the best straight up rock album I have heard in the last five years, maybe more. I can't stop listening to it.

PS - Just want to make a correction to the title of my review, it should read: If you don't LOVE this, you have severe problems.

This is the best Hellacopters CD ever with Paying the Dues. Its not so raw or heavy, but it has rock and also ROLL! Grande Rock tryed to be like this, but it failed. Songs like Baby Borderline, Sometimes I Dont Know Where to Go, and Hopeless Case... are just gold in thease days, and also the rest songs are great.

Only the second Hellacopter's release I've ever heard,the first was 'Cream Of The Crap,Vol.1'(see my review).Good Swedish heavy rock,that's basically played Michigan/three chord old school rock&roll style.Their influences were apparently the likes of the Stooges,MC 5,Pink Fairies,maybe Motorhead,possibly The Melvins.Tracks I was most impressed with were "Hopeless Kind Of Kid","Sometimes I Don't Know","Throw Away Heroes" and "Hurtin' Times".Should appeal to fans of Mooney Suzuki,Jet,Circle Jerks,D.R.I. and Cro-Mags.