Ass Cobra

Ass Cobra is the third full-length studio album by Norwegian punk rock band Turbonegro. It was first released in May 1996, with subsequent reissues in the following years. The album title and cover art is a reference to the AC Cobra sports car and Pet Sounds by the Beach Boys respectively.

Overview and release
Ass Cobra was recorded at Nesodden Musikkverksted in Oslo, with the exception of "Imorgen Skal Eg Daue" and "Raggare Is A Bunch Of Motherfuckers", which was recorded at the Green Room in Madison, Wisconsin. The album saw the band move towards mid-1970s punk and glam territory, in the style of the Dictators, Ramones and late the Stooges, and features covers of songs by punk bands the Lewd and the Rude Kids.

Ass Cobra was released in May 1996 through Amphetamine Reptile Records in Europe and Boomba Records in Germany. The album was released in the United States by Sympathy for the Record Industry in 1997 and included two bonus tracks, "Screwed And Tattoo" and a cover of the Dicks' song "Young Boys Feet". The album was re-released in 1998 on Bitzcore Records in Germany and on Get Hip Records in the US. Following Turbonegro's reunion in 2002, Ass Cobra was reissued the in 2003 through Epitaph Records in the US and Burning Heart Records in Sweden.

Critical reception
Patrick Kennedy of AllMusic wrote that the album "paves the way [for Apocalypse Dudes] harshly, with a sinister wash of cymbals, loud guitars and articulate riffs — think Poison Idea meets Alice Cooper. It is here also where Turbonegro developed their signature look: sailor caps, denim from head to toe, mustaches all around, and decidedly butch homoerotic accoutrements. [...] Though Turbonegro did quite a bit of recording prior to this album, this was the one that set the pace, and the one that enabled them to record their masterpiece, Apocalypse Dudes". Moshable magazine remarked that the album was "the very best in obnoxious drunk punk, already a classic buy-or-die thing!" Pitchfork rated Ass Cobra 9 out of 10.

Personnel
Turbonegro Additional personnel
 * Hank von Helvete (Hans Erik Dyvik Husby) – vocals
 * Pål Pot Pamparius (Pål Bøttger Kjærnes) – guitar
 * Rune Rebellion (Rune Grønn) – guitar
 * Bingo (Bengt Calmeyer) – bass guitar
 * Happy-Tom (Thomas Seltzer) – drums


 * Christian A. Calmeyer – engineer
 * Erik Hanisch – engineer (track 13 and 14)
 * Rich Burnette – engineer (track 13 and 14)
 * Sean Bovine – engineer (track 13 and 14)
 * Günter Pauler – direct metal mastering
 * Morten Andersen – photography
 * Schlossnose – art direction
 * Phil "King Irwin" The Whiskey Rebel" Irwin – liner notes