The Hellacopters “Crimson Ballroom” and Rocket from the Crypt “Delorean” split 7″ 1999. Gearhead Records. The Hellacopters’ guitarist from 1998-2008 (and again recently on their live reunion album) Robert “Strangen” Dahlqvist died this past Friday February 3rd at age 40. Dahlqvist replaced Dregen (Andreas Svensson) in 1998 (who continued on with Backyard Babies). “Crimson Ballroom” is a pretty straightforward 70′s influenced hard rocker, heavy on the power chords and screaming guitar solos; much less garagey than the band’s earlier releases. Rocket from the Crypt’s “Delorean” (misspelled on the record’s label as “Delorian”) is definitely more garage revival, though a nice little horn section is thrown in for flavor. The single was included in Gearhead magazine’s #10 issue.

We saw The Hellacopters play in Green Bay, probably in 1999, while they were on tour for Payin’ the Dues. I don’t have much memory of the show, but Joe recalls it as one of the epic ones that also included the Candy Snatchers, the Quadrajets and New Bomb Turks.