Finland's Negative, in cooperation with GB Fam Records, has signed an international licensing deal with Roadrunner Records. Look for their albums to be rereleased in new territories soon.
Finnish theatrical rockers Lordi have signed an international deal with Sanctuary Records. The band plans to launch a "massive European tour" next spring under the tutelage of EMI-Clear Channel, the same team responsible for the international efforts of countrymates HIM and The Rasmus. Read the press release: http://www.lordi.org/press_uk.htm
Kid Commando is working on a new album to be released on January 19 next year. The band also plans to tour the UK during the period of January 21-29, the US in April and Europe in March. More info soon.
Pitchfork lauds Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson with their "best new music" tag: http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/j/johannsson_johann/virthulegu-forsetar.shtml
Entombed will be teaming up with Crowbar, Pro-Pain and The Mighty Nimbus for a US tour to kick off on February 7 in NYC. Full dates soon. Read the press release from Candlelight: http://www.digitalmetal.com/news.asp?cid=3827
Reviews in this week's High Bias update include Pain of Salvation, Thirdimension, Väsen, Wintersun and more. Go here: http://highbias.com
Go here to check out the video for "Back to the USA" from Andreas Tilliander: http://www.pluxemburg.com/extras.php?show=videos
Here's an update on some new releases coming out next year from Finland's Verdura Records:
Mohel 7"
Almost finished, some mastering to be done. Should be out early 2005. Free improv jazz mayhem.
Sergio - Swords CD
Two promising EPs (both on Trash Can) and superb concerts have made Sergio a household name among the small circle of domestic indie music followers and certainly some high hopes have been put on their debut full lenght. And oh dear, oh dear, how gladly we can assure that this is as good as you might expect. Hailing since 1996, the band hasn't exactly rushed with recording an album, and it shows. "Swords" is very much a complete work. And even though there are those understandable comparisons to bands like Interpol or Fugazi, the fellows definitely have a distinguishable delivery of their own, such a strong mixture of wistful melodies and intense, ferocious playing is a rare gem.
Kirlian Crossing - s/t CD
Top quality -and heck, even catchy!- avant pop by Ilai Rämä (Siniaalto/Echo Is Your Love) and Teemu Sinkko. Beautiful and sensitive compositions with intriguingly unusual and obscure arrangements, like your traditional pop outlook messed up really bad, in a kind way though. Jaw dropping.
Swedish prog/psych-rockers Anekdoten will be heading to Japan for two shows in February:
02/26 - Kinema Klub, Tokyo w/Goninish, Pochakaite Malko
02/27 - Kinema Klub, Tokyo w/Machine And The Synergetic Nuts, Pochakaite Malko
An early Christmas present? Check out the track "Grind Christmas" from Scorched Earth Tactics: http://www.scorched.org/mp3/misc/set-grind_christmas.mp3
Nutmeg has added three new songs to the media section of their website: http://www.nutmeg.se/media.asp
Check out the video for the Sophie Rimheden/Håkan Lidbo cover of the 80s Tears for Fears classic "Shout": http://recycled.se/work/shout/shout.wmv
Mortiis recently contributed a short ambient piece entitled "Fear feeders" to the soundtrack for the documentary "The Pitch, Poker and the Public". "The music isn´t what Mortiis as a band would normally release on a record or anything," he says, "it's more like a collection of voices and sounds." Mortiis is also working on a few other sideprojects, but nothing's being revealed quite yet.