MP3: TNT - A fix

"Alright, we got a brand new album out called 'All the way to the sun'" (nothing) "You got that one?" (nada) "'All the way to the sun?' Brand new album?" (nope)

Ouch! That's awfully bold of them to not edit that out, but I suppose the same can be said for recording a live album in Madrid, far from home. Not that I care, I've never been a TNT fan anyway and never paid much attention to them back in the day because I considered all those pop-metal hair bands to be poseurs. Still kinda do to an extent, but my tolerance for the stuff has gone up quite a bit; in fact, I even managed to make it about 2/3rds of the way through "Live in Madrid" before I turned it off. Besides, it's not as if I was holding out for the big single "10,000 lovers in one" because honestly, that song blows. At least "A fix" has some balls. (this is Listen to Norway, part 4)

Technical note: the stage banter on the CD comes on at the end of each track, so I edited this together from two cuts to make a more cohesive listening experience.

TNT - A fix (live)

MP3: Shoot the Breeze - Feel as a victim

This isn't the best song Shoot the Breeze has written, but it's definitely the best sounding. I've always felt like weak recordings were the one thing holding them back, so it's great to finally hear them sounding as powerful as I imagine they would/could. Producer/guitar hero Ronni Le Tekrø (TNT) did a great job helping them realize their potential; it's just a shame that "Feel as a victim" leans closer towards Nickelback-style overly-sensitive post-grunge arena-rock mediocrity than the classic hardrock they're so good at. I know they've always had those impulses though, so I'm not totally surprised. They've still got a strong sense of melody and the solo section is fantastic. Definitely a kind of 80s-throwback shredder thing, but kept short and sweet and it really does fit the song near-perfectly. I still get bummed by the excessive half-time parts though, that won't ever change, but I love hearing this band continually progress over the years. Looking forward to what comes next!

Shoot the Breeze - Feel as a victim

Hellsongs - 10,000 lovers

Listen to Swedish lounge-rockers Hellsongs cover "10,000 lovers" by TNT: http://www.myspace.com/hellsongs

This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart:

01. Karpe Diem - Fire vegger
02. Odd Nordstoga - Pilegrim
03. Diverse artister - Mgp Jr 2008
04. Rita Eriksen - Hjerteslag
05. Katzenjammer - Le Pop
06. Øystein Sunde - Meget i Sløyd
07. Maria Mena - Cause & Effect
08. Smurfene - Smurfeparty
09. Herborg Kråkevik - Annleis enn i går
10. Thomas Brøndbo - Du sa æ va en drøm
11. Tommy Tokyo feat starving For My Gravy - Smear Your Smiles Back On
12. Enslaved - Vertebrae
13. Finn Coren - I Draumar Fær Du
14. TNT - Atlantis
15. Malin - Pang
16. Kurt Nilsen - Rise To The Occasion
17. Maria Arredondo - Sound of Musicals
18. Ann Tayler - Let Your Momma
19. Jarle Bernhoft - Ceramik City Chronicles
20. Espen Lind - Army of one

This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart:

01. Odd Nordstoga - Pilegrim
02. Øystein Sunde - Meget i Sløyd
03. Maria Mena - Cause & Effect
04. Rita Eriksen - Hjerteslag
05. Diverse artister - Mgp Jr 2008
06. Smurfene - Smurfeparty
07. Tommy Tokyo feat starving For My Gravy - Smear Your Smiles Back On
08. TNT - Atlantis
09. Finn Coren - I Draumar Fær Du
10. Kurt Nilsen - Rise To The Occasion
11. Espen Lind - Army of one
12. Maria Arredondo - Sound of Musicals
13. Vassendgutane - Xo
14. Knutsen & Ludvigsen - Dum og deilig -beste
15. Ida Maria - Fortress Round My Heart
16. Hilde Louise Asbjørnsen - Sound Your Horn
17. Jarle Bernhoft - Ceramik City Chronicles
18. Helge Toft - 5500
19. Malin - Pang
20. Lindstrom - Where you go I go to

This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart:

01. Turbonegro - Retox
02. Diverse artister - Melodi Grand Prix Junior 2007
03. BigBang - Too Much Yang
04. The Kids - Hits fra Kids
05. Susanne Sundfør - Susanne Sundfør
06. Superfamily - Warszawa
07. Dimmu Borgir - In Sorte Diaboli
08. Vømlingan - Vømmølminner
09. Tord Gustavsen Trio - Being There
10. Magnet - The Simple Life
11. Samvirkelaget - Musikk
12. TNT - The New Territory
13. Silje Nergaard - Darkness out of blue
14. Vamp - I full symfoni (med KORK)
15. Jokke & Valentinerne - Prisen for popen
16. Gest - I grevens tid
17. Hardingrock - Grimen
18. Geir Børresen/Smurfene - I Smurfeland
19. Tone Damli Aaberge - Sweet Fever
20. Jonas Fjeld og Chatham C. - Amerikabesøk

This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart:

01. Diverse artister - Melodi Grand Prix Junior 2007
02. Vømlingan - Vømmølminner
03. The Kids - Hits fra Kids
04. BigBang - Too Much Yang
05. Samvirkelaget - Musikk
06. Susanne Sundfør - Susanne Sundfør
07. Dimmu Borgir - In Sorte Diaboli
08. TNT - The New Territory
09. Magnet - The Simple Life
10. Superfamily - Warszawa
11. Tone Damli Aaberge - Sweet Fever
12. Tord Gustavsen Trio - Being There
13. Heroes & Zeros - Strange Constellations
14. Silje Nergaard - Darkness out of blue
15. D.D.E. - No går det så det suse
16. Jonas Fjeld og Chatham C. - Amerikabesøk
17. Steinar Albrigtsen - Moments of Peace
18. My Midnight Creeps - Histamin
19. Vidar Busk and the Voo Doodz - Jookbox Charade
20. Rune Rudberg - Rett fra sofaen

This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart:

01. The Kids - Hits fra Kids
02. BigBang - Too Much Yang
03. Susanne Sundfør - Susanne Sundfør
04. Samvirkelaget - Musikk
05. Dimmu Borgir - In Sorte Diaboli
06. Tord Gustavsen Trio - Being There
07. TNT - The New Territory
08. Tone Damli Aaberge - Sweet Fever
09. Superfamily - Warszawa
10. Silje Nergaard - Darkness out of blue
11. Magnet - The Simple Life
12. Heroes & Zeros - Strange Constellations
13. D.D.E. - No går det så det suse
14. Vidar Busk and the Voo Doodz - Jookbox Charade
15. Steinar Albrigtsen - Moments of Peace
16. Jonas Fjeld og Chatham C. - Amerikabesøk
17. My Midnight Creeps - Histamin
18. Rune Rudberg - Rett fra sofaen
19. Malin - Malin på månen
20. Finn Kalvik - Komplett Klassisk Kalvik

This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart:

01. Samvirkelaget - Musikk
02. Superfamily - Warszawa
03. Susanne Sundfør - Susanne Sundfør
04. The Kids - Hits fra Kids
05. Dimmu Borgir - In Sorte Diaboli
06. Tord Gustavsen Trio - Being There
07. Magnet - The Simple Life
08. Tone Damli Aaberge - Sweet Fever
09. BigBang - Too Much Yang
10. TNT - The New Territory
11. Heroes & Zeros - Strange Constellations
12. Monomen - Monomen
13. Ulf Risnes - Ingen andre
14. Jonas Fjeld og Chatham C. - Amerikabesøk
15. Vamp - I full symfoni (med KORK)
16. Vidar Busk and the Voo Doodz - Jookbox Charade
17. Silje Nergaard - Darkness out of blue
18. Marit Larsen - Under The Surface
19. Steinar Albrigtsen - Moments of Peace
20. Finn Kalvik - Komplett Klassisk Kalvik

This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart:

01. Dimmu Borgir - In Sorte Diaboli
02. Susanne Sundfør - Susanne Sundfør
03. The Kids - Hits fra Kids
04. Tone Damli Aaberge - Sweet Fever
05. BigBang - Too Much Yang
06. Magnet - The Simple Life
07. Jonas Fjeld og Chatham C. - Amerikabesøk
08. TNT - The New Territory
09. Steinar Albrigtsen - Moments of Peace
10. Vidar Busk and the Voo Doodz - Jookbox Charade
11. D.D.E. - No går det så det suse
12. Heroes & Zeros - Strange Constellations
13. Sivert Høyem & The Volunteers - Exiles
14. Marit Larsen - Under The Surface
15. Tord Gustavsen Trio - Being There
16. Silje Nergaard - Darkness out of blue
17. Vamp - I full symfoni (med KORK)
18. Finn Kalvik - Komplett Klassisk Kalvik
19. My Midnight Creeps - Histamin
20. Skambankt - Eliksir

This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart:

01. Dimmu Borgir - In Sorte Diaboli
02. Tone Damli Aaberge - Sweet Fever
03. TNT - The New Territory
04. Susanne Sundfør - Susanne Sundfør
05. BigBang - Too Much Yang
06. Magnet - The Simple Life
07. Vidar Busk and the Voo Doodz - Jookbox Charade
08. Tord Gustavsen Trio - Being There
09. Jonas Fjeld og Chatham C. - Amerikabesøk
10. D.D.E. - No går det så det suse
11. Heroes & Zeros - Strange Constellations
12. Steinar Albrigtsen - Moments of Peace
13. Silje Nergaard - Darkness out of blue
14. Thomas Dybdahl - Science
15. Finn Kalvik - Komplett Klassisk Kalvik
16. My Midnight Creeps - Histamin
17. Mayhem - Ordo Ad Chao
18. Kristin Asbjørnsen - Wayfaring Stranger - A Spiritual Songbook
19. Shit City - God bless our home
20. Jokke & Valentinerne - Prisen for popen

Iron Maiden was defeated 8-1 in a friendly football match (that's soccer to us Yanks) against a Norwegian all-star team featuring musicians Sigurd Vongraven (Satyricon), Hank von Helvete (Turbonegro), Dan Thunderbird and HP Baarlie (Backstreet Girls) and Diesel Dahl (TNT) alongside many other real pro athletes. Read more at Blabbermouth (including links for pictures): http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=38706