In a relatively short time span the Oslo based, curiously denim clad TURBONEGRO not only, according to many critics, completely re-invented Scandinavian Rock but inspired a whole new retro 70s based on acres of denim, suspicious sailor imagery and dodgy moustaches. The June 1989 pink vinyl 7" single, 'Route Zero' on the Straitjacket label and a hand numbered limited edition of 500 copies, novelly sported a front cover taken from the cult 'Basket Case' movie whilst the reverse left a space "for luv letters, obscene drawings or further individual messages of whatever kind". Taking the concept a stage further, mirrored images spelled out "Rectum Hell" on the A side and "Born To Fuck" on the reverse. The B side was a cover version of MC5's 'Want You Right Now'.

The band's album debut, 1992's brash 'Hot Cars and Spent Contraceptives', saw TURBONEGRO fronted by Harry Negar. In Europe this album would see release through Repulsion Records re-branded as 'Helta Skelta' and featuring all new artwork. In keeping with a lack of convention, the 1994 10" EP '(He's A) Grunge Whore' would be put out under the pseudonym of STIERKAMPF. The band shared a 7" single, 'Flabby Sagging Flesh!' limited to 300 copies on transparent purple vinyl, with ANAL BABES that December.

Newly installed for the follow up album 'Never Is Forever' would be singer Hans 'Von Helvete' Erik Dyvik Husby. The group, adding guitarist Knut 'Euroboy' Schreiner, broke into the underground market in the USA with 1997's 'Ass Cobra'. The deliberately provocative album title was backed to the hilt by lewd songs and a newly adopted homo-erotic machismo image more in keeping with Rob Halford than Scandinavian Dirt Punk. Further evidence of deliberate targeting could be seen with the album artwork, daring to mock the classic BEACH BOYS 'Pet Sounds' opus. Although their progress was swift TURBONEGRO folded in 1998 as Von Helvete suffered a mental breakdown whilst on tour in Italy. Fittingly, the posthumous 'Apocalypse Dudes' would be hailed as a cult classic.

TURBONEGRO reformed in the summer of 2002, marking their resurrection with live showings at festivals such as Sweden's 'Hultsfred', Norway's 'Quart' and the German 'Bizarre' festivals on their 'Res-Erection' tour. By August the band had signed a new recording contract with the Burning Heart label, setting a brand new studio album 'Scandinavian Leather' for April 2003 release.

Also in 2002 Happy Tom would form up part of SCUM, a high profile collaboration of extreme Metal elite players comprising Casey Chaos of US band AMEN and Norwegians Samoth of ZYKLON, and ex-EMPEROR, Faust ex-EMPEROR and Cosmocrator of MINDGRINDER. The debut SCUM album was recorded at Crystal Canyon Studios in Norway, owned by Euroboy of TURBONEGRO.

TURBONEGRO would gain the valuable guest position to QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE's US tour dates in March prior to launching into a two month long European headline tour with support from SILVER. The US gigs would be unfortunately marred though when frontman Hank Von Helvete was hit on the head by a bottle thrown at a headline gig at New York's Mercury Lounge. Helvete, whose forehead required ten stitches, was hospitalized overnight. Norwegian headline dates saw support coming from SURFEROSA and JR EWING.

A somewhat unexpected diversion for Euroboy came in February of 2004 with BLACK DIAMOND BRIGADE, a one off KISS tribute act assembled by an all star cast seeing the TURBONEGRO man on guitar alongside AMULET vocalist Torgny Amdam, Sigurd Wongraven of SATYRICON on guitar, FAITH NO MORE's Billy Gould on bass with Tarjei Strøm on the drums. Their rendition of 'Black Diamond', included on the compilation album of the same name issued in February by Universal Records, peaked at no. 6 on the Norwegian singles charts. The band played a one off televised performance at the Alarm awards in Bergen, teasing the audience with the intro to BLACK SABBATH's War Pigs' before launching into 'Black Diamond'.

TURBONEGRO's May 2005 album 'Party Animals' would see production credits going to Steve McDonald. US gigs in October saw THE (INTERNATIONAL) NOISE CONSPIRACY and EARLY MAN as support.

Scheduled 2008 European concerts were cancelled as it was announced that guitarist Knut "Euroboy" Schreiner was suffering from a "serious illness". In November Schreiner issued a welcome statement "'m happy to inform you all that I've undergone successful treatment for lymphoma cancer".