"Steppenwolf 7" is the fifth studio album by Canadian-American rock band Steppenwolf, released in November 1970 by Dunhill Records. It marks the first album with new bass player George Biondo. The album’s title reflects its position as the band’s seventh release for ABC/Dunhill, which includes four previous studio albums and two live albums.
While the album retained Steppenwolf's signature rock and roll sound, none of the songs made it into the top 40 on the charts. The album includes a cover of Hoyt Axton’s “Snowblind Friend,” which was Steppenwolf's second cover of one of Axton’s anti-drug songs, the first being "The Pusher." Along with "Who Needs Ya," these were the two singles released from the album, but neither managed to break into the top 40.
The track “Renegade” holds special personal significance for lead vocalist John Kay, as it reflects his own experiences fleeing from Soviet-controlled East Germany with his mother in 1948. Additionally, the introduction to the song "Earschplittenloudenboomer" is spoken by Kay, partly in German, adding a unique touch to the album.
