Satyricon, Animal Alpha, Christer Knudsen and Annie are the first four acts confirmed for next year's Øyafestivalen in Oslo, Norway.

Ferrante Power Equipment discusses the "fine art of black metal" with Frost of Satyricon: http://www.f-p-e.com/interviews/interview.php?id=30

Norway's JR Ewing are back in the studio recording a new album with producers Kåre Chr. Vestrheim (Jaga Jazzist, Gluecifer, Gåte) and Mike Hartung (Satyricon, Savoy) and will also be tracking guitars with Don Dons of WE. The band plans to do fifteen songs that they say "represent a new side of JR Ewing," and are "simply the best songs we've ever written." There's no label confirmed yet, but expect a release sometime early next year.

"I recently read a survey that said that Americans between the ages of 18 and 30 are the least rebellious and most god-fearing in the world. How disappointing. It's time that Satyricon came to the U.S."
The first confirmed dates for Satyricon's "The Return of the Antichrist" US tour with Infernal Majesty and 3 Inches of Blood:

12/02 - The Pound, San Francisco, CA
12/03 - The Whiskey, Los Angeles, CA
12/05 - Mason Jar, Phoenix, AZ
12/09 - Pops Nite Club, St. Louis, MO
12/11 - Harpo's, Detroit, MI
12/12 - Eagles Club/The Rave, Milwaukee, WI
12/13 – Metro, Chicago, IL
12/16 – Trocadero, Philadelphia, PA
12/18 - The Palladium, Worcester, MA
12/19 – Jaxx, West Springfield, VA

Satyricon drummer Frost talks to AllThingsMetal about his inability to get a work visa to tour the US, the state of the current Norwegian black-metal scene and more: http://www.allthingsmetal.net/bands/interviews/satyriconi.html

Joey Jordison of Slipknot will be sitting in for Frost when Satyricon tours the US again in December, due to the former's inability to get visa clearance. Frost has a prior conviction on his record from an assault charge some ten years ago and has been repeatedly denied US access because of it. This isn't Jordison's first time filling in for another band either - some of you might recall that he filled in for a sick Lars Ulrich of Metallica at the UK's Download Festival. Could be cool - even if you're not a Slipknot maggot, it's hard to deny the guy's talent. Tentative dates:

12/02 - Slim's/The Pound, San Francisco, CA
12/03 - House of Blues/The Roxy, Los Angeles, CA
12/04 - House of Blues, Anaheim, CA
12/05 - The Marquee, Phoenix, AZ
12/07 - Trees, Austin, TX
12/08 - Engine Room, Houston, TX
12/09 - Back Room, Dallas, TX
12/10 - The Other Side, Tulsa, OK
12/11 - Pop's, St. Louis, MO
12/12 - House of Blues, Chicago, IL
12/13 - Harpo's, Detroit, MI
12/15 - BB Kings, New York, NY
12/16 - The Palladium, Worcester, MA
12/17 - Trocadero/TLA, Philadelphia, PA
12/18 - Jaxx, Springfield, VA
12/19 - tba
12/20 - tba
12/21 - tba

Global Domination interviews Frost of Satyricon/1349: http://www.statikmajik.com/gd/interviews/satyricon_frost.php

Satyricon's performance at Wacken Open Air in Germany last weekend was filmed by a twelve-camera team for use in a video for the song "Repined Bastard Nation".

The latest from Satyricon:

"We will be headlining (Wacken Open Air) Saturday the 7th of August doing a special set where we will perform Darkthrone songs with their singer the last 30 minutes of our show. Anyone who knows their black metal is aware of Darkthrone's policy of not playing live. They've decided to do this special event and asked us to be a part of it and that is of course a great honour. We're also glad that this historical event have the approval of Fenriz and Zephyrous. Bonds between Satyricon and Darkthrone have always been extremly tight and this is a great way of showing it. The thought of kicking into our opening song "Walk The Path Of Sorrow" in front of 30-40,000 people makes the wait almost unbearable. Some of you have have been sending concerned e-mails asking what the festival means by using the phrasing "last show forever" about our performance. We don't know WHAT THEY FUCK they are talking about and rest assured...Satyricon is alive and kicking as ever before!"

And with regards to US touring activities:

"No movement on the Frost case (concerning his recent visa problems). We've will be auditioning drummers in August. So far we've had no luck as some drummers we have contacted have schedules that doesn't allow them to tour with us or they turn out not to be good enough. We're hoping to return in Sep/Oct/Nov. So be patient, darkness always prevails."

There will be a special Bathory tribute at the upcoming Hole in the Sky Festival in Norway this coming August. As mentioned before, Bathory mastermind Thomas "Quorthon" Forsberg recently passed away due to heart failure. Artists set to take part: Abbath (ex-Immortal), Apollyon (Aura Noir), Faust (ex-Emperor), Gaahl (Gorgoroth), Grutle (Enslaved, Ivar (Enslaved), Nocturno Culto (Darkthrone), Samoth (Zyklon, ex-Emperor) and Satyr (Satyricon). A portion of the proceeds from the event will go to Black Mark Records, the label owned by Quorthon's father, Börje Forsberg.

Satyr of Satyricon comments on the passing of Quorthon from Bathory: http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=23527

Check out the Aquarius Records new release list for samples and reviews of new stuff from Pharaoh Overlord, Sagor & Swing, Cadaver, The Cardigans, Refused (reissues), Satyricon, Trettioariga Kriget and tons more: http://www.aquariusrecords.org/cat/newest.html

Seems like Satyricon did quite well on their US tour opening for Morbid Angel judging from this message. The best part? Plans are underway for them to come back for a headlining tour in August! Hopefully drummer Frost can make it this time around as well.

Swedish doom metal band Candlemass have called it quits yet again, seemingly for the last time. Their statement:

"We are truly sorry to inform you that Candlemass have disbanded! This is sad news for us and everybody else that love this fantastic band. There will be no more gigs, no new album, no more doom!
This is it... ..finished..........zero...........nada........out!!!
Despite the tremendous success of the reunion, everything hasn’t been perfect.
Tiny cracks in the façade could be seen during the first round in the summer of 2002 because members of the band do not share the same vision of C-mass, the gigs, an eventual new album, democracy etc, and last year it became clear that the indifferences were too large to overcome.
A demo was recorded but the internal problems overshadowed the fun of playing. The gig at Klubben (Stockholm) nov. 29 came to be the last and final for Candlemass.
The band have tried to save the situation. There have been meetings and discussions, but unfortunately it hasn’t been possible for the five members to agree on how Candlemass could work in the future. The members would have loved to continue but the chemistry is just not there anymore.
The magic is gone........................."

Of course, the music will still live on, especially since GMR Records is compiling a tribute album to the band. Some of the names set to contribute include Opeth, The Hellacopters, The Haunted, Cathedral, Grand Magus, Krux, Satyricon and maybe Timo Rautianinen & Trio Niskalaukaus. It's tentatively set for a spring 2005 release.

Looks like the plans for drummer Frost (Satyricon, 1349) to collaborate with fellow Norwegian black-metallers Gorgoroth have been called off. According to a statement from Khaoz Productionz, Frost is way too busy with his other projects to give the Gorgoroth work the attention it deserves. 1349 and Gorgoroth plan to tour Europe together in October.