Moto Boy's music has been described as "desperate pop" which, for both hopeless romantics and cynics, might be the only review needed. Like Rufus Wainwright with his needle permanently stuck in a 1980s groove, Oskar Humlebo deftly mines the depths of his angst, squeezing out every drop of sympathy, even when his sweet falsetto trips over some of the stupidest of sentiments. (Case in point: the borderline insipid chorus of "If only your bed could cry") While not as instantly as inviting as 2008's ethereal EP "For Martha", "Lost in the call" provides another satisfying chapter in Humlebo's ongoing bid to become the Scandinavian Morrissey. When he cuts himself on lines such as "There is no life without you any way" ("Early grave"), prepare to bleed.
But how much heartache can one man take? By the album's midway point Humlebo's wounded theatrics threaten to wear thin. However, just when the outing is in danger of becoming a one-note pity party, he unleashes the haunting orchestral piece "Siekas", ushering in the delicate reflection of "Nite time is my time" and saving the project from certain stagnation. The high energy "When my heart was high" may not break any new ground, but it's jammed with the sort of morose cheer you can vigorously sway -- if not dance -- to. Then there's closer "The way I feel tonite", a send-off so gloriously delicate, Humlebo is guaranteed to leave more than a fare share of listeners with a lump in their throat and a tear in their eyes. - Laura Studarus
Scraps of Tape have announced that Fredrik Gillhagen (Meleeh) has been added as a new permanent member, replacing Mikael Persson who left last fall. Keep an eye out for new tourdates this coming fall.
Fredrik Carlsson's new single "House", due out June 6 and featuring guest vocals from Christina Roos (Cat5), can now be previewed at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/fredrickcarlsson
Swedish skweee artist Markis Sage (aka Rigas Den Andre + Mesak) has a great new video for their single "Creature of lagoon", out now via : http://vimeo.com/12129696
Here's the playlist for this week's radio show Sirius XMU:
01. Kopfer Kat - UberVolt
02. TALK 1
03. Pan Sonic - Radio Qurghonteppa
04. Johannes Heldén - Vortex count
05. Dear Euphoria - No more time to weep
06. TALK 2
07. The Bear Quartet - We're not gonna make it
08. The Shock! - In silence
09. MF/MB/ - The big machine
10. TALK 3
11. Familjen - När planeterna stannat
12. Kausal - The conquistador
13. The Nature - Din medicin
14. TALK 4
15. Ignatius - Så jävla religiös
16. Okkultokrati - Tomb City rockers - Pungent stench
17. Haust - Anti-Reproductive
18. TALK 5
19. Carolina Wallin Pérez - Utan dina andetag
Reminder: my show airs every week on Sundays and Mondays at 11pm ET on Sirius XMU. That's channel 26 on Sirius, 43 on XM and 831 for DirecTV subscribers.
01. Eric Saade - Masquerade
02. Sabaton - Coat of arms
03. Kalle Mmoraeus - Underbart
04. Timoteij - Längtan
05. The Ark - In full regalia
06. Titanix - Drömmar får liv
07. Scotts - Vi gör det igen
08. Salem al Fakir - Ignore this
09. Toni Holgersson - Ibland kallar jag det kärlek
10. Mikael Wiehe - Ta det tillbaka!
11. Melissa Horn - Säg ingenting till mig
12. Anna Bergendahl - Yours sincerely
13. Rolandz - Jajamen
14. Johnossi - Mavericks
15. Amanda Jenssen - Happyland - International version
16. Anna von Hausswolff - Singing from the grave
17. Ola Magnell - Rolös
18. H.E.A.T - Freedom rock
19. The Playtones - Rock'n roll dance party
20. Cookies n Beans - Beg, borrow and steal
Daniel Ekeroth's "Swedish Death Metal" book posits that Sweden was never a good source of thrash and I'm inclined to agree, but of course that never stopped anyone from trying. Hexenhaus is probably the most well-known example from "back in the day" and I'd also add Merciless as an also-ran though they do lean more towards the DM side of things. Anyhow, neither were all that great IMHO, and nor was/is The Haunted, Sweden's leading modern-day thrashers (stretching from the late 90s to now). Lots of strong moments to be sure, but they never totally slay. Zombiekrig however, they steal the crown -- this is exactly what I want from my thrash metal: endless catchy riffs played in lock-step precision with harsh, yet catchy vocals. And forget about The Haunted's overplayed Slayer-izations -- I'd much rather hear strong melodies over chromatic atonalism when it comes to Swedish metal. And how about that break here that hearkens back to "Damage Inc."? Totally killer, just like the mosh part and solo that follow. Also, like all of the best thrash from the glory days up through the present, it doesn't overstay its welcome. Zombiekrig FTW!
Moto Boy