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Turbonegro

Scandinavian Leather
2003
Burning Heart

Turbonegro - Scandinavian Leather (Cover Artwork)

Review by: owenwick
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www.turbonegro.com (link)

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Published on May 9th 2003

With the recent re-release of of Turbonegro's last two masterpieces "Ass Cobra" and "Apocalypse Dudes" on Epitaph, it seems that 2003 could very well be the year Turbonegro rise from the underground and rocks North America like they deserve. Considering much of their back-story has been mentioned in previous reviews, it makes no sense to speak at length about their long and rocky history, other than it is just that - history. What is important now is where the band is today and what's in store for the future.

I first heard this album in a pre-release listening party I heard from a friend of mine who is part of a loosely defined local chaper of the Turbojugend. Upon hearing the opening instrumental introduction, anticipation started to build much the same way it does when I hear the intro to "The Age of Pamparius" from their last album. The atmospheric and almost spooky sounds of this track (I think its called Blizzard of Flames) sounds nothing like the rest of the album, but somehow fits in perfectly as a preface to the rock n roll that was about to demolish my eardrums.

After about a minute and a half of heavily reverbed drums, keyboards, and a floaty guitar line, the music crecendoes into the true opening track "Wipe it Till it Bleeds". This song hits with a classic lone-guitar riff and breaks into a mid paced rock n roll swagger, vaguely reminscent of something the Stooges might have written a generation ago. I was excited from hearing this song, but had a small feeling that it was lacking something in comparision to their last album. Perhaps its the slight difference in the tone of production. Compared to the slick almost arena-rock sound of "Apocalypse Dudes", "Scandiavian Leather" is much more rough around the edges.

My personal favorite track is the song "Drenched in Blood". Its slightly faster than the majority of the record, which remids me of a perfect mix of "Ass Cobra" and "Apocalypes Dudes". Its distorted bass, double guitar assault, and ridiculously catchy chorus really stuck in my head long after I heard it for the first time. By the end of the tune, I felt an almost old-school Misfits vibe from the "whoas" repeated after the last chorus. Other stand-out songs for me were "Turbonegro Must be Destroyed", "Sell Your Body to the Night", "Fuck the World", and "Ride With Us".

The band experiments a little more with this record by inserting instrumental breaks between some songs and utilizing different instruments like the flute, which is repeated over the main riff at the end of "Ride with Us". Longtime fans of Turbonegro don't worry - their classic glam/punk/rock sound is definately intact, they just show they have a few more aces up their denim sleeves this time around.

It is difficult for me to place a rating on this album because it may change after I have the actual disk in my hands and the ability to play it over and over. From what I think of it now, it is a fucking amazing rock record, but it just didn't pull me in the way "Apocalypse Dudes" did. Using the benchmark of that album as a 10, I would give "Scandinavian Leather" a solid 8.

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Posted by fakesmile on 2003-08-25 09:11:06
My Score:

Amazing record.

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, May 13, 2003 at 8:05 PM (EDT)
My Score:

woahhhh-oh-oh-oh-ohhhhhh

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, May 13, 2003 at 8:03 PM (EDT)
My Score:

looks like a consensus:

Scandinavian Leather is good, but it's no Apocalypse Dudes. The lyrics seem kinda rote (look that up kiddies) and slightly derivitive, with the spoken intro and all. Still, D.I.B. is a keeper, which we all seem to agree on.

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, May 13, 2003 at 3:18 PM (EDT)
My Score:

How can you call this album boring? If they had tried to write 12 more songs in the style of Apocalypse Dudes that would have gotten really boring...plus, there is a lot more variety on this album then any of the previous.

Posted by Kid_Dynamite on 2003-05-13 11:39:43
My Score:

the new turbonegro record is lame. just compare it to their old stuff and you will see...

all in all a great band with a boring new record.

Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, May 10, 2003 at 10:50 PM (EDT)
My Score:

finally turbonegro get the respect they deserve.

Posted by preacher on 2003-05-10 18:23:24
My Score:

Isn't that a bit raunchy, egotistic and racist of you Holy Douglas?

This album rocks. Lenge leve Turboneger.

Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, May 10, 2003 at 3:30 PM (EDT)
My Score:

As a proud member of the Oklahoma Rising Sun clergy, I must denounce this CD as being, raunchy, egotistic and racist. The next time that these offensive individuals are in town, I will see to it that they cannot play.

-Holy Douglas-

(God bless MxPx!)

Posted by waste_elite on 2003-05-10 03:58:31
My Score:

"this is a great album and they got the guy who did the beatles revolver art to come out of retirment to do the artwork for them"

wacky, i listen to Revolver as i type this. tommorow, i will own this album.

Posted by REALPUNX4LIFE on 2003-05-09 16:51:46
My Score:

The video for Fuck the World was directed by a Norwegian guy. Sell Your Body (To the Night) was directed by Spike Jonze and a couple other folks. It's got appearances by folks from Jackass (SELOTS!!!) and a grizzly bear that attacked Hank during filming. NEAT! That one's not available yet.

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, May 9, 2003 at 4:17 PM (EDT)
My Score:

Yeah, Spike Jonze directed it and I think there are live circus animals in it or something.

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, May 9, 2003 at 4:05 PM (EDT)
My Score:

it drags in some parts, but there are enough good tunes to make it listenable. a decent album overall. it's not as good as their previous outings, but then again what is?

"drenched in blood" is amazing.

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, May 9, 2003 at 3:51 PM (EDT)
My Score:

I heard that Spike Jonez is the director for their new video. I wonder if it will get any airplay here in the US.

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, May 9, 2003 at 3:31 PM (EDT)
My Score:

this is a great album and they got the guy who did the beatles revolver art to come out of retirment to do the artwork for them, i liked this just as much as the previous releases and hopefully theses guys will come back and do some more us dates i would love to see them live.
-moldy

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, May 9, 2003 at 2:42 PM (EDT)
My Score:

For me, the last 3 Turbonegro albums have been somewhat of an odyssee. I hold them all at equal greatness and they literally blow everything else in my record collection away, not because of how technical or experimental they are but because they just fucking ROCK. I got to see these guys live with Queens of the Stone Age and when they broke into "Sell Your Body To The Night" it sent shivers up and down my spine. Shows just haven't been the same since then...more bands need to rock this hard.

Posted by REALPUNX4LIFE on 2003-05-09 14:33:30
My Score:

This album is better than you. "Fuck the World" went over my head the first time I heard it, but now I realize that it's a goddamn masterpiece. You should make sure to download the video because it's awesome. www.scandinavianleather.com/ Anyways, to summarize, Scandinavian Leather might not be your favorite record at first and you'll probably accuse the band of selling out or something equally lame, but this is some pretty dang interesting music.

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, May 9, 2003 at 1:34 PM (EDT)
My Score:

Hurr hurr furst post! rancid rools!