VOLBEAT

Heavy Metal / Hard Rock • Denmark
MetalMusicArchives.com — the ultimate metal music online community, with discographies, reviews and forums
VOLBEAT picture
VOLBEAT is a Danish heavy metal act formed in 2001 by lead vocalist/ guitarist Michael Poulsen after his old act DOMINUS split-up. VOLBEAT is named after one of DOMINUS albums. VOLBEAT is one part heavy metal and one part Elvis/ Johnny Cash 50s rock´n´roll attitude. The band is one of the most commercially succesful Danish heavy metal acts in modern times. VOLBEAT have released 4 studio albums so far.

(Biography written by UMUR)
Thanks to UMUR for the addition and Time Signature for the updates

Buy VOLBEAT music

VOLBEAT Online Videos

See all VOLBEAT videos

VOLBEAT Discography

VOLBEAT albums / top albums

VOLBEAT The Strength/The Sound/The Songs album cover 3.71 | 6 ratings
The Strength/The Sound/The Songs
Heavy Metal 2005
VOLBEAT Rock the Rebel/Metal the Devil album cover 3.75 | 4 ratings
Rock the Rebel/Metal the Devil
Heavy Metal 2007
VOLBEAT Guitar Gangsters & Cadillac Blood album cover 3.96 | 6 ratings
Guitar Gangsters & Cadillac Blood
Heavy Metal 2008
VOLBEAT Beyond Hell/Above Heaven album cover 4.04 | 6 ratings
Beyond Hell/Above Heaven
Heavy Metal 2010
VOLBEAT Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies album cover 4.25 | 4 ratings
Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies
Heavy Metal 2013
VOLBEAT Seal the Deal & Let's Boogie album cover 4.04 | 4 ratings
Seal the Deal & Let's Boogie
Heavy Metal 2016
VOLBEAT Rewind, Replay Rebound album cover 3.32 | 3 ratings
Rewind, Replay Rebound
Hard Rock 2019
VOLBEAT Servant of the Mind album cover 4.05 | 3 ratings
Servant of the Mind
Heavy Metal 2021

VOLBEAT EPs & splits

VOLBEAT live albums

VOLBEAT Live From Beyond Hell / Above Heaven album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Live From Beyond Hell / Above Heaven
Heavy Metal 2011

VOLBEAT demos, promos, fans club and other releases (no bootlegs)

VOLBEAT Beat the Meat album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Beat the Meat
Heavy Metal 2003

VOLBEAT re-issues & compilations

VOLBEAT singles (3)

.. Album Cover
0.00 | 0 ratings
Maybellene i hofteholder
Heavy Metal 2008
.. Album Cover
0.00 | 0 ratings
A Warrior's Call
Heavy Metal 2009
.. Album Cover
0.00 | 0 ratings
Cape of Our Hero
Heavy Metal 2013

VOLBEAT movies (DVD, Blu-Ray or VHS)

.. Album Cover
0.00 | 0 ratings
Live - Sold Out
Heavy Metal 2008
.. Album Cover
0.00 | 0 ratings
Live From Beyond Hell / Above Heaven
Heavy Metal 2011

VOLBEAT Reviews

VOLBEAT Servant of the Mind

Album · 2021 · Heavy Metal
Cover art Buy this album from MMA partners
UMUR
"Servant of the Mind" is the eighth full-length studio album by Danish heavy rock/metal act Volbeat. The album was released through Vertigo Records in December 2021. It´s the successor to "Rewind, Replay Rebound" from 2019. While Volbeat were a success almost immediately after the release of their debut album in 2005, they´ve gained momentum and fans in large numbers over the last couple of album releases. A US breakthrough and both tours/shows supporting major artist like Metallica and Megadeth, and their own headline tours have put them firmly on the heavy rock/metal map, and they must be counted among the most successful contemporary artists in the genre.

"Rewind, Replay Rebound" are among the most polished and melodic albums in Volbeat´s discography, and maybe the band wanted to create a more varied and heavy release this time around, because that´s exactly what "Servant of the Mind" is. It´s still melodic vers/chorus structured heavy rock/metal with sing along hooks and mainstream accessibility, but Volbeat have increased the heavy metal part of their sound on this release, which suits them well. A good example of that is album opener "Temple of Ekur", but also tracks like "The Sacred Stones", "Say No More" (which is a semi-thrashy track), and "Becoming". The 7:56 minutes long album closer "Lasse’s Birgitta" is definitely also in that catagory, featuring elements from both thrash, traditional heavy metal, and doom metal.

On the other end of the scale you have melodic mainstream oriented heavy rockers like "Wait a Minute my Girl" and "Dagen Før" (featuring female guest vocals by Danish singer Stine Bramsen). The 50s rock´n´roll part of the band´s sound isn´t that dominant on this album, and is mainly heard on "Wait a Minute my Girl" and "The Devil Rages On". The album features a couple of less memorable tracks, but they are very few, and they aren´t as such filler material. Just not as great as the best material on the album. There´s also room for a little experimentation on a track like "Step Into Light", which opens with a section, which sounds a lot like something off an Alchemist album (Australian metal act). Almost all tracks on the album share one defining feature though and that´s strong and memorable anthemic choruses, so even though some tracks are relatively heavy and sharp edged, Volbeat master the skill writing heavy but memorable material.

"Servant of the Mind" features a sharp, detailed, and powerful sounding production, which suits the material perfectly. Michael Poulsen´s distinct sounding voice and strong vocals are the focus of the music and they are placed high in the mix, but "Servant of the Mind" is produced in a way to also give room and spotlight to the guitars, drums, and bass. To my ears it´s a well balanced production job, and one of the better and more heavy sounding albums in the most recent part of the band´s discography. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

VOLBEAT Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies

Album · 2013 · Heavy Metal
Cover art Buy this album from MMA partners
UMUR
"Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies" is the 5th full-length studio album by Danish heavy rock/metal act Volbeat. The album was released through Universal Music Group in April 2013. It´s the successor to "Beyond Hell / Above Heaven" from 2010. There´s been one lineup change since the release of the predecessor as lead guitarist Thomas Bredahl was asked to leave Volbeat in November 2011. The band therefore went into the studio to record "Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies" as a three-piece with producer (and former Anthrax lead guitarist) Rob Caggiano, but came out of the recording sessions as a four-piece, as the chemistry had been so good between Volbeat and Caggiano, that the band asked him to join them as their permanent lead guitarist.

Stylistically the material on "Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies" ranges from 50/60´s rock´n´roll influenced heavy rock/metal, to melodic heavy rock/metal with a mainstream appeal, to quite heavy tracks like "Room 24" (featuring King Diamond on guest vocals), "The Hangman's Body Count", and "Black Bart". It´s a diverse release and in this case it´s a strength, as it all ultimately sounds like Volbeat, no matter which style they play. Because of the diversity of the material "Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies" is also an album which never gets tedious or feels one-dimensional.

It´s such a solid release, that it´s actually a bit hard to pick highlights without feeling like you´re leaving out some tracks worthy of a mention, but to my ears some of the highlights are "Room 24" (fans of King Diamond should love this one), "Pearl Heart", "Lola Montez", and the great rocking "My Body". Off course "The Lonesome Rider" (featuring Sarah Blackwood from Walk off the Earth on guest vocals) deserves a mention too, as it was a "hit" single for the band. The huge anthemic power ballad "The Nameless One" is a standout track too, but as mentioned above it´s hard to pick which tracks to give a special mention, as they are all high quality material.

Caggiano is a skilled producer, as has created a perfect sound for the material. When the tracks need to be raw and heavy, he makes them sound like that, but when a little sugar and polish is needed, Caggiano is also more than capable of producing tracks like that. Sometimes even to the extent that some tracks are radio friendly mainstream heavy rock. So "Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies" is a high quality release through and through. Strong songwriting, skilled performances (I haven´t even mentioned the great and distinct sounding voice and vocals by frontman/guitarist Michael Poulsen or the many great harmonies and choirs on the album), and a professional and well sounding production. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

VOLBEAT Servant of the Mind

Album · 2021 · Heavy Metal
Cover art Buy this album from MMA partners
Kingcrimsonprog
2021’s Servant Of The Mind is Danish Rock/Metal band Volbeat’s eight studio album, it was produced by Jacob Hansen (with Michael & Rob from the band) and follows up 2019’s Rewind, Replay, Rebound album.

I first got into the band after seeing them live on the cycle for Seal The Deal & Let’s Boogie, and fell in love instantly, then devouring their back catalogue and becoming obsessed, listening to them more in one year than it takes me a decade to listen to most other bands, but when it finally came time for me to get in on the ground floor with a new release; 2019’s Rewind’ was a bit of a disappointment for me (especially at first, but to be fair it was a grower), as it initially felt like it was missing a lot of the charm, variety and quirkiness of their earlier work, and also was significantly less heavy or metallic than my favourite side of Volbeat’s many sided style. For me, Rewind’ leaned much too heavily on the band’s radio rock side. That’s always been a part of their sound – but not the whole sound, and to me Rewind’ just focused on it too deeply, too often.

Servant Of The Mind by contrast seems to be very conscious that the previous album was a bit too far away from their metal side, and is a pretty hard and deliberate course-correct towards heaviness. There is much more speed, power, groove, crunch, umph, tiny bits of Thrash-esque moments here and there, even one cheeky Death Metal riff hidden in there once.

Tracks like “Becoming,” feel built for fans who like the band’s heavier material (think “Slaytan”), while “The Devil Rages On,” “Step Into The Light” and “Say No More” more than make up for the previous album’s lighter touch. Heck, “The Sacred Stones” seems to be a deliberate tribute to Black Sabbath’s “Heaven And Hell.” In addition to Metal though, they’ve also always had a bouncy punk tinge at times, and “The Passenger” covers that side of them as well.

While I may be banging on a bit too much about the metal; Volbeat have never been entirely all about heaviness – it is an important part of the puzzle, and it is nice to see it get enough focus again, but it is only part of the bigger picture. For those fans who like the bigger, catchier moments, the album does still have some nice radio rock moments, for example the single “Dagen Før” (featuring Alphabeat’s Stine Bramsen doing guest vocals) covers that kind of “Cape Of Our Heroes” or “Last Day Under The Sun” melodic vibe, and the choruses of even some of the heavier tracks lean into big American radio rock at times (its still there, its just blended better on this album).

Volbeat have also always had a fun side, and while I sort of make it sound like I didn’t like their previous album, it certainly had its great moments. This record takes some of those great moments and builds upon them. Single “Wait A Minute My Girl” has a jaunty saxophone solo, kind of like the fun “Die To Live” from the previous record, while “Step Into The Light” with its reverby twisted surf-rock guitar lead feels like a sequel to the previous album’s “Sorry Sack Of Bones.”

Now, while I have spent most of the review describing the album’s stylistic decisions, being heavy, or melodic, or bouncy or fun is pretty pointless if the album isn’t actually good. Luckily, the material is really strong. There are riffs that will stick in your head for days, choruses you’ll be dying to sing along to, memorable fills and a very clear production job. More than three quarters of the album I want to see live, I’m spoiled for choice over which songs I’d include in a best-of compilation or playlist.

While I wouldn’t make an argument that it is their all time best album, it is certainly in the top half of their discography, pleasantly surprising, and I would whole heartedly recommend it.

Ps. If you can, try and get the edition with the bonus tracks, the extra cover songs are brilliant!

VOLBEAT The Strength/The Sound/The Songs

Album · 2005 · Heavy Metal
Cover art Buy this album from MMA partners
Kingcrimsonprog
2005’s The Strength, The Sound, The Songs is the debut album by the unique Danish Rock/Metal band Volbeat. Released long before their international breakthrough and before former Anthrax guitarist Rob Caggiano joined the band.

This is arguably the heaviest and least eclectic Volbeat album in the catalogue, and probably the least commercial too. Its also probably the only one in their catalogue without a guest appearance from an outside musician. In several ways it stands out from the rest of the catalogue.

That all being said, it is still sounds unarguably Volbeat through and through. For example; Michael Poulsen’s unmistakable Danzig meets Johnny Cash meets James Hetfield meets Elvis Presley voice came out of the gates fully formed. Catchy sing-alongs are still the order of the day. Basically; Apart from the more radio-hard rock moments which would appear with increasing frequency in future releases, much of the band’s trademark blend of styles are still present and accounted for.

Highlights include concert favourite ‘Pool Of Booze, Booze, Booza’ which rumbles along with stoner rock riffs and groove metal chug and highlights the band’s more metallic side, as well as the cover of Dusty Spingfield’s 1963 debut single ‘I Only Wanna Be With You’ which highlight’s the band’s fun side, and ‘Always, Wu’ which showcases the band’s Misfits loving, catchy, Woah-Woah filled Punk influenced side. (Try saying that three times fast).

Maybe not their best-selling, or most famous record, but a very strong debut, a sign of things to come, and heavier and more consistent record from start to finish than you may expect. Overall, If you like Volbeat, it’s a must have.

VOLBEAT Rewind, Replay Rebound

Album · 2019 · Hard Rock
Cover art Buy this album from MMA partners
UMUR
"Rewind, Replay Rebound" is the 7th full-length studio album by Danish heavy rock/metal act Volbeat. The album was released through Universal/Vertigo Records in August 2019 just little over three years after the release of "Seal the Deal & Let's Boogie" from June 2016. Three years spend touring and gaining more and more fans and commercial success. "Rewind, Replay Rebound" is the first Volbeat album to feature bassist Kaspar Boye Larsen. Anders Kjølholm left Volbeat before the recording sessions for "Seal the Deal & Let's Boogie (2016)", but Larsen was not in place for the recording of that album (he joined in May 2016), and the bass was therefore recorded by lead guitarist Rob Caggiano.

Stylistically the material on "Rewind, Replay Rebound" continue the hard rock/heavy metal style of "Seal the Deal & Let's Boogie (2016)". A polished and melodic hard rock/heavy metal style with great mainstream appeal. The tracks feature regular vers/chorus structures and typically great anthemic sing along choruses. The influences from 50s rock´n´roll (Elvis, Johnny Cash) are still strong as well as heavy nods toward 90s-Metallica. Volbeat have had a unique sound (built with tried and true musical elements) from day one and with lead vocalist/guitarist Michael Poulsen´s distinct sounding voice in front that is not gonna change anytime soon.

Volbeat have become a little more melodic, polished, and mainstream oriented over the years, and that tendency is continued on "Rewind, Replay Rebound", which at times is more melodic hard rock than heavy metal. Occasionally a really heavy riff appears, but the polished sound production even makes the most heavy sections easily digestable for a mainstream hard rock audience.

Upon conclusion "Rewind, Replay Rebound" is pretty much another Volbeat album by the numbers. You won´t find many surprises here. There are melodic tracks, 50s rock´n´roll influenced uptempo tracks, a couple of more soft/mellow type tracks, and a couple of harder edged heavy tracks featured on the album, so the band are as diverse as always, yet sounding unmistakably like Volbeat all the way through the album. The two first singles off the album "Last Day Under the Sun" (which features a semi-funky guitar riff, reminding me slightly of the guitar riff on Michael Jackson´s "Black or White") and "Leviathan" are both among the highlights of the album, and to my ears especially the latter ranks among the band´s strongest compositions. It´s great to hear they are still capable of producing standout tracks this far into their career.

The remaining tracks on the album are a bit up and down in quality. Some are strong compositions which are instantly catchy and memorable, while others are a little less remarkable. Featuring 14 tracks and a total playing time of 56:45 minutes, the album is a bit too long for its own good, and had the band chosen to trim the fat and release "Rewind, Replay Rebound" leaving out a couple of the least remarkable tracks, the album would overall have been a stronger release. It´s still a quality release through and through though, featuring a couple of standout tracks and several good quality tracks and therefore a 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

VOLBEAT Movies Reviews

No VOLBEAT movie reviews posted yet.

VOLBEAT Shouts

Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

Wither//Without (Instrumental) Metalcore
IF I WERE YOU
Buy this album from MMA partners
Chapter IV Power Metal
TWINS CREW
Buy this album from MMA partners
Fear Fades, Regret Remains Metalcore
RUNNING WITH SCISSORS
Buy this album from MMA partners
The Sky, The Earth & All Between Metalcore
ARCHITECTS
Buy this album from MMA partners
Everything You Never Wanted To See Deathcore
BODY PRISON
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

Mirrors - Running With Scissors (Official)
RUNNING WITH SCISSORS
Bosh66· 1 day ago
More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us