MIC Norway has been doing an extended run of profiles on various Norwegian folk musicians in anticipation of WOMEX, the world music expo: http://www.mic.no/english
Check out a new video from Bogus Blimp: http://www.akff.no/Video/qtm/The_Solitude_of_Space.mov
Jester Records has broken out beyond the confines of Norway and signed American improv guitarist Anthony Curtis. Read more: http://www.jester-records.com/
Norwegian avant-jazz/metal/experimental act Third and the Mortal will release their new album "Project Bluebook" on January 5. The record will feature two brand new studio tracks, one new live track and four live versions of TatM classics. Samples here: http://thomasr.nvg.org/mortal.info/av.htm
Lots of Scandinavian stuff in the latest Aquarius Records list such as Circle, Darkthrone, a restock of Dungen, The Haunted and tons more: http://www.aquariusrecords.org/cat/newest.html
Swedish post-rock act September Malevolence has announced that their new album "Tomorrow we'll wonder where this generation gets its priorities from" will be out in November via A Tenderversion Recordings.
The nominees for Denmark's Zulu awards have been announced. I'm too lazy to list all the nominees and categories, but you can go here to vote: http://zulu.dk/?type_id=1230
Check out samples from the new album "Shadow Red Hand" from Danish alt-country/indie-rock act Tenderloud: http://www.lytteposten.dk/front/show.asp?ID=4000
A full mp3 of the song "Liquor eyes" can be downloaded here: http://www.tenderloud.dk/music/Tenderloud-LiquorEyes_full.mp3
Finnish music download site For Your Ears is moving to a LAME-encoded 256k VBR MP3 format. Finally, someone who understands that sound quality is important and is willing to adjust, file size be damned. Maybe some folks can deal will all those 128k mp3s most people sell, but they give me a headache. Anyhow, the catalogue is slowly being converted and everyone will be able to download new versions of tracks they already have paid for. In other FYR news, Exogenic Breaks will be adding their label's catalogue (Accu, Brothom States, Reuna and PJVM) to the site shortly.
Lampshade will be throwing a record release show on November 15 at KB in Malmö to celebrate their new album "Because trees can fly", to be released on Germnay's Glitterhouse Records.
Laakso on tour in Germany:
11/18 - Glocksee, Hannover (GER)
11/19 - Schilleroper, Hamburg (GER)
11/20 - Bastion, Bochum (GER)
11/21 - tbc (GER)
11/22 - Rosenkeller, Jena (GER)
11/24 - Moritzbastei, Leipzig (GER)
11/25 - Tanzklub Volkspark, Halle (GER)
11/26 - Clubmetropolitan, Traunstein (GER)
11/27 - tbc (GER)
11/28 - Rakete, Nürnberg (GER)
11/30 - Waldschloss, Potsdam (GER)
12/01 - Magnet, Berlin (GER)
12/02 - MS Stubnitz, Rostock (GER)
12/03 - Klex, Greifswald (GER)
The dates for that Tiamat, Theatre of Tragedy, Pain and Sirenia tour have been confirmed:
12/26 - Hof Ter Loo, Antwerpen (BEL)
12/27 - Haus Auensee, Leipzig (GER)
12/28 - JZ, Andernach (GER) (no Tiamat)
12/29 - Kallewerk, Bad Salzungen (GER) (no Tiamat)
12/30 - Ohrakel, Ingolstadt (GER)
12/31 - Planet Music, Wien (AUS)
01/02 - Rockhaus, Salzburg (AUS)
01/03 - Z7, Pratteln (SWI)
01/04 - Rainbow, Milano (ITA)
01/05 - Substage, Karlsruhe (GER)
01/06 - O13, Tilburg (NL)
01/07 - Live Arena, Münster / Breitfeld (GER)
01/08 - Columbia Fritz, Berlin (GER)
01/09 - Faust, Hannover (GER)
Check out an audio sample of the brand new Dissection single "Maha Kali": http://www.dissection.nu/sounds/mahakali/mahakali_sample.mp3
There's also a video sample here: http://www.dissection.nu/media/dvideo.mov
Since that Type O Negative tour fell through, Amorphis will be teaming up with Into Eternity and Beyond the Embrace for some new American dates. Here's what's been confirmed so far:
02/24 - Hard Rock Live, Guadalajara (MEX) (Amorphis only)
02/25 - Salon Arena, Morelia (MEX) (Amorphis only)
02/26 - Gran Forum, Mexico City (MEX) (Amorphis only)
02/27 - Cafe Iguana, Monterrey (MEX) (Amorphis only)
03/02 - Mason Jar, Phoenix, AZ
03/03 - Key Club, West Hollywood, CA @
03/04 - Galaxy Theatre, Santa Ana, CA
03/09 - Bluebird Theater, Denver, CO
03/14 - House Of Blues, Cleveland, OH
Enslaved are more than just the world's best viking metal band, they are also excellent fishermen: http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=28427 (via Blabbermouth)