This came out in 2003 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
“What’s wrong wif bein’ sexy?” Spinal Tap’s Nigel Tufnel once mused. The glam-punk provocateurs of Turbonegro would probably agree — though they would have a drastically different definition of sexy.
These randy Norwegians go in for the low-rent cruiser look — sailor suits, leather caps, ’staches, and eye makeup like Alice Cooper circa ’72. And they keep the act up in the studio, lacing their crunching, Stooges-style riff-rock with references to young boys and decorating their CDs with gay porn. Truly, Turbonegro must be heard to be believed — and thanks to these reissues, now’s your chance. Their third disc, 1997’s Ass Cobra, is a scuzz-metal manifesto of hard-charging anthems like Midnight NAMBLA, I Got Erection and Sailor Man — along with a wicked parody of Pet Sounds’ cover art. Even more over the top, though, is 1999’s Apocalypse Dudes, which fuses Ramones riffs, Cheap Trick licks and Dictators lyrics into thundering rawk-gawd masterpieces like Get It On, Rock Against Ass and The Age of Pamparius, with its head-scratchingly brilliant refrain: “We’re gonna bake a motherf—ing pizza tonight! All right!” Like the Tap’s David St. Hubbins said once, there’s a fine line between stupid and clever. Turbonegro are right there on both sides of it.
