There comes a point in a band's life when they must release a live album. It's a rite of passage for any artist worth their salt, and for Danish stars Volbeat that time is clearly now.
Recorded in front of a vast and increasingly rabid German audience, Rewind, Replay, Rebound: Live In Deutschland is one of those live albums where the crowd are as much a force as the band themselves. It's one of those albums where the sound of the audience makes you think you missed something truly special. Real atmosphere, really captured.
“The German audience has always had a special place in our hearts, since the very beginning,” says Volbeat’s Michael Poulsen. “They have always supported us and still do. It’s amazing to see the impact the fans have had on Volbeat, we’ve become fans of theirs, too."
Below, the members of Volbeat pick their own favourite live albums. Rewind, Replay, Rebound: Live In Deutschland is out now.
Michael Poulsen
Black Sabbath – Live Evil (1982)
“Live Evil has always been my all-time favourite live album. I’ve never been a big collector of live albums but I am a huge fan of the Ronnie James Dio-era of Black Sabbath and the incredible songs they wrote during that time period. Not only do those sound great, but I also love what Dio brought to Ozzy Osbourne-era songs. This album combines all of the things I love about both Black Sabbath and Dio.”
Rainbow – On Stage (1977)
“As I mentioned before, I’ve never been a big collector of live albums, but once I finally had all of Rainbow’s studio albums I moved on to the live albums and this one just blew me away. It’s rare to listen to a live recording and feel like you’re actually at the show, but this one does that for me.
"I love Ritchie Blackmore’s improvs and how they interact with Ronnie James Dio’s singing and how they play off of each other. And Cozy Powell is one of my absolute favourite drummers of all time, and the combination of him, Dio and Blackmore is just incredible.”
The Cramps – Live at Club 57!! 1979 (Plus 9 Demos! 1977-79) (2011 bootleg)
“This is a bootleg of a show that was broadcast on a local New York radio station. I’m a huge fan of The Cramps and can’t get enough of them, and there are a lot of bootleg live albums out there, but this is one of my favourites.”
Kaspar Boye Larsen
The Cure – Concert: The Cure Live (1984)
“This album means a lot to me. Not only is it the first live album by The Cure, but it is also the first album I ever bought. The tracklist, the atmosphere and the cover artwork made a big impact on me, and when I listen to it today it takes me right back to when my life was about to take a turn: playing music.”
Morrissey – Live at Earls Court (2005)
“I saw Morrisey a few times on that tour and he and his band were on fire. He had just released the “comeback” album You Are The Quarry, which is one of the best he’s ever done. The tracklist is a 'best of' Morrissey solo with a few Smiths songs thrown in and the band plays absolutely wonderfully.”
Killing Joke - Laugh At Your Peril: Live At The Roundhouse (2018)
“I love everything Killing Joke has ever done, and this album represents most of their career. I’ve seen them many times and they always deliver, but they are exceptionally good since returning to the original line-up.”
“It’s hard to pick just a few of my favourite live albums, but I should also mention Ramones – It’s Alive (1979), Entombed – Unreal Estate (2005), Napalm Death – Death in Vietnam (1990 bootleg), Converge – Thousands of Miles Between Us (2015) and Mark Kozelec - Live At Phoenix Public House Melbourne (2013).”
Jon Larsen
Kiss – Alive II (1977)
“Kiss has always been one of my favourite bands, and this was the first album I bought. This is for me Kiss at their very best. It’s very loud and the band is on fire.”
Slade – Slade on Stage (1982)
“This was around the time I got into Slade. They were one of the best rock bands ever, and I wish I could have seen the original lineup. This album was recorded in Newcastle city hall during their UK tour and captures the band firing on all cylinders.”
Iron Maiden – Rock in Rio (2002)
“Iron Maiden is my all-time favourite band, and this is my favourite Maiden live album. The set list is great, and the band is really on top of their game.
Rob Caggiano
AC/DC – If You Want Blood You’ve Got It (1978)
“This is the ultimate live album, in my opinion. It perfectly captures and showcases all the energy, venom and fire of an early AC/DC show. It's raw, brutal, in your face and heavy as hell. Listening to this album makes it very obvious and clear that AC/DC is probably the greatest pure rock'n'roll band that ever was and probably ever will be. On top of all that, it's also one of the coolest album covers I've ever seen!”
Rush – Exit… Stage Left (1981)
“Rush has always been one of the tightest and technically perfect bands around. This album is testament to that. I've seen them about 12 times over the years and they were literally flawless every single time. Exit… Stage Left is a really cool record because some tracks were taken from their Permanent Waves tour in 1980 and other tracks are taken from their Moving Pictures tour in 1981.
"That being said, there is a very interesting version of the classic Tom Sawyer (Moving Pictures) from the Permanent Waves tour a full year before Moving Pictures came out! I guess they were trying it out in front of a crowd before they recorded it....so fucking cool!”
Van Halen - Live Without A Net (1987)
“Well, what else can I say about the mighty Van Halen that hasn't already been said? Live Without A Net came out on VHS at first and that's how I originally experienced it. I was heavily into Van Halen as a kid, and I remember being crushed when I heard that David Lee Roth left the band.
"However, being a Sammy Hagar fan too, I was highly intrigued by the possibilities of what these guys could create together. It took me a few days to adjust to the new sound when 5150 came out but ultimately I fell in love with that album.
"Live Without a Net was filmed in 1986 in New Haven CT during their 5150 tour. Van Halen is on fire here! Yes, the sound of the band changed a bit with the entrance of Sammy Hagar but it's equally as powerful in my opinion, and arguably a bit more fun. The newer Sammy songs sound great and go over amazingly well live, but Sammy also injects some new life into the older DLR tracks as well (Panama, Ain't Talkin’ ‘Bout Love).
"I guess they felt like they needed to prove to all of their fans that they were still a force to be reckoned with having Sammy on the mic, and they proved it in spades. Eddie Van Halen is also in top form here. All of his genius and magic are on full display. Just listening to him play is amazing enough but when you SEE him play it's even more powerful. He's always smiling, and he makes it look so damn easy.
"Eddie was a mind-blowing guitar player on so many levels and he's definitely my biggest influence on the guitar. Live Without a Net made me fall in love with Van Halen all over again in 1987 and in turn, it made me fall in love with my guitar all over again too. R.I.P. Eddie Van Halen."
