ROCKENBOLLE

Sleaze Roxx U.S.:
I must confess that my German linguistic skills are quite limited. In fact, they are so limited that the only two German words that come to my mind are “Oktoberfest” and “Danke.” Having never properly visited the country certainly does not help. I did walk across the border from Germany to France more than 26 years ago just as the city of Strasbourg seemed to be waking up to another weekday of work but that’s a story for another day. Suffice to say that although I’d love to go to Germany (or any other country than Canada at this point) but feel stopped in my tracks with the Covid pandemic still raging. At least, I got a little bit of German education through Rockenbolle‘s second album Der Teufel Spielt Den Rock N Roll.
Whenever CDs make their way to the Sleaze Roxx headqu (...) Mehr anzeigenarters, there are a couple of things that I check out. First off is the album cover. I’m usually able to tell right off the bat from an album cover whether this is a group whose music will fit Sleaze Roxx‘s admittedly limited musical scope. Secondly, I scan through the press release that often accompanies CDs to see if I can easily identify the artist or band’s genre of music. That description alone tells me whether a CD might make its way to the Sleaze Roxx cemetery (a large box of never played CDs stored in my garage — I’m getting close to starting a new box). You might be surprised to know that an estimated 60 to 70% of CDs that arrive at the Sleaze Roxx headquarters don’t even fit the website’s musical scope. Luckily for German rockers Rockenbolle, I knew right from looking at their new album’s cover that Der Teufel Spielt Den Rock N Roll would be getting at least a few spins. After all, the album cover for Der Teufel Spielt Den Rock N Roll screams “Sleaze Roxx.”
One concern that I had upon scanning the track names on the CD was that half of the song titles were in the German language. As I started to listening to Der Teufel Spielt Den Rock N Roll and scan through the CD booklet, my concern was confirmed as Rockenbolle elected to have six songs sung in the English language and the six others in the German language. I had previously mentioned that I got a chance to get a little German language education via Rockenbolle‘s new album and that’s because I have been using Google to find out what a lot of the words mean. For starters, the album title Der Teufel Spielt Den Rock N Roll apparently means The Devil Plays Rock N Roll. Sure, it’s not the most original album title but it works and frankly, it’;s the kind of record title that I expect from a lot of bands that grace the Sleaze Roxx website.
I was very pleasantly surprised with the first track “Fear In My Balls” on Der Teufel Spielt Den Rock N Roll as whomever is singing that song or least the first half sounds an awful lot like W.A.S.P.‘s iconic frontman Blackie Lawless. I sat whomever is singing the song because it looks like Rockenbolle have two people sharing the singing duties — bassist Olli and guitarist Krille. From then on, Rockenbolle adopt a more fast paced Motörhead meets The Ramones type of sound. The guitar riffs and the rhythm section are often pretty basic but they work quite well together and there really isn’t one bad song ‘on the record.’ My favourites are “Rock Bitch”, “Peacemaker” and “Way of Life.” Surprise, surprise, all three songs have English lyrics. Some songs do suffer from being a little too simple and lacking sophistication such as the track “Nothing Is Real” where the same chorus line “Everything I Told You, Nothing Is Real” is repeated four times in a row. That might work if the chorus section was really compelling but it’s not and the song is one of the weaker ones.
As someone with very limited knowledge of the German language, it’s hard to really get into Rockenbolle’s tracks sung in German. I really wonder whether I would like those tracks better if they were sung in the English language. That leaves me to wonder why Rockenbolle would opt to have half of the songs on their latest album sung in the German language. English is a much more recognized language from an international perspective so Rockenbolle are kind of limiting their worldwide appeal with their decision to sing half the songs in the German language. Ultimately, that is what is stopping me from adding Rockenbolle‘s album Der Teufel Spielt Den Rock N Roll to my regular rotation of newer albums to listen to as although the album overall is fun to listen to, the German lyrics to half the songs stops me from really getting into half of the tracks
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The-rocker.co.uk:
"...so you might want to weigh up how much you actually like killer, sleazy, riffs before you buy. And there are twelve of them here. One for each song. Because they really do know how to roll out a rocking riff. It’s the second album from the Hamburg rockers and really is a delight. The production is great, there are plenty of punky singalong choruses and they even close things out with an actual Motorhead cover version. “R.A.M.O.N.E.S.” since you ask. And just to make sure you get the connection, they even have a song all about their roadcrew.
There are a few nods to the likes of Rose Tattoo in there as well and if they were to bag an opening slot on the next Airbourne German tour I reckon their merch stand would be swamped. This is relentless rock and roll, just the way God intended."
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Puls-Alternative Magazine:
"It’s hard to believe there was a time when punk and metal were opposed and woe betide any longhair who wound up at punk show (and vice versa). Even when Motörhead were crashing through the barriers things were a little tense. I always thought the divisions were ludicrous being metal and punk were both energetic and anti-authoritarian forms of music. Thankfully the genres have been cross-pollinating and the time is right for Rockenbolle to conquer the world with their unique mash up of metal and punk.
Originally formed way back in 2005 Rockenbolle have played every dive and small party in their home town of Hamburg. Hard gigging left Rockenbolle a tight live machine and while they carried that effervescence to their 2016 debut release ‘Alles kann, nichts muss’ that was a certain something missing in the songwriting department. The intervening four years have found Rockenbolle honing their songwriting skills and their second album ‘Der Teufel Spielt den Rock ‘N’ Roll’ is a major step up in class.
Opening with the wonderfully titled ‘Fear In My Balls’ Rockenbolle arriving with all guitars blazing. A fine circular riff burns like a buzzsaw blade and spits teeth in all directions. Plenty of gang vocals give proceedings a street punk vibe while the chorus is carried along upon a wave of molten metal. The refreshingly un-PC ‘Rock Bitch’ picks up the pace with thunderous drums from Kay that’s supplemented by Olli’s pounding bass. Krille delivers his vocals with a nice whisky soaked drawl while simultaneously delivering sublime guitar riffs.
I’m a big fan of power trios: Motörhead, Budgie, Green Day. And you can now add Rockenbolle to that illustrious list. With just three members everything is stripped back and the music is brought to the fore and with little sign of respite the band unleash the groove laden title track. ‘Peacemaker’ is a raucous slab of rock that’s paired with the equally virulent ‘Jenseits der stille’. Recalling latter day Lemmy & Co ‘Bestie Mensch’ marries the hard edge of the Germanic tongue to hard rock and the effect is rather ‘hard’.
A tribute to long suffering roadies everywhere ‘Roadcrew’ roars like an unruly biker gang and the chaps at Absurd Studios (Hamburg) have done a great job in capturing the essence of a Rockenbolle live show and transferring it to disc. ‘Ueberschallblues’ contains more that a nod to ‘Overkill’ and with little in the way of respite the band tighten the thumbscrews with place punk, metal and blues in a blender and the resulting soup is the amphetamine charged ‘Nothing Is Real’.
There is something reassuring about a band like Rockenbolle. You just know they’re not gonna go all wimpy and try to sneak a ballad onto the album and it’s full steam ahead with ‘Way Of Life’ and ‘Nicht ein Tag’. Closing the album is a cover of Motörhead’s tribute to New York’s finest: ‘R.A.M.O.N.E.S.’. As a mission statement it tells exactly where Rockenbolle are coming from and its fusion of metal and punk is the perfect note on which to end the album."
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SCHNELLER HARDROCK MADE IN HAMBURG
ROCKENBOLLE "Die Cowboys aus der Hölle", in vielen Hamburger Szenekneipen bekannt, zieht es auf die größeren Bühnen. Mit Ihrem Album „Der Teufel spielt den Rock`n`Roll“ (2020) haben sie sich die Aufmerksamkeit der Hard- und Punkrockszene erarbeitet. Der Hardrock wird nicht neu definiert, um das Publikum abzuholen. Das Publikum bekommt das, was es erwartet: schnellen Hard´n´Roll, ohne dass Balladen in die Konzerte geschmuggelt werden. Die Songs sind geradeheraus und schnörkelos.
„Wir lieben den Rock´n´Roll“
...und das bekommt das Publikum zu spüren.
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"Yeah, es gibt sie noch! Bands, die mir nicht mit Allüren und Diva-Gehabe kommen, sondern klare und direkte Ansagen in bester Rock ‚N‘ Roll-Manier machen. So wie ROCKENBOLLE aus Hamburg.“ (bikesmusicandmore.com)
ROCKENBOLLE spielen seit November 2005 in Originalbesetzung. Sie beschreiben Ihre Musik als eine klassische Mischung aus Rock und Punk in Muttersprache, mit deutlichen Heavy, Blues und Rock`n`Rohl Einflüssen. Musikreviews.de betiteln das Ganze als „Überschallblues“: "Bei ROCKENBOLLE wird nicht dumm gerifft, sondern Überschallblues gespielt, dies hebt die Hanseaten letztlich aus dem Wust deutscher Doofkopp-Rocker hervor“.
CD Release vom ersten Album „Alles kann, nichts muss“ war November 2016, gefolgt vom ersten und gleichnamigen Video.
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Kalle-rock.de sagt über die CD: "Erst hatte ich Angst, dass mir hier dreckiger Garagenrock von ein paar Amateuren um die Ohren fliegt. Doch ich hab die Platte dann immer und immer wieder gehört und sie wurde von Mal zu Mal besser. Man bekommt ein Gefühl dafür, was die Band ausmacht und was ihre Mentalität ist. Vollgas Rock´n´Roll!“
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Besetzung:
Schlagzeug: Kay
Gitarre und Gesang: Krille
Bass und Gesang: Olli
Booking:
Oliver Dietrich, 0172-4090078
mail@rockenbolle.com
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"...bei ROCKENBOLLE wird nicht dumm gerifft, sondern Überschallblues gespielt …dies hebt die Hanseaten letztlich aus dem Wust deutscher Doofkopp-Rocker hervor, denn hier geht es um coole Roots-Musik, nicht irgendwelche Befindlichkeiten. Das ist zwar oberflächlich (musikalisch eben nicht!), aber Goodtime-Stoff im besten Sinn..."
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schneckenschubsen.de
"...Die drei Cowboys aus der Hölle haben mit den 13 (12 + 1 Bonustrack) ein fettes Brett in Sachen Punkrock hingelegt. In der richtigen Laune rockt die Scheibe wie Teufel, allerdings sollte Mann sie nicht gerade auflegen, wenn er bei seiner neuen Freundin auf Romantik machen will. Wenn man aber z.B. die lästige Autofahrt von Kiel nach Hamburg hinter sich bringen muss, dann hat man hier einen Garanten fürs Wachbleiben und ständiges Kopfnicken dabei..."
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bierschinken.net
"...Die Cowboys aus der Hölle spielen Deutsch-Hard-Rock. Aber nicht Rechts. Härtere Gitarrenriffs und Standard-Besetzung. Klingt alles ehrlich gemeint und nicht schlecht gespielt. 10 Jahre machen die das schon. Das hört man. Die ziehen das Ding ohne Rücksicht auf Verluste durch. Textlich und musikalisch. Bis zur Schmerzgrenze. Sozusagen das musikalische Gegenteil zu den ganzen Weicheiern, die im Moment deutsche Texte in den Charts wimmern. Mit Punk hat das alles aber nix zu tun. Wenn man auf Lederbekleidung, Rocker und Motorräder steht muss man reinhören. Schlechter als Motörhead sind die nicht...."
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kranhaus-elmshorn.de
"...VollgasRockenrohl aus Hamburg. Rockig, rotzig und geradeaus...."
ROCKENBOLLE - über 10 Jahre Leidenschaft und Spass am Vollgasrock´n´Roll, seit ihrer Gründung in 2005 spielen die Cowboys aus der Hölle in Originalbesetzung und pressen mit Ihrem Erstlingswerk ALLES KANN NICHTS MUSS ihre Bühnenpower auf eine CD." Weniger anzeigen