Legendary one-man metal act Bathory aka Quorthon is reportedly writing new material for his 12th album and plans to enter the studio later this winter or early spring to start recording. The less-than-serious working title of the record is "Dra Ballen i Gruset Grabbar" and a release is expected sometime later this year through Black Mark Records.
Finnish goth-metal act HIM will be shooting new videos in both Philadelphia and Los Angeles this weekend for the songs "And Love Said No" and "Solitary Man". The first new single is scheduled for a mid-February release in Europe and will be followed by a compilation album sometime in March. No doubt, I suspect that comp is being used to give the band a much-needed international publicity push as they try to expand their reach worldwide.
Soilwork drummer Richard Evensand has decided to leave the Swedish metal act and move to the US to play with Cleaveland, Ohio's Chimaira. Read this for an explanation of why he's doing it.
Speaking of Soilwork, the band will be playing the UK in February with fellow Swedes The Forsaken as support. Dates:
02/24 - Rock City, Nottingham
02/25 - Cathouse, Glasgow
02/26 - Whelan's, Dublin
02/27 - Rio, Bradford
02/28 - Woughton Centre, Milton Keynes
02/29 - Underworld, London
As was to be expected since the breakup of 69-Hard last October, it hasn't taken long for the guys to start new projects. Mats Jeppsson and Christian Fridlund are playing together in a new band called United Enemies together with the ex-Nasty Idols frontman Andy Pierce aka Anders Persson. The music is decribed as "Total 13"-era Backyard Babies style rock n' roll. The guys also have a oldschool rockabilly sideproject with only upright bass and two guitars. As for ex-69er vocalist Kalle, he'll be teaming up with Bjorn (ex-C-men) and Sticky Bomb (Wilmer X) and some unnamed bassplayer to "put out some rocking shit." More info on that soon.
Otherwise, anyone with pictures, posters, flyers, reviews or whatever other 69-Hard memorabilia is encouraged to pass it along to the band so they can put together a huge post-humous photo archive on their website. Email them at info@69-hard.com if you can help out.
Goodbye Hederos & Hellberg, hello Sophie Zelmani. Check out some new live mp3s on the right and be sure to also check out her new album "Love Affair". It strikes me as a bit more soft spoken and melancholy than her previous work and I'm really, really enjoying it. Almost a cross between (recent) Emmylou Harris material and Stina Nordenstam.
Voidfaith Netzine has updated with their best-of lists for 2003: http://www.voidfaith.net/artikel_2003.htm
They also have a new interview up with Crowpath: http://www.voidfaith.net/intervju_crowpath.htm (both in Swedish)
The new José González EP "Remain" comes out on January 14 from Imperial Records. It will contain two previously unreleased tracks, one of which is a cover of the Joy Division classic "Love Will Tear Us Apart". Full tracklist for the CD:
01. Remain
02. Lovestain
03. Love Will Tear Us Apart
04. Suggestions
There will also be a two-song version on 7".
Norweigan electronic artists Frost make their UK debut at the Notting Hill Arts Club in London on January 19. Smalltown Supersound label manager Joakim Haugland will be spinning records that night, too. Their album "Melodica" will be released over there on the group's own FrostWorld Recordings in February.
Updated tourdates for Hardcore Superstar:
01/08 - Nostrui, Helsinki (FIN)
01/20 - Molotow, Hamburg (GER)
01/21 - Magnet, Berlin (GER)
01/22 - Zakk, Dusseldorf (GER)
01/23 - Kamp, Bielefeld (GER)
01/24 - Backstage, Munchen (GER)
01/25 - LA Gabbia, Bassano Del Grappa (IT)
01/26 - Vidia, Cesena (IT)
01/27 - Alpheus, Roma (IT)
01/28 - Indian Saloon, Bresso (IT)
01/29 - Barrumba, Torino (IT)
01/30 - tba
01/31 - Lintfabrike, Kontich (BEL)
02/02 - Rock City, Nottingham (UK)
02/03 - Forum, Turnbridge (UK)
02/04 - Underworld, London (UK)
02/05 - Patrionaat, Haarlem (HOL)
All dates except January 8 are with Gemini Five. You can also peep the video for their single "Still I'm Glad" right here.
Swedish grindcore band Gadget have completed work on their debut full-length album "Remote" and sent it off to Relapse for pressing. It will contain 21 songs in just under 30 minutes and you can listen to some samples here:
Track 03: Crestfallen
Track 13: Empty Souls
The record is due out February 3 and the band plans on doing a record release show on either February 26 or 27 in Gävle. Other upcoming dates for the band:
01/16 - Östersund w/Ambulance (tbc)
01/17 - Umeå w/Ambulance
Upcoming tourdates for Swedish hard-rockers Dollhouse:
01/09 - Bar 68, Jyväskylä (FIN) w/The Sheena Hyenas
01/10 - Stella Star, Helsinki (FIN)
01/11 - Factory, Helsinki (FIN)
01/14 - Torvi, Lahti (FIN) w/Suzy Sunless
01/23 - Subway To Peter, Chemnitz (GER)
01/24 - Groovestation, Dresden (GER)
01/29 - Grabenhalle, St. Gallen (SWI) w/Black Moses
01/30 - Reitschule, Berne (SWI) w/Black Moses
01/31 - Car Wash, Zürich (SWI) w/Black Moses
02/01 - Sedel Club, Lucerne (SWI) w/Black Moses, Möped Lads
02/03 - Geneve @ TBA (SWI)
02/06 - Bassano D.G. (VI), La Gabbia (IT) w/L.A. Guns
02/07 - Club Vidia, Cesena (IT)
02/08 - Torino, Barrumba (IT) w/L.A. Guns
02/10 - Pietra de Giorgi (Broni), Tempio (IT) w/The Nerds
The band's new album "The Rock And Soul Circus" was produced by Michael Davis (MC5) and will be out on US label Dim Mak later this year.
Zero Music Magazine is reporting that Swedish synthpop act Blipp! is back with a new album of twenty-one songs and it should be out soon.
Some of the bands confirmed for the Party.San Open Air festival in Bad Berka, Germany on August 12-14: Dismember, Carpathian Forest, Vomitory, Disfear, The Crown, Panzerchrist, The Duskfall, Hatesphere, Zyklon and Incapacity. Full details: http://www.party-san.de/
After a dismal year, it looks like Hellride is getting back together. Members Pete and Bosse have enlisted former bassplayer Zugly (also in The Wonderfools) and are trying to start something again. They say they are trying to get back to the original concept behind Hellride, a "ultimate soundtrack for a stinkin' drunk, pissed off, vicious and mean beast on a killing spree."