MusicOMH interviews Norway's Extol: http://www.musicomh.com/interviews/extol.htm
The latest Scandinavian music reviews from the German webzine Sellfish:
Candlemass - s/t
Morgana Lefay - Grand materia
Pain of Salvation - s/t
Torpedo - Anticlockwise
Download some old demo tracks from Terror, a Swedish metal band featuring pre-At the Gates/The Haunted members Anders Björler, Jonas Björler and Adrian Erlandsson together with Jon Nödtveit of Dissection: http://homepage.mac.com/soulrot/terror.html
Check out some more old stuff from Adrian Erlandsson such as Skitsystem (he quit in '96) and HEAL: http://homepage.mac.com/soulrot/mpdown.html
Download "Goddess on the loose" from Swedish rock n' rollers Marvel: http://lemur.klot.net/newyorkpowerhitters/marvel/bin/Marvel_GoddessOnTheLoose.mp3
The track is the band's first single from their debut full-length "Five smell city", out now on Black Juju.
Wasted Sounds has announced the release of the Black Star Rising/BAMN split for today, April 25. BSR plays old English-style crust with a dual vocal attack and BAMN is comparative to fellow Swedish crust acts Ambulance and To What End. Check out some samples:
Black Star Rising - Dandelion
Black Star Rising - Stranded On The Shores Of eBay
BAMN - No Better Day
BAMN - Zero Lines
BSR will also be touring Europe in July. Dates so far:
06/30 - Linkoping, Sweden
07/01 - Neubrandenburg, Germany
07/02 - Potsdam, Germany
07/13 - Stuttgart, Germany
07/14 - Luxenburg
07/15 - Ankmaar, Netherlands
07/16 - Yellowdog Festival
New mp3 today from Göteborg post-punk trio Cut City. The song comes from the group's upcoming 7" on the US label GSL, but is already an indie dancefloor hit in Sweden because it's just so undeniably good. That's the computer age for ya. The most immediate point of reference for you youngsters will be Interpol, but Cut City's sound comes more directly from the classic post-punk sounds of Gang of Four, Wire and Factory Records. It's gritty, dark and anxious - the way it should be, unlike all the polished, boring stuff you're likely to hear on the radio these days such as The Killers or The Bravery. There's actually a few other Swedish bands like The Je Ne Sais Quoi and 1999 who do justice to the genre and maybe we'll revisit them at another time. Tonight: I'm going to see SF's leading post-post revivalists Giant Haystacks who are playing at Gilman alongside Denmark's Gorilla Angreb (ex-Amdi Petersens Arme). Should be a good time I hope.
Sivert has posted an update on Madrugada's activities over at the band blog: http://www.emi.no/madrugada/blogs.asp?id=16
Most of the band's European dates this summer have been posted on the site as well.
In other Håkan-related news, check out some electronic versions of his songs as done by The Mexicos:
Japanese label Escalator Records have licensed Datarock's newest album "Datarock Datarock" and will release it over there at end of May.
Cold Meat Industry has posted details for the upcoming Brighter Death Now live dualdisc "Disobey": http://www.coldmeat.se/catalogue/cmi/cmi139.html
Two live shows from Rostock, one from 1997 (CD) and one from 2003 (DVD). It comes out on May 15.
Via Lupatarkastaja comes word that Finnish traditional metal act Machine Men have signed with Century Media: http://lupatarkastaja.samizdat.info/2005/04/21/machine-men-century-medialle/
Norway's Animal Alpha is currently recordng at Radio Star Studios in Weed, CA with producer Sylvia Massy (Johnny Cash, Tool, Red Hot Chili Peppers, REM, etc.). Look for an EP to be released on June 6 to be followed by an album on September 5, both via Racing Junior Records. I guess they're playing tomorrow in SF at the Tongue and Groove, but I'm busy so I won't be there. And for everyone else reporting the news, Weed is not just outside of SF - it's at least a four hour drive.