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“We started out by saying, ‘No guitar solos at all,’’ he explains, “because most guitar solos are kind of boring!”īut after four or five albums, Volbeat was ready to relax that restriction. The group’s original concept more or less prohibited guitar solos, a trademark of metal bands that didn’t figure prominently in early rock ‘n’ roll. Larsen says that the addition of Caggiano “opened a door” for Volbeat. But the experience went so well for all concerned that by the time the resulting album (2013’s Outlaw Gentlemen and Shady Ladies) was released, Caggiano had joined the band as a full-time member. Caggiano had also planned to serve as “guest guitarist” on the sessions, adding some searing solos. We did it the good old fashioned way.” The touring paid off in other ways, too: Volbeat’s increased Stateside profile helped push several of the group’s songs to the #1 spot on Sirius XM.įormer Anthrax guitarist Rob Caggiano started working with Volbeat as a producer during sessions in late 20. “We played in clubs, and we kept on touring. “As soon as we could, we came back to a lot of those cities,” Larsen notes. And they didn’t take the new audience for granted.
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But Volbeat won over those Metallica fans. Opening acts sometimes get less love from audiences who have paid to see the headliner. They are the biggest metal band of all time wherever they go, it’s a sold out show.” We went east, we went west, and we had shows in the middle as well. in May 2009, supporting Nightwish on a tour of the East Coast. Larsen credits the band’s emphasis upon touring in the States as a key factor in building a fan base here. Soon Volbeat was sharing stages with the biggest names in metal, including Anthrax, Megadeth, Metallica and Slayer.Ĭonquering America was next. The group became a popular fixture on the European festival circuit, and by 2009 Volbeat was a featured act at some of the continent’s biggest outdoor festivals. “There’s a bit of luck in it,” he admits. But he says that Volbeat’s bookings quickly progressed from small clubs to bigger clubs, and then to larger and larger concert venues. The band had to pay its dues, “playing in ‘toilets,’” Larsen says with a chuckle. The record was named Best Album of 2005 by the Danish Metal Musik Awards.Įven though everyone in the group was a seasoned musician, Volbeat couldn’t coast on the reputation of its members. The group landed a record deal on the strength of their demo tape, and their major-label debut, 2005’s The Strength/The Sound/The Songs sold well, going Double-platinum in Denmark and Gold in Germany. “We don’t say, ‘Oh, we’ve got to do a ‘50s-type of rock ‘n’ roll song.’ It just happens, you know?” he says.Īnd Volbeat’s inimitable style quickly won the attention of fans in their native Denmark. But Larsen emphasizes that the group’s mindset wasn’t some kind of studied, clinical exercise in music-making. “Michael grew up all the great artists of the ‘50s: Elvis, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis.” Larsen’s own formative years centered around the music of the following decade he mentions four British bands – the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Who and the Kinks – as early inspirations.įrom Volbeat’s earliest days, the four-piece band focused on original material that conveyed the energy of modern-day hard rock and metal, but remained true to the spirit of early rock ‘n’ roll. Larsen says that Volbeat’s musical approach is a natural one for its members. While carrying on with the power and energy of the music its members had made previously, Volbeat would also draw inspiration from more classic and timeless sources like blues, rockabilly and soul. He enlisted the talents of other like-minded musicians including drummer Jon Larsen. Volbeat kicks off its 2022 North American tour with a January 25 concert at the Reno Events Center, co-headlining with fellow European hard rockers Ghost.įormed in 2001 by Michael Poulsen, Volbeat was conceived as a way for the guitarist-singer to pursue a style more creatively rewarding than the death metal he had been playing with his previous group. Few groups have been as successful at maintaining their musical integrity while continuing to grow their fan base decades into their careers. This feature appeared previously in Rock On magazine.įor 20 years and running, Copenhagen, Denmark-based band Volbeat has had it both ways: the popular group has honed its brand of hard-rock (with elements of early, vintage rock ‘n’ roll) while appealing to an audience that extends well beyond rock fans.