Djerv signs with Indie

Djerv, the new band of ex-Animal Alpha frontwoman Agnete Kjølsrud, has officially signed with Indie Recordings.

Blood Command - Alert all assassins (video)

Check out Blood Command's brand new video "Alarm all assassins": http://vimeo.com/14940098
I'd be into it if it didn't have that terrible heavy, screechy part. Animal Alpha could sort of pull off that sort of thing, but even then, it's still grating.

Djerv confirm debut EP

Norwegian act Djerv (ex-Animal Alpha) have announced that their debut release will be the 3-track "Headstone EP", due out August 3 via their own label Katapult Music. The material was originally recorded as a demo, but is being released now to tide over fans until the eventual full-length which will be released in February/March 2011.

Djerv now streaming samples

Djerv, the new band from ex-Animal Alpha vocalist Agnete Kjølsrud (also featuring Erlend Gjerde of Stonegard/Wardruna and Stian Kårstad of Trelldom), are finally streaming a few demo tracks at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/djervmusic

Ex-Animal Alpha vocalist announces new band

Djerv, the new band of ex-Animal Alpha vocalist Agnete Kjølsrud, now have a myspace presence with a few videos from the studio: http://www.myspace.com/djervmusic

Monolithic finally release album

Monolithic, the Norwegian free-jazz/metal duo of Stian Westerhus (Jaga Jazzist, Puma) and Kenneth Kapstad (Motorpsycho, ex-Dadafon/Animal Alpha), have finally released their long-awaited debut album "Black science" via Roggbif Records. Apparently said record was recorded back in 2006, but it's taken 3 years to bring it to light.

Animal Alpha is done

Norwegian act Animal Alpha has officially called it quits: http://www.animalalpha.com/aa/news/701-press_release.html
The band lost two members back in December and apparently was unable to recover.

Animal Alpha down to three

Guitarist Christer-André Cederberg and bassist Lars Imre Bidtnes have left Animal Alpha, leaving the band a three-piece (for now). Read the latest newsbrief from the band which includes the very first demo track that frontwoman Agnete Maria Forfang Kjølsrud ever sang on: http://www.animalalpha.com/

Here's the playlist for this week's radio show:

01. Frivolvol - Out come the knives
02. TALK 1
03. Lapko - Dead disco
04. Gentle Touch - Once you used to
05. Pellarin - Whistle like you're 56
06. TALK 2
07. Björn Kleinhenz - Light of love
08. Pascal - Smärtsillande
09. Ljudbilden & Piloten - Weddings
10. TALK 3
11. Margaret Berger - Samantha
12. Doughnuts - Become one
13. Kusowsky - Jonny
14. NEI - The devil
15. TALK 4
16. Happiness - Loot at that rabbit go!
17. Firefox AK - Pushing
18. Fattaru - Hörde jag skål
19. TALK 5
20. Britta Persson - Cliffhanger
21. Grizzly Twister - Black box
22. The Social Services - Baltic Sea
23. TALK 6
24. Montys Loco - Criminal
25. Fontän - Alla kan se dig
26. Animal Alpha - Pin you all
27. TALK 7
28. Astrid Swan - Spartan picnic
29. Barra Head - Undermine
30. Fun - 2:22men
31. TALK 8
32. Ted Gärdestad - Oh, vilken härlig dag
33. Christian Kjellvander - Poppies and peonies
34. Echo Is Your Love - Lion tamer vs tigers
35. TALK 9
36. I Am Bones - Home is the one corner of hell that didn't catch fire
37. Miss Li - I'm sorry, he's mine
38. The Deer Tracks - YesThisIsMyBrokenShield
39. TALK 10
40. Entombed - Damn deal done

Check out Animal Alpha's brand new video for "Pin you all": http://www.animalalpha.com/aa/news/660-_pin_you_all_video.html

This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart:

01. Kaizers Orchestra - Maskineri
02. Madrugada - Madrugada
03. The National Bank - Come On Over To The Other Side
04. Secret Garden - Inside I'm singing
05. Madcon - So Dark the Con of Man
06. Hellbillies - Spissrotgang
07. Anne Nørdsti - Livli på låven
08. Sie Gubba - Sånn e livet
09. Gaute Ormåsen - Drømmesang
10. Leif Ove Andsnes - Mozart Piano Concerto Nos 9 & 18
11. Beady Belle - Belvedere
12. Vidar Johnsen & Peter Nordberg - Ord og Øgonblick
13. Celine - Bæstevænna
14. BigBang - Something Special - The Best
15. Bertine Zetlitz - In my mind 1997-2007 Best of
16. The Margarets - Twenty Years Erased
17. Kurt Nilsen - Push push
18. Diverse artister - Melodi Grand Prix 2008
19. Animal Alpha - You Pay For The Whole Seat...
20. CC Cowboys - På Svalbard uten strøm

MP3: Animal Alpha - Breed again

I have conflicted feelings about Animal Alpha. They are guilty of committing many grievous nü-metal clichés, but on the other hand, they usually manage to pull it off somewhat tastefully. "Somewhat" being relative to your tolerance level, I suppose. Personally, I still enjoy "Roots"-era Sepultura and will even own up to enjoying a few Soulfly tunes (I even saw them on their first tour), so it's not as if I never dipped my toes in this stuff, but I'm also not completely comfortable with it. Let us not forget all the horrible crap that this scene begat, though such bands will remain nameless here. Animal Alpha walks the line and as long as I don't think too hard about it, I can enjoy it. The new album "You pay for the whole seat, but you'll only need to edge" is mercifully short and to-the-point and when they're not competently recycling "Roots"-esque drop-d style riffage, vocalist Agnete Kjølsrud carries the band with her intense screams and surprisingly strong melodic singing. "Breed again" offers a good balance between the two sides, so even if you can't take the heaviness, you can at least try to appreciate their arena rock aspirations. Like it or not, they are good at what they do.

Animal Alpha - Breed again

Here's the playlist for this weekend's radio show:

01. C.Aarmé - Blodet
02. TALK 1
03. Kaka - The hotspurs (the less we know the faster we go)
04. Bitch Boys - Automobile
05. Benea Reach - Rejuvenate
06. TALK 2
07. The Second Band - The urgency of now
08. Breach - Murder
09. Montys Loco - Criminal
10. TALK 3
11. Det Gamla Landet - Krutrök
12. Trapdoor Fucking Exit - Cardiac arrest
13. I Am Bones - Home is the one corner of hell that didn't catch fire
14. TALK 4
15. Madrugada - Look away Lucifer
16. Timo Räisänen - Sixteen
17. When - The king
18. TALK 5
19. Beyond Dawn - Increasing the gravity
20. Ljudbilden & Piloten - Plokk
21. As In RebekkaMaria - She lion (Pato Sick Hangover remix)
22. TALK 6
23. Robert Svensson - 1987 (ft. Adam Olenius)
24. Paper - To her
25. Animal Alpha - Even when I'm wrong, I'm right
26. TALK 7
27. Niccokick - The poet
28. Asha Ali - Coward heart
29. Viola - I don't know how to party
30. TALK 8
31. Voices Break the Silence - No matter if it's now
32. Marybell Katastrophy - Red red lips
33. Anna Ternheim - Shoreline
34. TALK 9
35. Ulf Ljusberg - Here, me
36. Sir Eric Beyond and the Avant-garde - Democracy
37. Once We Were - Carnival
38. Birds On Holiday - I had a plan
39. TALK 10
40. Björn Kleinhenz - Tredje Långgatan 26

This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart:

01. Madrugada - Madrugada
02. Secret Garden - Inside I'm singing
03. Sie Gubba - Sånn e livet
04. Anne Nørdsti - Livli på låven
05. Madcon - So Dark the Con of Man
06. Hellbillies - Spissrotgang
07. The Margarets - Twenty Years Erased
08. Beady Belle - Belvedere
09. Celine - Bæstevænna
10. Bertine Zetlitz - In my mind 1997-2007 Best of
11. Something Sally - Familiar Strangers
12. Vidar Johnsen & Peter Nordberg - Ord & Øgonblick
13. Venke Knutson - Crush
14. Kurt Nilsen - Push push
15. Raga Rockers - Ubermensch
16. Animal Alpha - You Pay For The Whole Seat...
17. Tina Turner - Live In Europe
18. Ila Auto - Over The Next Hill
19. Henning Kvitnes - Stemmer i gresset
20. Tine Thing Helseth - Haydn/Hummel/Albinoni/Neruda

This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart:

01. Madrugada - Madrugada
02. Sie Gubba - Sånn e livet
03. The Margarets - Twenty Years Erased
04. Anne Nørdsti - Livli på låven
05. Secret Garden - Inside I'm singing
06. Madcon - So Dark the Con of Man
07. Celine - Bæstevænna
08. Animal Alpha - You Pay For The Whole Seat...
09. Hellbillies - Spissrotgang
10. Bertine Zetlitz - In my mind 1997-2007 Best of
11. Venke Knutson - Crush
12. Nymark Collective With Kristin Asbjørnsen - Bessie Smiths Revisted
13. Raga Rockers - Ubermensch
14. Vidar Johnsen & Peter Nordberg - Ord og Øgonblick
15. Ugress - Unicorn
16. Kurt Nilsen - Push push
17. Nora Brockstedt - Nora - For Swingende
18. Henning Kvitnes - Stemmer i gresset
19. BigBang - Something Special - The Best
20. Ila Auto - Over The Next Hill