Volbeat

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Volbeat released their first album, “The Strength/The Sound/The Songs” in 2005 with an early lineup for the album consisting of Michael Poulsen (vocals), Jon Larsen (drums), Franz Gottschalk (guitar) and Anders Kjølholm (bass). The album was a mammoth success in Denmark achieving a spot at #18 in the charts, critics were raving about this new sound, their live performances were already becoming legendary and the year culminated in “The Strength/The Sound/The Songs” snagging Best Album in the Danish Metal Musik Awards in 2005.

Since that first release, Volbeat has relentlessly toured Europe, sacrificed their selves to the music, dedicated their passions, given up jobs all with a singular vision that sometimes doing it the hard way means doing it the best way. That perseverance paid off two years later when “Rock the Rebel/ Metal the Devil” became a massive hit, charting to number one in Denmark and outselling the likes of Britney Spears and Bruce Springsteen. Charting number one was an accomplishment, being the first and only metal band to ever do so in Denmark was yet another inauguration of Volbeat into the historic archives of music. 2007 was a vintage year for Volbeat-they opened the Roskilde Festival (one of the five biggest annual music festivals in Europe ) and hired Thomas Bredahl following the recording of “Rock the Rebel/Metal the Devil” as a replacement for Gottschalk on guitar.

Looking back, Michael remembers, “It was really crazy, we were suddenly all over the radio, we had this hit called “The Garden’s Tale” and you know, we toured a lot with this record, and the venues and halls got bigger, the crowds got bigger and suddenly we were performing for thousands of people”.

The news quickly spread that there was something infusing the European metal scene with a new kind of melodious adrenaline and the fans, critics and industry pros were reaching a fevered pitch.

As if this wasn’t enough, Lars Ulrich, founding member of metal giants Metallica, got bored and started asking questions about what was the big fuss in Denmark currently and everyone’s lips whispered the same answer “Volbeat”.

Volbeat got the opportunity to play in front of Metallica and James Hetfield joined the growing fan club as well, telling Michael after a show, “I heard you translate some kind of Elvis metal…I really like it!”

So much so that all it took was an exchange of cds at a release party, and a few transatlantic phone calls and Volbeat suddenly found themselves opening for Metallica on two world tours.

In 2008, Volbeat released their third album and first album with guitarist Thomas Bredahl, “Guitar Gangsters & Cadillac Blood” which topped the Finnish Album Chart straight after its publication. That year also saw Volbeat touring in the US with Nightwish and playing to 400,000 of their closest fans at the largest open air festival in Europe, Przystanek Woodstock.

It was a legendary combination of all the characteristics of a new age in heavy metal music and the reigning kings of metal and Volbeat brought to the stage an onslaught. Taking all of the pre-conceived barriers and shattering them with a thick, massive sound, distorted amps, unmitigated guitar solos, insistent rhythms and vocals that escape categorizing, Volbeat continued to thrust themselves front and center and they haven’t stopped since.

With the much anticipated 2010 release of “Beyond Hell/Above Heaven” which continues the storyline from where “Guitar Gangsters & Cadillac Blood” left off, Poulsen notes, “it’s different but still holds true to the Volbeat style-We have fast, slow and mid-tempo songs. We still blend different styles of punk, rock’n'roll, rockabilly, metal, heavy metal, thrash metal, and country.” Michael Poulsen has also revealed several of the guest musicians on the album stating “I’m very proud to have these fine gentlemen with me, since they inspired me a lot for a long time.” Guest performers include such legends as, Mark “Barney” Greenway (Napalm Death), Michael Denner ( Mercyful Fate/King Diamond), Miland “Mille” Petrozza (Kreator), Henrik Hall – (Love shop (harmonica)),and Jakob Oelund (Taggy Tones (slap bass)).

With a relentless 2010 touring schedule across Europe and in the US, (including such stops as the Download Festival and joining Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax and Slayer for Sonisphere) Volbeat is still as uncompromising and vigilant as they were when they first started… their matchless sound is the result of a band with the guts to push musical boundaries, the undeterred individuality often not seen in the musical landscape, and a genuine artistry and talent.

A talent that is anchored by an indefinable style and attitude that taps into your inner rebel grabs it by the jugular and takes it for a ride down a new highway… headed straight for an anachronistic reverberation that puts a much needed new spin on music today… modified for a linear race to the top.

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