Watch Shining (NOR), Enslaved and Keep of Kallessin jam out on King Crimson's "21st century schizoid man": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLdNsnQYKKA

The winners of this year's Alarm Awards, Norway's Grammy alternative:

Newcomer of the year: Moving Oos
Video of the year: Tungtvann - 2 uka
Song of the year: Superfamily - The radio has expressed concerns about what you did last night
Alarm award: Ida Maria
Pop: Marit Larsen - Under the Surface
Electronica: Kim Hiorthøy - My Last Day
RiksAlarm: Ungdomsskulen
Jazz: Shining - Grindstone
Rock: My Midnight Creeps - Histamin
Metal: Dimmu Borgir - Insorte Diaboli
Live: Superfamily
Hip-hop/rap: Karpe Diem - Rett fra hjertet

The nominees for this year's Alarm Awards have been announced:

Rock:
120 Days - 120 days
Big Bang - Too much yang
My Midnight Creeps - Histamin
King Midas - Sorry
The Lionheart Brothers - Dizzy kiss

Pop:
Marit Larsen - Under the surface
Rockettothesky - To sing you apple trees
Superfamily - Warszawa
Magnet - The simple life
Susanne Sundfør - Susanne Sundfør

Metal:
Dimmu Borgir - In sorte diaboli
Satyricon - Now diabolical
Audrey Horne - Le fol
Mayhem - Ordo ad Chaou
Keep of Kalessin - Armada

Jazz:
Supersilent - 8
Shining - Grindstone
Håkon Kornstad - Single engine
Tord Gustafssen Trio - Being there
Hanne Hukkelberg - Rykerstrasse 68

Electronica:
Kim Hiorthøy - My last day
Lindstrøm - It’s a feedelity affair
Pleasure - Pleasure 2
The Whitest Boy Alive - Dreams
Bjørn Torske - Feil knapp

Hip-hop/Rap:
el Axel - It is what it is
Karpe Diem - Rett fra hjertet
Darkside of the Force - El dia de los puercos
Tungtvann - Siste Skanse
Samvirkelaget - Musikk

Newcomer:
Susanne Sundfør
Moving Oos
Ida Maria
Rockettothesky
Elvira Nicolaisen

Live:
Big Bang
Superfamily
King Midas
The Grand
Samvirkelaget

Go here for more details or to vote for your favorite: http://www.alarmprisen.no/2007/index.php/og-de-nominerte-er/#more-76

Enslaved, Shining (NOR) and Keep of Kalessin will tour Europe together in October:

10/20 - Ubu, Rennes (FRA)
10/21 - Mean Fiddler, London (UK)
10/22 - Junktion7, Nottingham (UK)
10/23 - Breda, Mezz (NL)
10/24 - Vosselaar, Biebob (BEL)
10/25 - Nijmegen, Doornroosje (NL)
10/26 - Backstage, Munich (GER) w/Secrets of the Moon
10/27 - Roxy, Saarbrücken (GER)

The Silent Ballet reviews the Norwegian Shining: http://thesilentballet.com/dnn/Home/tabid/36/ctl/Details/mid/384/ItemID/668/Default.aspx

Speaking of Shining, check out their video for the track "Winterreise": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nA94N-xC2f8
Beware if you are prone to seizures! More interesting however, is this cover of "21st century schizoid man" by King Crimson: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eXUjfVPkGk

The playlist for my radio show this week:

01. At the Gates - Suicide nation
02. TALK 1
03. Moving Oos - Stronger
04. Eskju Divine - Hold on
05. Mechanical Bird - Sunday
06. TALK 2
07. Mixtapes & Cellmates - Quiet
08. DS13 - Thrash lifestyle
09. Montt Mardié - Metropolis
10. Junior Senior - Can I get get get
11. TALK 3
12. Niccokick - Love & neon lights
13. Kristofer Åström - I collect knives
14. Death Breath - His protoplasmic worship
15. TALK 4
16. Mob - Ghost track
17. MZ412 - Unhealing wounds
18. Ugress - Manhattan sapphire
19. TALK 5
20. Shining - Låt oss ta allt från darandra
21. No Hope for the Kids - Rainy day
22. Moneybrother - Det blir ingen dans
23. Amandine - For all the marbles
24. TALK 6
25. Familjen - Det snurrar i min skalle
26. Last Days of April - Aspirins and alcohol
27. M:40 - När bomberna faller
28. TALK 7
29. Espen Jørgensen - The immaculate conception
30. Motorpsycho - For free
31. The Carny - Man under the sun
32. TALK 8
33. Karin Ström - Klaustrofobi
34. Badun - Pulsen
35. Meshuggah - Future breed machine
36. Värttinä - Mero
37. TALK 9
38. Randy - Better than art
39. Closer - Open casket
40. Alog - Buffalo demon
41. TALK 10
42. On Trial - Speaking of witch

Aversionline on the new Shining album "V Halmstad": http://www.aversionline.com/blahg/2007/07/06/shining-v-halmstad-niklas-angaende-niklas-cd/
It's a good album, though I'm not nearly as excited about it as Andrew. I think was expecting something harsher and less-polished, something more befitting the "suicide metal" tag. I suppose that Germany's Bethlehem, the kings of that genre, remain pretty much unchallenged.

Dark Dose on the new record from the Swedish black metal act Shining: http://darkdose.com/?p=163
I still have yet to hear this for myself, but everything I've read about it has been high praise.

MP3: Aktiv Dödshjälp - Tysta vittnen

Maybe it's because I've been on a bit of nostalgia trip, but Swedish crust act Aktiv Dödshjälp reminds me a lot of brutal mid-90s metalcore, stuff like Fall Silent, Gehenna (US) or maybe Morning Again. The kind of stuff that's definitely more metal than 'core and heavy on the breakdowns. On the other hand, Aktiv Dödshjälp is probably far more rooted in d-beat and death metal. Despite the verse-chorus-breakdown/no-bullshit arrangements, the record "4:48" is chock-full of dark, ominous leads and fierce tremelo picking, sometimes even breaking into melodeath harmony. Lyrically, I don't think I've heard a more pessimistic record in a long while (until I get the new Shining, I guess). Take the name Aktiv Dödshjälp - active euthanasia. And "4:48", the album's title? That's the time most people commit suicide. Today's song "Tysta vittnen" ("Silent witness")? Actually one of lighter tracks in that it only deals with repression and subordination, not a pointless life lived in pain. Heavy stuff all around.

Aktiv Dödshjälp - Tysta vittnen

Global Domination talks to Kvarforth from Swedish black metal act Shining: http://www.globaldomination.se/interviews/shining-kvarforth
Naturally, he ignores GD's more smartass questions.

The End Records will release the new album "V. Halmstad" from Swedish black metal act Shining on June 26. Read more: http://www.theendrecords.com/label/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=871&Itemid=49

PopMatters reviews Shining and their latest album "Grindstone": http://www.popmatters.com/pm/music/reviews/32060/shining-grindstone/
The record's received quite a bit of praise so I've listened to it many times trying to gather my thoughts on it, but nothing ever sticks. Despite the noise/heaviness factor, it seems to slip by without leaving an impression. Not a good sign.

Today's Single File at Paper Thin Walls is all about Norway: http://www.paperthinwalls.com/
Artists featured include Shining, Årabrot, In the Country, Lionheart Brothers and Benea Reach.

Speaking of Shining, Stylus has a review of the album up today: http://www.stylusmagazine.com/reviews/shining/grindstone.htm