They go by names like Happy-Tom and Pal Pot Pamparius. They dress in dungarees.
They deliberately project an image of aggressive homosexuality. They write songs
about pizza, death, NAMBLA and rock against ass (whatever that is). Clearly demented,
deviant Norwegian metal-punks Turbonegro don't take themselves seriously. Which makes
their new DVD rockumentary The ResErection all the more startling. And all the more
worthwhile. Far more revealing and moving than the usual sanitized PR footage,
ResErection chronicles the band's 2002 comeback, which came four years after singer
Hank Von Helvete's runaway heroin addiction destroyed the band. As the group slowly
progress from rehearsing in a tiny room to headlining on festival stages, Hank's
palpable trepidation at returning to a lifestyle that nearly killed him -- coupled
with his fear of disappointing his bandmates again -- makes for compelling viewing.
Of course, so do those concert scenes of him sticking a lit firecracker up his
butt-crack. Hey, we told you they don't take themselves seriously.