Swedish hard-rockers Black Belt kind of/sort of have a proper website now: http://www.blackbelt.se/

Here's this week's MTV Up North Nordic video chart, the final one for the year:

01. Saybia - I surrender
02. Nephew - Superliga
03. Mando Diao - God Knows
04. Clemens - Raptus
05. Bertine Zetlitz - Fake Your Beauty
06. Nightwish - Wish I Had
07. The Hives - Two Timing Touch & Broken Bones
08. Dhani - Girl Talk
09. Jonna - Sateen Jälken
10. Black Belt - All to You
11. Melody Club - Baby (Stand Up)
12. Eskobar - You Got Me
13. Burhan G - Take U Home
14. Ayesha - Squaffie
15. Sahara Hotnights - Who Do You Dance For
16. Promoe - Long Distance Runner
17. Ana - Don't Cry For Pain
18. Infinite Mass - Fire Fire
19. Margaret Berger - Lifetime Guarantee
20. Lambretta - Chemical

Go to the MTVE.com site to watch and vote for your favorite.

Top 10s for 2004: Daggan (Novoton)

Here's this week's MTV Up North Nordic video chart:

01. Saybia - I surrender
02. HIM - And Love Said No
03. Nephew - Superliga
04. Dhani - Girl Talk
05. Nightwish - Wish I Had
06. Black Belt - All to You
07. Ana - Don't Cry For Pain
08. The Hives - Two Timing Touch & Broken Bones
09. Bertine Zetlitz - Fake Your Beauty
10. Melody Club - Baby (Stand Up)
11. Burhan G - Take U Home
12. Ayesha - Squaffie
13. Sahara Hotnights - Who Do You Dance For
14. Eskobar - You Got Me
15. Promoe - Long Distance Runner
16. Noble - Hot 2 Nite
17. Beats And Styles - Fire
18. Deportees - Not Tonight
19. The Solution - My Mojo Aint Working No More
20. Margaret Berger - Lifetime Guarantee

Challengers:
01. Majid - My Struggle
02. The Ark - One Of Us Is Gonna Die Young
03. Jonna - Sateen Jälken
04. Infinite Mass - Fire Fire
05. Mando Diao - God Knows

Go to the MTVE.com site to watch and vote for your favorite.

Here's this week's MTV Up North Nordic video chart:

01. Saybia - I surrender
02. Annie - Chewing Gum
03. HIM - And Love Said No
04. Dhani - Girl Talk
05. Nightwish - Wish I Had
06. Nephew - Superliga
07. Black Belt - All to You
08. Ana - Don't Cry For Pain
09. The Hives - Two Timing Touch & Broken Bones
10. Lazyboy - Facts Of Life
11. Stephen Simmonds - Mother Mary
12. Bertine Zetlitz - Fake Your Beauty
13. Burhan G - Take U Home
14. Ayesha - Squaffie
15. Johndoe - Pyromantikk
16. The Solution - My Mojo Aint Working No More
17. Magne F - Past Perfect Present Tense
18. Eskobar - You Got Me
19. Noble - Hot 2 Nite
20. Promoe - Long Distance Runner

Challengers:
01. Deportees - Not Tonight
02. Beats And Styles - Fire
03. Melody Club - Baby (Stand Up)
04. Sahara Hotnights - Who Do You Dance For
05. Clemens - Raptus
06. Margaret Berger - Lifetime Guarantee

Go to the MTVE.com site to watch and vote for your favorite.

Here's this week's MTV Up North Nordic video chart:

01. Annie - Chewing Gum
02. HIM - And Love Said No
03. Nephew - Superliga
04. Dhani - Girl Talk
05. Saybia - I surrender
06. Sugarplum Fairy - Sweet Jackie
07. Nightwish - Wish I Had
08. Ana - Don't Cry For Pain
09. Lazyboy - Facts Of Life
10. Hanna Pakarinen - How Can I Miss You
11. Stephen Simmonds - Mother Mary
12. Bomfunk MC's - No Way In Hell
13. Ayesha - Squaffie
14. Blue Foundation - Save This Town
15. Promoe - Long Distance Runner
16. Private Line - 1-800-Out Of Nowhere
17. Johndoe - Pyromantikk
18. Negative - In My Heaven
19. Tigerbombs - 1000 Sparks
20. Soundtrack of Our Lives - Bigtime

Challengers:
01. The Mo - Howl In The Jungle
02. Bertine Zetlitz - Fake Your Beauty
03. Brolle Jr. - Sound Of A Drum
04. Noble - Hot 2 Nite
05. Black Belt - All to You

Go to the MTVE.com site to watch and vote for your favorite.

Novoton Records, home of Black Belt and Novak, has a new website online with a bunch of downloadable video and audio content: http://www.novoton.se/

I now have Black Belt and Novak CDs available in the mailorder section. Be sure to check 'em out.

Black Belt
First blood
Novoton

Not to be mistaken with the Sega Master System game of the same name, Black Belt play a brand of rock that is reminiscent of bands from the '70s (AC/DC, Cheap Trick, etc...) and which a lot of bands today are trying to do (I'm looking in your direction, Jet.) In this case, Black Belt manage to do a decent job of it.

The Swedish trio's debut, produced by Johan Gustafsson (the bassist from Randy, who also had a hand in the recording the latest albums from The Hives and the Sahara Hotnights), was something I really enjoyed. A lot of the songs, such as "Shoplift girl" and "Belly up", showed a lot of potential from this band. It's pretty good stuff to play in your Mopar-fueled Mustang while speeding down the street to. The balance between the guitar and bass complimented one another without overpowering each other. I found myself sinking into the guitar solos and trying to pinpoint what they reminded me of.

The only downside is that the lead singer's voice gets too warbly on the first track "Plastic angels" and the first minute or so of the last track "Hands Up!" He has a great voice that reminds me of the lead singer of The Cult but on those two tracks, he strains it too much and it loses its richness. The warbling spoils what is a good album overall. If you could just move past the first track, then you'll enjoy "First blood".
- Navy Keophan

Novoton Records has announced that they will be releasing the new single "All to you" from Black Belt on August 23. The track comes off of the band's upcoming debut album "First blood" which was recorded at Studio Grondahl with Johan Gustavsson (Randy, Sahara Hotnights, The Hives). The band features Joen Carlstedt of Infinite Mass alongside drummer Andreas Avelin and frontman/guitarist Martin Eriksson and you can check out a few sound clips on their website: http://www.blackbelt.se/

Bands now confirmed for the Pop Dakar Festival on May 22 in Stockholm: Ane Brun, Bad Cash Quartet, Black Belt, Deportees, Elias One Man Band, Isolation Years, Moonbabies, Niccokick, Quit Your Dayjob, Strip Music, The End Will Be Kicks, The High Heeled Honeys and The Legends. Details: http://www.popdakar.nu/