Paying little attention to the extreme death metal sounds their hometown is renowned for, Gothenburg's Hardcore Superstar emerged in the late '90s with a sound and style that draw upon melodic thrash and glammed-up hard rock, especially the sleazy L.A. pop-metal sound of the 1980s. The self-described "street metal" group have earned multiple Swedish Grammi nominations over the years, with standout efforts like Bad Sneakers and a Piña Colada (2000), Beg for It (2009), HCSS (2015), and Abrakadabra (2022) finding favor with metal-loving audiences overseas as well. Vocalist Jocke Berg, guitarist Silver Silver, bassist Martin Sandvik, and drummer Magnus Andreasson recorded an album titled It's Only Rock 'n' Roll, released via Gain Records in 1998, attracting praise from Motörhead's Lemmy. After opening for Motörhead on a Scandinavian tour, Hardcore Superstar signed with Music for Nations and recorded their sophomore effort, Bad Sneakers and a Piña Colada, in 1999. They scored three Swedish Top Ten singles from the record, and built up their audience through constant gigging. The punchy but laid-back Thank You (For Letting Us Be Ourselves) arrived in 2001, followed by No Regrets in 2003, the latter of which spawned the hit single "Honey Tongue." It would be their last outing for Music for Nations, having re-signed with Gain for the release of their eponymous fifth studio long-player in 2005. The album was widely praised, and earned the group a Swedish Grammi nomination. Released in 2007, Dreamin' in a Casket would be the last outing for guitarist Thomas Silver, who left the group in 2008. Crazy Lixx's Vic Zino would eventually replace Silver, and he made his studio debut with the band on 2009's internationally acclaimed Beg for It, which was released on Nuclear Blast. Split Your Lip appeared the following year, with the band's first-ever compilation LP, The Party Ain't Over 'Til We Say So, arriving in 2011. The singles "One More Minute" and "Above the Law" heralded the release of the group's ninth full-length, 2013's C'mon Take on Me, while 2015's HCSS would be the first Hardcore Superstar outing to a feature a guest performer (Swedish reggae singer Etzia). In late 2017, the band issued the single "Have Mercy on Me" ahead of the release of their Grammi-nominated 11th album, You Can't Kill My Rock 'n Roll. In 2021, Hardcore Superstar released five singles, including the regional hits "Weep When You Die" and "Catch Me If You Can," all of which appeared on their 2022 long-player Abrakadabra. ~ Steve Huey, Rovi

Hardcore Superstar, Michael Monroe

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