Within seconds of cranking this baby up it's easy to see why Danish youngsters Scarred By Beauty won the Danish Metal Awards ‘talent of the year' accolade for 2009. This, their debut EP, reveals a band with talent that belies their years and is strong enough to sit alongside some of the best extreme metal to emerge –- even from seasoned professionals –- in a long while. SBB draw their influences from a wide range of extreme metal and have brought it all together to create an utterly savage amalgam that's not unlike Meshuggah meets Death meets Cryptopsy's "The Unspoken King" album (let that Cryptopsy reference be not the death-knell, though. While it was slated by many, that was in the context of the band's former reputation for all-out slaughter). SBB have pulled off an amazing feat with this debut, albeit one that needs a bit of tweaking here and there. The main concern here is in the choice of vocals. While Hatesphere's Jonathan "Joller" Albrechtsen sports a demonic set of lungs, this band would benefit greatly if he were to reign in the screaming a touch, essentially moving SBB away from a metalcore alignment and synching them with a more generalized extreme metal outlook. The vocals on this really hit home with Albrechtsen's shuddering death growls and, used in the sparing fashion evident here, offer a gates-of-hell-opening diversion that's as powerful as bejesus. Super-tight musicianship, well thought out song constructions, and a giant-slaying production make this one of the surprises of the year. Just wind in the screaming a touch and these guys are definitely onto a winner. - John Norby
Oriel Joans (remember?) have just released their self-titled debut album and are streaming it in its entirety at their website: http://www.orieljoans.com/
If you're like me and are excited about the new Darkthrone, the vinyl edition of the new album "Circle the wagons" is now available for preorder and will be released on March 8, a full month before the CD/digital. Go here for details: http://www.peaceville.com/darkthrone/
If I didn't already just preorder a bunch of Swedish death metal reissues, I'd be all about it.
Norwegian pop/roots act Bob Haley are now streaming their new single "Running through a dream" at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/yourbobhaley
Look for the band's new album "Catch the music" to be released in May.
Danish act The Late Parade are giving away their song "We will walk straight through this wall" for a limited time on the occasion of Copenhagen Fashion Week: http://www.thelateparade.com/
In case you forgot, the video for this song caused a bit of a stir when it was first released last year.
The excellent Tobias Hellkvist has signed with London/Tokyo-based label who will be reissuing the previously self-released album "Evolutions" in mid-March with new artwork. More details when I get 'em.
The upcoming Skitsystem reunion in Göteborg will go down on February 26 at Truckstop Alaska and will feature a ridiculously killer lineup with bands such as Tyrant, Tribulation and Bombus. Full details: http://www.lastfm.se/event/1388102+Truckstop+Februari-fest
I'm sure most fans have already seen it by now, but is giving away another new song from The Radio Dept.: http://www.labrador.se/heavensonfire
I don't think that anything can convince me at this point that this band is not totally boring.
Check out an e-card for the new track "Death priest" from the recently-reunited Norwegian metal act Purified in Blood: http://www.ecards.no/purifiedinblood/
Scarred By Beauty