The Hellacopters: Into Overdrive
When it comes to high octane, wonderfully anthemic and life affirming rock n roll, you can’t get better than THE HELLACOPTERS. For the past three decades, the band have captivated with their music, and in 2025, with their brand new album Overdriver, they show absolutely no signs of letting up.
To celebrate the release of the new album, we caught up with THE HELLACOPTERS drummer Robert Eriksson to hear all about Overdriver and three decades of total rock action!
We kick things off with Robert telling us about the creation of Overdriver and the selection of songs to make a full album experience. “In the way of recording, whenever we talk about making it, we always think in terms of records, the last song on the A side, the first song on the B side, and the last song on the album, in terms of making a fluid experience,” he says. “The first single of the album, that’s the album closer, which is a bit unusual, but it fitted as a closing song on the album, because of the long ending and such, so we do think very much in terms of a full album.”
Robert then discusses the eclectic nature of Overdriver and how it comes to represent where THE HELLACOPTERS are right now musically and how melody plays a big part in that. “I think it’s more varied in total than any of our other albums. There’s a couple of power pop tracks, there’s a couple of moodier, slower songs, there’s a couple of rockers and faster songs and personally, I like that a lot. This time, I think we did a good amount of variation, and there’s a lot of melodies within a few of the songs.”
With THE HELLACOPTERS being such on exciting live band, Robert then tells us how excited he is to bring the songs of Overdriver to life in a live setting. “It’s always fun to see the reactions of people! It’s getting harder to do a set list, that’s for sure, because, personally, I would want to play a bunch of the songs from the new album. I don’t think we can play all eleven, because that would mean we have to take away a lot of our other material.”
As well as the new album, THE HELLACOPTERS recently celebrating thirty years since they formed (give or take a few years on hiatus!), Robert told of his pride at this impressive feat. “It is weird that it is three decades since we thought about this and started talking about it. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished but what I’m really proud that we’re still actually enjoying what we do, and it feels good to still do it.”
Talk then turned to the longevity of THE HELLACOPTERS, as Robert gives his opinion on how the band have stayed relevant for so long in perhaps an unorthodox way. “Maybe it was good that we split up for a few years. That’s kind of weird, but there was a few years that we didn’t play. We split the band up and started again, which was not the plan at all. I guess at the time it made sense, because there was not enough motivation to take it any further in 2008 but we’ve always remained friends, and there were never any fights that some bands have. I think we stay true to ourselves and it’s more for the sake of having fun and playing it in the long run.”
We then got onto the subject of the formation of the band, going back to when Robert was drum tech for ENTOMBED, who of course, THE HELLACOPTERS frontman Nicke Andersson was drummer for. “Before we started. I was his drum tech in the Wolverine Blues period. There was a full European tour, and we did a full US tour, when Nicke came home from that tour, we formed THE HELLACOPTERS, Nicke had been talking to Dregen, and wanted to start this rock band, like a mix between SEX PISTOLS. KISS, THE RAMONES and MOTÖRHEAD, not death metal, he asked me if I could play the drums. So, now we’re here thirty years later!”
To conclude this celebration of THE HELLACOPTERS, both past and present, Robert enthused about his sheer highlights of the past three decades with the band. “Wow, that’s a hard question, because it’s a lot, but I would say, the first time we ever, there’s a lot of them. The KISS shows were one because that was such a big step up. First time we ever went out to tour in Europe, the first time we played in America at CBGB, that was a great of course. First time we went to Japan or Australia or South America has always been kind of mind blowing. I remember the first time I held the LP for Supershitty To The Max in my hands. I was like, wow, because, I grew up with the vinyl in the 80s, and to make an album was really, like a dream come true.”
It’s not all highlights from the past though as Robert brings up a highlight that demonstrates that THE HELLACOPTERS are still living in the now. “I got excited when I got Overdriver in my hands, too, so I’m really thankful for all the good times. I feel blessed to be doing this and it feels really nice.”
Overdriver is out now via Nuclear Blast Records.
Like THE HELLACOPTERS on Facebook.