Photo by Bisse Bengtsson
SATAN TAKES A HOLIDAY are the incredibly addictive, blunt rock band your ears have always craved. The Stockholm based trio formed in May of 2006. They released their self-titled debut album late 2009. A week later they were nominated in the Best Rock category at the Swedish P3 Guld Awards, and the singles “Missy” and “Heartbreaker” were played regularly on the radio. The now award winning band went on to release ‘Who Do You VooDoo’ in 2012 which included the single “Karma Babe” which was voted into the national radio station’s hall of fame by listeners. By this time the fans were flocking to the unique sounds of SATAN TAKES A HOLIDAY. Their third release again was on the up and up. ‘Animal Man Woman’ hit stores in 2014. The album took the band back to their energetic style which was showcased on their debut. SATAN TAKES A HOLIDAY mixes rock n roll, 60’s garage rock, and 70’s groove into their own unique blend of sounds. They have also been a must see for festival and concert goers as well. Opening up for various bands like Mustasch, Juliette Lewis and Nicke Andersson’s Imperial State Electric. The list doesn’t stop there. In 2013 they supported living legends KISS at Sweden’s new national arena in front of an audience of 30 000 people. Following the release of ‘Animal Man Woman’ Svante Nordström (drums) left the band and was replaced by Danne McKenzie (Truckfighters, Mustasch). Danne’s natural high energy level and stage charisma helped to further elevate the already amazing live performances. High on the inspiration stemming from this new line-up, work on new material started and in September of 2015 production got underway on what would ultimately become Satan Takes A Holiday’s fourth album – ‘Aliens’. In August of 2016 the band signed to Despotz Records. ‘Aliens’ is essentially an album that deals with alienation, anxiety and powerlessness – feeling out of place in contemporary culture, in social contexts as well as in oneself. To be standing in the center of the present only to be asking oneself: ’how the hell did this happen!?’ ‘Aliens’ was released on February 23, 2017.
“Good Cop Bad Cop” welcomes you to the album with a energetic intro followed by Fred Burman‘s high octane vocal style. His pitch is as smooth as butter, hitting every note imaginable. The song has a true Led Zepplin on acid trip vibe. Something on this track you don’t hear much outside of blues and southern rock is a harmonica. Its not overdone or obnoxious, by the time you realize what’s going on its over. Next time you need a little harmonica in your life forget about Blues Traveler and turn up SATAN TAKES A HOLIDAY. “Iron Pipe” takes a turn toward a more modern sound. With screaming vocals and killer lead guitars the song incorporates a spacy kind of sound. A love song is up next. However, “Love Me Like I Love Me” isn’t your traditional power ballad by any means. The song writing is comparable to a late 60’s early 70’s radio hit but with 10 tons more groove. That groove is expelled by Johannes Lindsjoo on bass, and he doesn’t go silently into the night. His bass riffs either give each song something different. None of these songs creep by without capturing your attention in some way, and all of then standout in their own individual way. “Ladder To Climb” really kicks off to a roaring start. Like orbiting a planet and finally touching down the song is frenzied in an amazing way. The percussion is a large contributing factor to their style. Danne McKenzie is the time keeper of the band and his abilities as the drummer really bring everything together. They take a chaotic style to a new level and it comes across more organized and fluid. ‘Aliens’ is a time machine with a modern twist. One of the most diverse and well composed albums of the year. The talents of each member combine together into one huge ball of unstoppable energy. This album is one of the best releases of the year full stop.
