The debut from this Danish crew serves as a lesson in the craft of fusing rock'n'roll nostalgia with heavy metal thunder. As the band name suggests, the album is, indeed, a super-charged dose of metal that drives with an unwavering passion throughout. More often than not, it references a multitude of legendary rock acts in such a deliberate manner that it's clear these guys have absorbed all the essential ingredients of their favorite bands and cooked up their own blend of metal'n'roll that, while definitely familiar, is quite unique. There's a distinct Southern feel on here, so much so that you would be forgiven for thinking that SuperCharger hail from the USA rather than Denmark. As for the variety of bands that are referenced, there are simply too many to mention in detail. From the offset there's a Guns n' Roses thing going on, particularly in the use of the piano and the riffing style they employ. The guitar aspect continues throughout the album, albeit mainly in the small nuances heard in the background here and there, while the use of the piano regularly conjures up visions of Axl and Co. in their "Use your illusion" years. There are also regular nods and winks to Mötley Crüe, Aerosmith, AC/DC and even the likes of Little Angels and Status Quo, all executed with a metalized style that affords it a sound unique to SuperCharger. A great little discovery for fans of any of the aforementioned bands and, I would dare say, an eye-opener for fans of Southern rock. - John Norby
Here are the winners of this year's Spellemannprisen, the Norwegian equivilent to the Grammy:
Female Artist: Noora Noor - Soul Deep ()
Male Artist: Sivert Höyem - Moon Landing ()
Pop Group: Montée - Isle Of Now ()
Electronica: Röyksopp - Junior (/)
Rock: John Olav Nilsen & Gjengen - For Sant Til Å Være Godt ()
Metal: The Cumshots - A Life Less Necessary ()
Hip-hop: Tommy Tee - Studio Time ()
Jazz: Tord Gustavsen Ensemble - Restored, Returned ()
Open Class: Kristin Asbjørnsen - The Night Shines Like The Day (/)
Lyrics: Kjartan Kristiansen/Aslak Dørum - DumDum Boys; Tidsmaskin ()
Best Newcomer: Donkeyboy - Caught in a life (
Music Video: Donkeyboy - "Ambitions"
Hit of the Year: Donkeyboy - "Ambitions"
Spellemann of the Year: Alexander Rybak
The nominees for the 2009 Spellemannprisen (the Norwegian Grammy) have been announced:
Female Artist: Ane Brun - Live At Stockholm Concert Hall (, ) Hanne Hukkelberg - Blood From A Stone () Julie Dahle Aagård - Stompin' Feet () Noora Noor - Soul Deep ()
Male Artist: Alexander Rybak - Fairytales () Martin Hagfors - Men and flies () Sivert Höyem - Moon Landing () Sondre Lerche - Heartbeat Radio (//)
Pop Group: Datarock - Red (/) Donkeyboy - Caught In A Life () Kings Of Convenience - Declaration Of Dependence (/) Kråkesølv - Trådnøsting () Montée - Isle Of Now ()
Electronica: Lindstrøm & Prins Thomas - 2 (/) Mungolian Jetset - We Gave It All Away (/) Röyksopp - Junior (/) Vinter In Hollywood - Outbreak (/)
Rock: DumDum Boys - Tidsmaskin (/) Heroes & Zeros - Simian Vices Modern Devices (//) John Olav Nilsen & Gjengen - For Sant Til Å Være Godt () Motorpsycho - Child Of The Future () Skambankt - Hardt Regn ()
Metal: Code - Resplendent Grotesque () Immortal - All Shall Fall () The Cumshots - A Life Less Necessary () Årabrot - The Brother Seed ()
Hip-hop: Chris Lee - Love Ghost (/) Lars Vaular - D'e Glede () Tommy Tee - Studio Time ()
Jazz: Håvard Stubø Quartet - Way Up () Kim Johannesen/Svein Magnus Furu/Tore Sandbakken - Kayak () Nils-Petter Molvær - Hamada (/) Solveig Slettahjell - Tarpan Seasons (/) Tord Gustavsen Ensemble - Restored, Returned ()
Open Class: Crimetime Orchestra - Atomic Symphony () Kristin Asbjørnsen - The Night Shines Like The Day (/) Knut Reiersrud - Gitar (/) Mari Boine - Sterna Paradisea (/) When - Homage Series Vol.1: Sun Ra ()
Lyrics: Anne Grete Preus - Nesten Alene () Kjartan Kristiansen/Aslak Dørum - DumDum Boys; Tidsmaskin () Stein Torleif Bjella - Heidersmenn () Sverre Knudsen - La Det Brenne () Tønes - Sobihob ()
Best Newcomer: Alexander Rybak Donkeyboy John Olav Nilsen & Gjengen Kråkesølv Vilde Frang
SuperCharger