Norwegian label has announced that they will be repressing Okkultokrati's "Knarkskog" EP with new cover art once the band returns from tour. They'll also be putting out two split 7"s with the band Wits End, one with Swedish act Tjuvjakt and another with Americans Perfect Future. Sample the band here: http://witsend.bandcamp.com/
The Guardian reports the new scene of necromantic noise coming out of Norway: http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2011/feb/02/necromantic-rock-metal-norway
Of course, regular readers should already be well aware that they are talking about Haust, Okkultokrati and Årabrot, three of Norway's best. No idea what those commenters are thinking praising Turbonegro over these dudes as if the last 15 years didn't happen, but whatever. Remain ignorant and enjoy Doctor Midnight & The Mercy Cult.
Okkultokrati play Stockholm this weekend at DeadFest and if it's anything like when they played Göteborg a few weeks back, I imagine my RSS reader will be full of statements such as "holy shit!" and "screw it, I quit!" the very next day. Or maybe not, seeing as how Stockholm's denizens tend to be unimpressed, jaded elitists. Anyhow, whether or not dozens of mediocre bands will spontaneously dissolve after being devastated by Scandinavia's current genre leaders, it's an event not to be missed. I obviously can't make it as I'm back home, halfway 'round the world, but at least I can still jam the band's superb new EP "Ingen veit alt". Five new tracks, including a Reagan Youth cover ("No class"), a tune with the very timely title of "Witch house" and then one that ups the nomenclature ante even further: "Triumph of meth". If the tag of "apocalyptic metal/punk sludge" sounds appealing, you can't do better than this.
Okkultokrati - Triumph of meth
I first became aware of Dark Times when I saw that they were supporting local-to-me act Gun Outfit in Oslo awhile back. That, in combination with their affiliation, ensured them a spot on my to-listen list. Actually, the latter would've been reason enough as Norway's current underground scene is simply ruling right now, but the Gun Outfit matchup is an interesting note because it implied a divergence from the Black Hole Crew's typically raw and brutal sound. Suspicions proved correct on listening: much like Gun Outfit, Dark Times are far more readily identifiable as an "indie" band -- more melody, less heavy -- but also very firmly rooted in punk/hardcore and easily matched with bands on either side of the spectrum. I've still yet to grab the band's self-titled cassette as I'm on a self-imposed record-buying moratorium (which is especially painful considering that I'm currently travelling abroad and seeing all sorts of stuff I could never ever find at home), but lucky enough, the band has made the entire thing available as a free download. No email required, just grab it. "Worlds away" in particular is a great example of the band at their best; a dark trudge brimming with resentment. Still raw like Okkultokrati and Drugged SS, but in a totally different way. I'm way into it.
Dark Times - Worlds away
The mighty Okkultokrati will be laying waste to Europe as support for Kylesa this coming February:
02/04 - Matrix, Bochum (GER)
02/05 - VK, Bruxelles (BEL)
02/06 - Kulturfabrik, Esch sur Alzette (LUX)
02/07 - Underworld, London (UK)
02/08 - Corporation, Sheffield (UK)
02/09 - Ivory Blacks, Glasgow (UK)
02/10 - Moho, Manchester (UK)
02/11 - L'Eimpreinte, Savigny Le Temple (FRA)
02/12 - Le Clacson, Lyon (FRA)
02/13 - Appartamento Hoffman, Conegliano (Treviso) (ITA)
02/14 - Feierwerk, München (GER)
02/15 - Beatpol, Dresden (GER)
02/16 - Arena, Wien (AUS)
02/17 - Magnet, Berlin (GER)
02/18 - Haus 73, Hamburg (GER)
02/19 - Juha West, Stuttgart (GER)
Okkultokrati has republished the full English text of their semi-recent interview from Ox Fanzine: http://okkultokrati.blogspot.com/2010/12/okkultokrati-interview-in-ox-fanzine.html
Okkultokrati already released the best album of the year, but they're not done yet: the band has confirmed that their upcoming 5-song CDEP/7" "Ingen veit alt" will be released on December 6 via ///. Preview the awesomely-titled "Triumph of meth" at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/okkultokrati
Nö Music has posted an excellent lengthy review of seeing the unholy trinity of Okkultokrati, Haust and Årabrot live: http://www.nomusicmedia.com/2010/09/18/the-new-necromantics/
I already posted a link to these pics awhile back, but it's still pretty cool to see Haust and Okkultokrati reblogged at MRR: http://maximumrocknroll.com/2010/09/13/monday-photo-blog-oslo-rising/
Here's the playlist for this week's radio show Sirius XMU:
01. Night Minutes - Sweetheart of the funeral
02. TALK 1
03. Korova Station - Come on come on
04. Okkultokrati - Stench of life
05. Johan G Winther - Chasing kingdoms
06. Kimono - Vienna
07. TALK 2
08. SONMOI - The man with no flesh
09. Phonophani - Neverdal
10. Kausal - The conquistador
11. TALK 3
12. Vowels - oiaå
13. The Bear Quartet - We're not gonna make it
14. Säkert! - Rotary
15. Slöa Knivar - Stay dirty
16. TALK 4
17. Slöa Knivar - Hjärtat
18. Menfolk - Skeletons
19. Asha Ali - Hurricane
20. Tiger Tape - She is fiction
21. TALK 5
Reminder: my show airs every week on Sundays and Mondays at 11pm ET on Sirius XMU. That's channel 26 on Sirius, 43 on XM and 831 for DirecTV subscribers.
Check out pics from the Haust/Okkultokrati official record release show on Friday the 13th: http://okkultokrati.blogspot.com/2010/08/photos-from-haustokkultokrati-show.html
Also note that Okkultokrati's debut 7" "Knarkskog" is being repressed: http://okkultokrati.blogspot.com/2010/08/knarkskog-repress.html
100 copies, red vinyl, totally crucial. The shirts are pretty bad-ass too (even my wife likes it), though I've yet to cut the sleeves off mine as directed.
Spanish webzine Necromance interviewed Norwegians Okkultokrati and the band has posted the original English version of their conversation: http://okkultokrati.blogspot.com/2010/08/okkultokrati-interview-in-necromance.html
Here's the playlist for this week's radio show Sirius XMU, all metal/punk to coincide with the new podcast:
01. TALK 1
02. Waklevören - Attakk
03. Eskatol - Fane av løgner
04. Årabrot - End of the world / Revelations
05. Lögnhalsmottagningen - Positivt tankande
06. TALK 2
07. Grave - Liberation
08. Obliteration - Exterminate
09. Liket Lever - Levande begravd
10. Knugen Faller - Jag vill inte vara med
11. TALK 3
12. Haust - Anti-reproductive
13. Underachiever - Cut a smile
14. Pointless Youth - Damaged head
15. Wolfbrigade - In adrenaline
16. Darkthrone - I am the graves of the 80s
17. TALK 4
18. Nekromantheon - We're rotting
19. Slugathor - The smoke
20. Tyrant - I'll burn that bridge (before you can cross it)
21. TALK 5
22. Bitch Boys - Automobile
23. Mögel - Jag är så rädd
24. Okkultokrati - On mouth of hells
25. Victims - Another way to die
26. Nitad - Stockholmsnatt
27. TALK 6
Reminder: my show airs every week on Sundays and Mondays at 11pm ET on Sirius XMU. That's channel 26 on Sirius, 43 on XM and 831 for DirecTV subscribers.
