Hell of a Tester was released in late 1998 and became the third full-length album by The Rasmus. Its predominant pop-rock sound is infused with rock-and-roll and jazz elements, alongside many interesting musical choices.

This release caught the public's attention thanks to the single “Liquid,” which even broke into the top 40 on MTV Nordic and won an award at the Finland Music Video Awards for its music video, while also being named the single of the year for 1998.

The second single from the album was the song “Swimming with the Kids.” It also marked the end of the "Rasmus era," as the band officially changed their name to The Rasmus from that point forward.
In addition to the four band members, eleven other musicians participated in the recording of the album, playing saxophone, trumpet, trombone, cello, timpani, organ, keyboards, and other instruments, as well as creating special ambient background sounds for many of the tracks. Fun fact: the lyrics and the title “Hellofatester” are written in Braille on the album's booklet and cover.