Engineer Andrew Schneider (Cave In, Keelhaul) will be mixing the new album from Finnish Isis-emulators Callisto at his New York studio in February.
Download "Oh what a Christmas" from El Perro Del Mar: http://www.hybrism.com/files/elperrodelmar-ohwhatachristmas.mp3
Finland's Disco Ensemble has posted four of their videos for free download: http://www.discoensemble.com/
Norwegian webzine Panorama's top picks for 2005: http://www.panorama.no/vis.php?kat=3&did=4782
Finnish indiepop music blog One Chord to Another has posted their top picks for 2005: http://www.onechord.net/2005.htm
Chronic Heist has a new drummer, a new website and one new song for download: http://www.zoopeople.se/chronicheist/
Norwegian singer/songwriter Askil Holm's new single "Ain't no cure loving you" will be released to radio on December 27. His new as-yet-untitled album comes out early next year and will feature 10 or 11 new tracks from a Waterboys cover. Look for various extra tracks to be posted online for free download in the near future.
JR Ewing will be heading out on a Kerrang! sponsored tour of the Barflys in the UK this coming January:
01/19 - Barfly, Cardiff
01/20 - Barfly, Birmingham
01/21 - Barfly, Glasgow
01/22 - Barfly, York
01/23 - Barfly, London
Opeth claims the number one spot on the PopMatters top 20 metal album list: http://www.popmatters.com/columns/begrand/051219.shtml (it's also #26 on their top 50 list)
The nominees for Denmark's critic prize, the Steppeulven, have been announced: http://www.steppeulv.dk/nominering2005.htm
Music (for Robots) posts a track from Finnish producer/electronic artist Vladislav Delay: http://music.for-robots.com/archives/001283.html
Swedish indiepop act Celestial has a new downloadable EP available via UK-based netlabel Lostmusic: http://lostmusic.co.uk/recordings/
Ex-Nasum members Anders, Urban and Jon (along with new recruits Jesper and Rickard) have started a new grind project and have posted six brand new demo tracks for free download: http://www.nasum.com/
Asombria, the Swedish electropop project consisting of 2/3rds of the now-dormant band EnCounter, will be releasing their new single "Coming home" as a free download on December 24 via their website: http://www.asombria.com/