Photo: Stian Andersen

Nokia Theatre Times Square; Tue 25

Turbonegro wasn’t fashionable when it emerged in the early ’90s, and its faux-glam “deathpunk” certainly isn’t sexy now. But what can you expect from a Norwegian band that set out to rub the world the wrong way? It takes a certain kind of person to appreciate this outfit’s motley distastefulness: A flabby, hirsute guy (Hank von Helvete) dressed as a gothish Norse warrior leads cross-dressed characters (a lipsticked sailor, a “lady” cop) through crass anti-PC sets of satiric rock. Meanwhile, the crowd screams along to often homoerotic lyrics that celebrate man’s ugliest urges and conditions. Basically, the band takes propriety, chucks it into a back-alley trash can and masturbates onto it while cackling manically.

Turbonegro’s coarse nature may have kept it far from the mainstream, but there are legions with whom its message resonates. Many are members of the cultish international fan club Turbojugend, turning up at shows in official jackets. The band’s records don’t offer the cultural experience of the live spectacle, but the essential ones—Ass Cobra and Apocalypse Dudes, both from the late ’90s—are clever and hilarious. Predictably, the new Retox (Cooking Vinyl) visits uncomfortable subjects such as expansion (“Everybody Loves a Chubby Dude”) and aging (“Hell Toupée”). The album’s catchiest song, “Stroke the Shaft,” addresses an obvious need with soaring vigor. Despite its veteran status, Turbonegro still pumps anthemic choruses better than any current emo bands do. And its members are much, much more disturbed.