The Hellacopters Release Cream Of The Crap! Collected Non-Album Works . Volume 3

Swedish Rockers The Hellacopters Revisit Rare Cuts And Covers On Cream Of The Crap! Collected Non-Album Works . Volume 3, A 24-Track Collection Spanning 1998 To 2005

by Paul Cashmere

Sweden’s enduring high-energy rock outfit The Hellacopters have opened the vault for Cream Of The Crap! Collected Non-Album Works . Volume 3, a comprehensive 24-track anthology gathering non-album recordings first issued between 1998 and 2005. Many of the tracks were originally pressed in limited quantities on vinyl singles, EPs and compilation CDs, with several never previously available on digital platforms.

The release, available from 13 February 2026, continues a series that began in 2002 and has long been rumoured among fans to warrant further instalments. This third volume runs more than 75 minutes and is presented across double vinyl, CD and digital formats, reaffirming the band’s long-standing practice of documenting every chapter of their output, including peripheral and hard-to-find material.

Meticulously compiled by founding drummer Robert Eriksson, the audio was transferred from original master tapes and vinyl sources by Henke Jonsson and remastered by Magnus Lindberg to maximise sonic clarity while preserving the grit of the original recordings. The result is a detailed archival set that captures the band’s prolific late 1990s and early 2000s period, when they balanced relentless touring with a steady stream of standalone releases.

Alongside originals such as ‘Disappointment Blues’, ‘Freeway To Hell’, ‘Doggone Your Badluck Soul’, ‘Ferrytale’ and ‘Long Gone Losers’, the collection underscores The Hellacopters’ deep record-collector sensibility through an extensive selection of covers. The band revisit Detroit proto-punk pioneers MC5 with ‘American Ruse’, channel the high-velocity attack of Motörhead on ‘Speedfreak’, and tap into the melodic craft of Smokey Robinson with both ‘Whole Lot Of Shakin’ In My Heart (Since I Met You)’ and ‘Get Ready’.

Other inclusions pay homage to Alice Cooper, Ramones, Bob Seger, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Wilson Pickett and Swedish acts such as The Nomads. ‘I Get A Sensation’ nods to American garage outfit Adam West, whose singer Jake Starr contributes liner notes to the package. One track, ‘Sent En Lördagkväll’, is exclusive to the physical editions.

Formed in 1994 by Nicke Andersson, Dregen, Kenny Håkansson and Robert Eriksson, The Hellacopters emerged from Stockholm’s underground with a sound steeped in the raw immediacy of 1970s Detroit rock and high-octane punk. Their 1996 debut Supershitty To The Max! earned a Swedish Grammi Award and established the band as a central force in Scandinavia’s garage rock revival, alongside contemporaries including The Hives.

Through albums such as Payin’ The Dues and Grande Rock, the group broadened their palette, incorporating classic rock textures and more expansive arrangements. Their reputation extended well beyond Sweden, leading to tours with Kiss and later performances with Iron Maiden and Ghost during their 21st century resurgence.

After disbanding amicably in 2008, The Hellacopters reconvened in 2016 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their debut. The reunion evolved into new studio work, culminating in Eyes Of Oblivion in 2022, which debuted at number one in Sweden, and 2025’s Overdriver, their ninth studio album and first fully produced by Andersson. Both records reaffirmed the band’s position at the forefront of European rock.

Cream Of The Crap! Collected Non-Album Works . Volume 3 functions as both historical document and companion to that renewed momentum. It captures a band comfortable moving between original compositions and carefully chosen reinterpretations, reflecting the influences that shaped their trajectory while reinforcing their own identity.
For collectors, the release is available as Gatefold 2LP in Black with poster, Gatefold 2LP in Transparent Green with poster, CD Jewelcase and Digital Album. Earlier Blue, White, Dark Green and Black Marbled vinyl variants have sold out.

CREAM OF THE CRAP! VOLUME 3 – TRACKLIST

Long Gone Losers
Pack Of Lies (The Nomads cover)
Her Strut (Bob Seger cover)
Little Miss Sweetness (The Temptations cover)
Oh Yeah Allright!
I Get A Sensation (Adam West cover)
Disappointment Blues
American Ruse (MC5 cover)
Ferrytale (1998 version)
Whole Lot Of Shakin´ In My Heart (Since I Met You) (Smokey Robinson cover)
I’m Eighteen (Alice Cooper cover)
Sent En Lördagkväll (Nationalteatern cover) *
Working For MCA (Lynyrd Skynyrd cover)
Boney Maronie (Larry Williams cover)
A Man And A Half (Wilson Pickett cover)
455 SD (Radio Birdman cover)
Freeway To Hell
Get Ready (Smokey Robinson cover)
Doggone Your Badluck Soul
Stab Your Back (Damned cover)
Heaven (Scott Morgan cover)
What´d Ya Do? (Ramones cover)
Speedfreak (Motörhead cover)
Ungrounded Confusion (The Flaming Sideburns cover)