The Swedish rock band The Hellacopters was formed in Stockholm, Sweden in 1994 as a side project by Nicke Andersson (a founding member of the Swedish death metal bands Entombed and Death Breath ), with Dregen (guitar) (who later left the band to concentrate on his other band Backyard Babies), Kenny Håkansson (bass) and Robert Eriksson (drums). Robert Dahlqvist,"Strings"(lead guitar) met the other members while working in a bar and replaced Dregen in 1999.