Having Metallica praise your band is priceless. That’s what happened to the Copenhagen based Volbeat who promoted their third album, “Guitar Gangsters & Cadillac Blood,” by opening for Metallica on their fall ’09 North American trek. That was likely the first time Americans became aware of the group. The story goes back to ’01. And like so many others, it starts with an end; namely Michael Poulsen’s band Dominus. They had recorded an album titled “Vol. Beat.” Vol. being an abbreviation for ‘volume’. For his next group, Poulsen further compressed the name. Joining Poulsen was ex-Dominus guitarist Franz “Hellboss” Gottschalk. But he moved on quickly and was replaced by Teddy Vang. In ’04, Vang was gone and Gottschalk returned. His stay was longer this time around making it to the group’s debut album, “The Strength/The Sound/The Songs.” The ’05 set charted in the group’s native Denmark and went on to win Best Album in the Danish Metal Musik Awards. The following year though, Gottschalk left again with Thomas Bredahl stepping in. Volbeat’s second album “Rock The Rebel/Metal The Devil” (great title) went to #1 in Denmark and achieved gold status in Denmark and Finland. The Metallica connection was first forged when the groups crossed paths at Copenhagen’s Roskilde Festival. ’08 saw “Guitar, Gangsters & Cadillac Blood” set. It topped the Finnish chart and led to the slot on Metallica’s World Magnetic Tour. “We have fast, slow and mid-tempo songs,” said Poulsen of “Beyond Hell/Above Heaven.” “We still blend different styles of Punk, Rock ’n’ Roll, Rockabilly, Metal, Heavy Metal, Thrash Metal, Country – we still keep it very open, it’s just music!” As for the album’s theme, Poulsen added, “Heaven and Hell is something we create in our minds and personal self-created demons come out of that.” The album continued the group’s European winning streak going double platinum in Denmark, platinum in Finland and Germany, and gold in Sweden and Austria. Bredahl, who missed some ’10 U.S. tour dates because he was unable to secure a work visa (due to an arrest record from a barroom brawl), was out of the group in ’11. “Being in a band is in many ways similar to a marriage with ups and downs,”read the group’s statement announcing Bredahl’s departure. “At times you can work it out and sometimes you need to go separate ways… We want to thank him for the work he has put in for Volbeat and we wish him all the best in the future.” Volbeat continued to tour as a trio – or with backing musicians. One group’s loss is another’s gain. Guitarist Rob Caggiano announced his departure from Anthrax in early ’13. He had been with the band from ’01 to ’05 and from ’07 to ’13. Caggiano said he wanted to focus his energies on music production. He and producer Jacob Hansen were already working on Volbeat’s next album. In addition to production work, Caggiano was asked to contribute solos and worked closely with Poulsen. There appeared to be great chemistry between the guitarists. As a result, just a month after Caggiano’s split from Anthrax, news hit that he had joined Volbeat. “The collaboration with Rob in the studio was so inspiring and in good spirit that we the decided to keep him,” said an enthused Poulsen. “Basically, we went into the studio as a three piece and came out as a whole band!” “Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies,” produced by Caggiano and Hansen (who had produced and mixed the group’s last four efforts – from ‘05’s The Strength/The Sound /The Songs” to ‘10’s “Beyond Hell/Above Heaven”), dropped in ’13. The set debuted at #9 on the Billboard 200 but went to #1 in Canada, Germany, Norway, Switzerland, Austria and Denmark. “This is amazing and something we almost can’t believe,” said Poulsen. Three years later, Volbeat released their sixth full-length album, “Seal The Deal & Let’s Boogie,” in ’16. The set contained “The Devil’s Bleeding Crown.” The Devil’s Bleeding Crown ”Another three years passed before Volbeat’s seventh album, “Rewind, Replay, Rebound,” arrived. The album, which was the first to feature bassist Kaspar Boye Larsen, had, according to their label, the “Psychobilly, Punk-tinged Rock ‘n’ Roll sound (Volbeat) is known for.” From the album, “Last Day Under the Sun,” became Volbeat’s seventh #1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Songs chart. The Danish/American band was now tied with U2 (Ireland) for the most #1’s on the chart by a European act. The deadlock didn’t last long. “Die To Live” was the band’s eighth #1. The album “Servant Of The Mind” dropped in early December of ’21. About six months earlier they released the single “Wait A Minute My Girl,” a short Rock n’ Roll revival track (complete with sax solo and percussive piano) that also topped the Mainstream Rock Songs chart. Die To Live Wait A Minute My Girl The following year, drummer Jon Larsen tested positive for COVID-19. The band continued to tour with Ghost with former Slayer drummer, Jon Dette, filling in until Larsen’s return. Later in the year, the band released a music video for the song “Temple Of Ekur.” Then came the announcement that they had parted ways with lead guitarist Rob Caggiano. “By A Monster’s Hand” was the lead single from “Gods Of Angels Trust,” Volbeat’s ninth studio album, went to the top of Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart. It was the band’s eleventh song to reach #1 on the chart but first since “Shotgun Blues” in late ’21. By a Monster’s Hand Shotgun Blues “In the past, I’ve taken a long time to write and obsessed over so many elements of the songs before finishing them,” said Poulsen. “This time, I wanted to make a Volbeat record without thinking too much about it.” The effort’s second single was “In the Barn Of The Goat Giving Birth To Satan’s Spawn In Dying World Of Doom.” “I had so much fun writing these lyrics. It’s about the outcasts and fallen angels of God — all the angels that were cast out of Heaven. And I’m being told to collect them in this big wagon and bring them to a barn,” explained Poulsen. “There’s a ritual going on where the fallen angels are being sacrificed to Satan’s spawn to create soldiers for a new dark kingdom.” ### The post Volbeat appeared first on RockinTown.