Customer Reviews

Scandinavian Leather

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Although not totally expected, it's not a surprise this album came into existence. Turbonegro broke up right before the last album, "Apocalypse Dudes", was released stateside. That album was such a huge step up from "Ass Cobra" and such a tour de force, with it's over the top glam punk and tongue-in-cheek gay overtones, that US punk stardom soon followed. Of course not being there to receive it after years and years of playing together must have hurt. Quick reform and into the studio again and problem solved!

As expected, "Scandinavian Leather" doesn't touch the brilliance of "Apocalypse Dudes" but it's not that far behind. After the typical voiced over intro, this time an 80's Miami Vice theme, it kicks into a few of the more rocking cuts on the album. These definitely have the energy and hard rock swagger of earlier work. Where it falls a little flat is on some of the filler tracks like "Remain Untamed" and "I Want Everything". On the surface there's nothing really wrong with these songs but they don't bring quite the same level of outrageousness and rock n' roll bravado to the table as other cuts. Of course if this was any other band those would be their best songs!

Like their last record, there's a couple more note for note rip offs of Iggy & The Stooges riffs. One on the start of the "Sell Your Body (To The Night)" and the other at the start of "I Want Everything". I always like spotting these as I'm sure other fans do as well so they don't disappoint there.

One surprising cut was the poppy "Drenched In Blood (D.I.B.)" with a big sing-along chorus and a straightforward down stroke punk sound. I have to say it's one of my favorites even if it's not a typical Turbonegro song. They close out with a song sung entirely in French which is sort of fun and the "join the cause" themed "Ride With Us" complete with classic Turbonegro lyrics like "We're on a mission to destroy". What an interesting ride that would be!

So while this album doesn't quite hit their high water mark, it's still a great record. One that any Princes Of The Rodeo will surely give many listens. You just have to wonder whether this is the last stop on the rock n' roll train for Turbonegro. Hopefully not.

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I was pretty disappointed when I first heard "Scandinavian Leather" but after a few plays have grown into the great new release.
The tempos are a little slower but the melodies, lyrics and performances are still top-notch:
"Sell Your Body" will stay in your head for weeks because it's so catchy. "Fix your hair and sell your body to the night".
"Remain Untamed" has some of their most intense guitar work to date, the axes howling like the hounds of Hell.
"Le Saboteur" is just as offensive as their other past tunes in light of all the trendy Gallic-bashing these days.
And "Ride With Us" is awesome, recalling the Dead Boys at their peak ("We're on a mission to destroy!" yells ubermensch Hank von Helvete).
It's strange that the band has only performed one song from the new release in their live act because many of these tunes stand up to their previous classics. And Happy Tom is still a scary guy to look at.

best cd ive ever bought. great songs and well lets face it turbonegro rocks. BUY IT AND U WIL LOVE IT!!! SO BUY THE FRICKEN CD ALREADY!!!!!!!

it might not be their best album but dont let that stop you from buying it. it is a good album and because of it i f@#kin love turbonegro, it was the first TN album that i actually bought but it was definitly not the last one.

This band has progressed from sloppy punk to punk to punk/rock to rock/punk. Every album has been better than it's predecessor including Scandinavian Leather. The quality of performance and songwriting as well as the recording quality has improved considerably.They seem to be taking the music more seriously while still not taking themselves too seriously despite what some heavy metal pussy reviewers might say. If you like real rock just buy it.

I love Turbonegro. And it's pains me to say, this album isn't very good. When you compare it to their other albums such as Ass Cobra, and Apocalypse Dudes, you can see how it falls short. Don't get me wrong, it does have a few good tracks. I simply love the opening song, ''The Blizzard Of Flames.'' But aside from that, I really would not reccomend this album.

If you still want to buy this album, get Ass Cobra and Apocalypse dudes first. The live album Darkness Forever is good too.

These guys are one of the pioneers of Scandinavian rock. Now they have fans as diverse as Dave Grohl, Jello Biafra, Sleater Kinney, and The Hives. Turbonegro are like a punk band who is fascinated with 1970s rock music like Alice Cooper and Alex Harvey. Glam rock songs like "Gimme Some" are just mind-blowing. They seemed to have a sense of humor about a backlash, in a song like "Turbonegro Must Be Destroyed." Rock and roll is the altar. Bodies come and go. Hank Von Helvete is one of the secret rock icons of our time. Recent shows have brought the rock to US audiences. Their theatrical show has created a fanbase overnight. They have dealt with dark themes in the past, but this record is mostly upbeat and seems totally new and modern. This is one of my favorite releases of this year.

(www.freewilliamsburg.com)

i'm new to Turbonegro so i couldn't compare scandinavian leather with past works, so maybe i'm more objective than others: this work simply rules!!! i haven't heard a rock n`roll band this good in a long, long time. all the tracks are superb but my favorites are "wipe it 'till it bleeds " "sell your body (to the night)" and "F.T.W.". highly recommended.

Norway's Turbonegro take the homoerotic underpinnings of heavy metal, flaunt them up front, and turn the volume up to 11. On Scandanavian Leather, they reign in their punkier tendencies for a more streamlined approach - Judas Priest, for example, if Rob Halford had come out and stayed with the band. (FYI - a reunion is in the offing.) But their metal dreams aren't limited to the gay rock ghetto. "Wipe It `til It Bleeds" is a hard sex anthem regardless of sexual orientation. "Gimme Some" is about money. "Sell Your Body (to the Night)" a hustler's lament. "F**k the World (F.T.W.)", well, you can figure it out. They even have their own public service announcement: "Turbonegro Must Be Destroyed". Their biggest supporters (so far) are Queens of the Stone Age and Dave Grohl. Not bad recommendations at all.

I admit, this album didn't immediately stick to me like Apocolypse Dudes and Ass Cobra, but it's still the best rock and roll being made today. It took me a few listens before I was pumping my fist in the air and shouting along to the choruses, but it's now a mainstay in my CD player.

This album will make your ass bleed, and it's never felt so good.