Volbeat is a Danish heavy metal band formed in Copenhagen, Denmark, and they’ve been making music since 2001. Volbeat is a Danish rock band that has been around since 2001. They are known for their unique sound, which incorporates rockabilly, metal, and punk elements.
Over the years, they have released two live albums, three video albums, eight studio albums, 27 singles, and other albums as still in the making process.
The band’s songs have become popular among fans of alternative rock music. Ensure you have your rock ‘n’ roll attitude ready to go when you press play in this list of 21 best Volbeat songs.
Top Songs by Volbeat
“Goodbye Forever”
Volbeat’s fans find this song the best of them all and have attracted millions of fans across the globe. Goodbye Forever features a heavy but timely message that pays tribute to iconic musicians who contributed so much in their respective fields.
The song honors legendary artists with new meaning. It takes on an uplifting light from its studio version, which featured Harlem Gospel Choir behind the band during recording sessions for this album release.
“SoulWeeper”
SoulWeeper is the perfect song to play when you want something that sounds like it came straight out of an oldies compilation.
The strength and sound are present in this track, with its chugging riff and almost fifties-style rock n roll vibe reminiscent perhaps most strongly from “Saturday Night” by The Misfits.
This album was not widely distributed outside Denmark, which may explain why few people have heard about them before now, but it is one of their best songs, being among the first song released in their first album, The Strength/The Sound/The Songs in 2005.
“Lola Montez”
Many Volbeat fans enjoy “Lola Montez,” especially when played live. When the band performs this classic, they do an outstanding job, and any fun of a classic musical can quickly join in the beats.
The song can be found in the sixth album dubbed Outlaw Gentlemen and Shady Ladies. It is about a renowned historical lady named Eliza Rosanna Gilbert, the Countess of Landsfeld and a great dancer, and was released as the third single from the album.
It reached number one on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Charts in the United States.
“The Hangman’s Body Count”
The song is from the album Outlaw Gentlemen and Shady Ladies. The song is one of the most outright metal-sounding in the Volbeat discography.
It was the album’s second single to be released. It had an animated lyric video and reached number one on the US Mainstream Rock Songs Chart.
“Sad Mans’ Tongue”
This song tune, which is also on Rock The Rebel/Metal The Devil, is just off the top and showcases Michael Poulsen’s affinity for Johnny Cash. The song sounds like a Johnny Cash song with a contemporary metal edge.
The music is performed after the band does a Johnny Cash rendition in the band’s live gigs. Being among the band’s hit songs has attracted millions of fans.
“The Devil’s Bleeding Crown”
The Devil’s Bleeding Crown is a song by the Danish rock group Volbeat. It was released as their most recent single in 2016 from their sixth studio album Seal The Deal and Let’s Boogie.
This track reached number one on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Chart, making it the fifth consecutive Top Ten hit.
With its galloping guitar sound paired with an old-fashioned Iron Maiden vibe, this tune has something to offer fans across America.
“Still Counting”
The song Still Counting has a different tempo with an upbeat style that is more like ska in its opening riff.
The song was initially part of Guitar Gangsters and Cadillac Blood before being included as a bonus track in some editions for their fourth album, Beyond Hell/Above Heaven, released in 2010.
It is one of the most popular songs by Volbeat. In fact, the song became available across all formats four years later, with radio success reaching number one Billboard Mainstream Rock Chart upon its release.
“Maybellene I Hofteholder”
This song is from the band’s third studio album, Guitar Gangsters and Cadillac Blood, released in 2008. It’s about a stalker who falls in love with Maybellene, a stripper. Girdle is called Hefteholder in Danish.
Volbeat published a live video of this song in 2015. Even though the song’s title is in Danish, the lyrics are sung in English and are loved by fans.
“Fallen”
Fallen is among the best-selling Volbeat song to date, and it’s easy to see why. The lyrics resonate with so many sons who had great dads that they love and respect, just like these guys do in their own lives.
There’s something about a father figure you can’t help but identify yourself when hearing or reading them out loud.
This track has been listed among their best-loved and most influential tracks ever since it was released in 2009 to critical acclaim from fans all over the world.
The lyrics speak directly about dealing with loss in life – something which resonates deeply for many people who had gone through similar experiences themselves or knew someone else closely affected by them too soon before they passed away unexpectedly.
“For Evigt”
The lyrics to “For Evigt” by Volbeat, a Danish rock band from 2007, reveal the title means forever. If it’s your first time to come across it, try to listen to it and you will surely fall in love with the music.
The song became their third top hit in 2016. It led them into superstardom when it rose on stages across Europe, including at Telia Parken concert hall, where Johan Olsen achieved peak vocal talent with Rod Sinclar’s guitar.
“A Warrior’s Call”
This fasted-paced, furious rock track describes a viking warrior, Mikkel Kessler, getting ready to enter a fight. The band sing Kessler’s praises much like bards as the drums rumble in the background. The song is dedicated to the real Mikkel Kessler, a former professional wrestler, who also provides vocals on the track. The music video for “A Warrior’s Call” also shows archival footage of Mikkel Kessler
Kessler was the biggest boxer in Denmark at the time of recording and was entering a tournament for which he needed entrance music.
Lead singer Michael Poulson, a big boxing fan himself, was only too happy to provide Kessler with the kind of hard-hitting track he needed. The result is a playful yet intimidating rock song that is sure to get listeners fired up.
“Doc Holliday”
This dark rock track from Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies tells the story of Doc Holliday, a real life gunfighter known for his involvement in the Gunfight at the O.K Corral. Doc Holliday was an Atlanta dentist who moved to the southwest and took up gambling as a profession, where he earned a national reputation as a gunman.
He was also a good friend of another famous gunman, Wyatt Earp. Michael Poulson had a fascination with Doc Holliday and other figures like him as a kid and wanted to tell their stories.
He particularly liked Doc Holliday’s story because it was less well known but still just as interesting as those of other outlaws. The track that Volbeat ended up writing is exciting, tinged with danger and full of warring guitars.
“The Garden’s Tale”
Half in English and half in the band’s native Danish, “The Garden’s Tale” is a mournful yet fast-paced track about someone gradually losing the love of their life and doing their best to hold onto her. It comes from their second studio album, Rock The Rebel/Metal The Devil and was released as a single in Denmark. It ended up being a surprise hit for the band in Denmark, staying in the charts for 18 straight weeks.
“Heaven Nor Hell”
Michael Poulson said of “Heaven Nor Hell” that “it’s a song that tells people to believe in themselves instead of using anything else as a crutch”. The triumphant track features Henrik Hall of Love Shop on harmonica, which lends the song a joyful quality.
“Heaven Nor Hell” tells the story of a man who makes a deal with the Devil and sells his soul, much like the famous Dr Faustus. However, this man does something unexpected: he steals his soul back and lands himself in debt to the Devil. The music video for the track saw the band performing in a desert junkyard.
“7 Shots”
The sixth track on Beyond Hell/Above Heaven, “7 Shots” features a jangly guitar that gives the track an almost folk-rock feel in the first verse, before it veers into a metal sound. It paints a rather bleak scene, in which a successful man goes down a dark path after a family tragedy. Michael Poulson has said that this track is meant to continue the story told on Guitar Gangsters and Cadillac Blood, in which we learn more about what is happening in the life and head of the guitar gangsters.
“Black Rose”
This upbeat rock song tells a story of learning to embrace the dark beauty of being alone, although the uplifting sound of its chorus might fool you. It encourages listeners to make decisions for themselves rather than conforming. The song features Canadian singer Danko Jones on a couple of verses, who supported Volbeat on their 2013 tour. The band wanted to feature Jones because they felt like “Black Rose” sounded like something he would perform in his own self-titled band.
“Our Loved Ones”
This brooding rock track describes a fear of opening up to those around you. “You open up and what you gain is another hole,” sings Michael Poulson pessimistically in the opening line. The song goes on to examine our relationship with communication. It ponders on how much reassurance you should reach out for from those around you and how much you should depend on yourself and find that reassurance inside you.
Poulson also sings about missing his father on the track and being grateful to have his loved ones near. It seems that even though he may struggle to open up, he’s always grateful for the chance to connect.
“Healing Subconsciously”
“Healing Subconsciously” has a furious pace that doesn’t let up, charging through the reflective rock track with urgency and sincerity. Michael Poulson sings about the intangible forces that work around him to keep him on track in life and help him to heal from things when he needs to. He likens them to small innocents who help him to hold a mirror up to himself.
“We”
“We” almost sounds like a country track when it opens, placing it in contrast to many of Volbeat’s other tracks until the drums kick in. Michael Poulson continues to imitate a country rock vocal style throughout the track. The song tells a love story between a couple who don’t have an easy time of it by any means but who still keep coming back to each other regardless. “We’re broken and damned but together we’ll find a way,” sings Poulson.
“Rewind The Exit”
Michael Poulson sings about how he refuses to let someone he loves leave his life in “Rewind The Exit”. “Rewind the exit wound, I’m holding on to you”, he sings. Although Poulson feels comfortable with who he is, he explains that he still needs to hold onto the people around him for love and affirmation, just like everyone does. The touching ode to friends and family is a moving listen.
“The Nameless One”
“The Nameless One” comes from Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies and was one of Michael Poulson’s earlier attempts to get the sound for the album right. He began playing around with melodies from Western movies and writing lyrics about outlaws and gangsters. You can hear some of those classic Western melodies in the middle of the track. Unlike much of Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies, the protagonist of this track is entirely fictional and more a collection of images to do with outlaws.
Caitlin Devlin is a music, entertainment and lifestyle writer based in London. When she’s not creating playlists for Repeat Replay, she’s reviewing gigs and interviewing artists for Ticketmaster UK and thinking about what her Spotify Wrapped will look like this year.