New Alf single in May
Swedish artist Alf will release the new single "Hälften kvar" on May 5. His upcoming album, his fourth overall, will be out this fall.
Country: Sweden
James Iha producing Raymond & Maria
Swedish act Raymond & Maria are currently at Ocean Sound Recording in Norway working on a new record with James Iha (ex-Smashing Pumpkins) in the producer chair.
This week's Last.fm chart
Here is the It's a Trap! listening group top 10 artists of the week, unique to our group:
01. This Is Head
02. jj
03. Anna Ternheim
04. The Bear Quartet
05. Beach House
06. Håkan Hellström
07. The Radio Dept.
08. Kent
09. Love Is All
10. Jonathan Johansson
Do you listen to music on your computer or with an iPod? Please join us and make your playlist count! Go here to learn more: https://www.last.fm/help/
Kalligrammofon presents Originalljudet
The excellent label has a new CD out from the Stockholm-based avant/jazz group Originalljudet: https://www.kalligrammofon.com/main.php?artist=11
Listen at myspace: https://www.myspace.com/originalljudet
The Silent Ballet reviews Ef
The Silent Ballet reviews the new Ef record "Morning good mourning": https://thesilentballet.com/dnn/Home/tabid/36/ctl/Details/mid/384/ItemID/3248/Default.aspx
Fred Estby unveils Necronaut
Necronaut, the solo project of ex-Dismember/Carnage drummer/Sunlight Studios engineer Fred Estby, has signed with and will be releasing their self-titled album later this year. The band features music written by Estby with a huge cast of metal all-stars contributing guest vocals and guitar tracks including luminaries such as Tomas Lindberg (Disfear, At the Gates), Nicke Andersson (Death Breath, ex-Entombed, The Hellacopters), Robert Pehrsson (Death Breath, Dundertåget), Robert "Strings" Dahlqvist (Dundertåget) and many more. Hear a sample tune at myspace featuring vocals from Chris Reifert (Abcess, Autopsy) and lead guitar from Uffe Cederlund (Disfear, ex-Entombed): https://www.myspace.com/necronaut666
Solander - Narcissus
"Narcissus" is Solander's second video from the album "Since we are pigeons", out now via . Download the track along with a pair of exclusive b-sides here: https://solander.bandcamp.com/album/narcissus
Direct link for the video: https://vimeo.com/10540405
Bedroom Eyes signs with West Side
Bedroom Eyes has signed with . Look for their debut single to be released on April 27 with an album to follow later this year.
Updated Euro dates for Agent Side Grinder
Updated European dates for Agent Side Grinder:
05/01 - OCCII, Amsterdam (NL)
05/03 - LiWi, Leipzig (GER)
05/04 - Lovelite, Berlin (GER)
05/06 - Pipeline Bar, London (UK)
05/07 - Le Klub, Paris (FRA)
05/08 - La Peniche, Lille (FRA)
05/18 - Debaser, Slussen (SWE)
Look for a new remix EP from the group this coming fall.
Scandipop presents: Sarah Dawn Finer
Scandipop is presenting a live show for Swedish popstar Sarah Dawn Finer on April 25 at Escape in London. Full details: https://www.scandipop.co.uk/?p=2339
Lissi Dancefloor Disaster - Oh my god (video)
Swedish pop act Lissi Dancefloor Disaster have a goofy new cosplay video for the song "Oh my god": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p864uVCXiAI
Discouraged reveals 2010 plans
(Moloken) has announced the signing of three new bands and here is what they have to say about them:
Ghamorean - Terra ruina
Umeå blackened death metal unit Ghamorean's new record "Terra ruina" is currently beeing mixed and planned to be released this fall.
Plector - Dark & spiteful
Death metal trashers Plector from Umeå's debut album "Dark & spiteful" will get a proper release late summer with digipak cover.
Bingo - Ett grindslagsmål i två delar
Grindheads Bingo's (Umeå) debut album "Ett grindslagsmål i två delar" is finally re-mastered and ready to hit the pressing plant. Expect a release during the late summer.
Dusted review "Tomorrow, in a year"
Dusted reviews The Knife's electro-opera "Tomorrow, in a year": https://dustedmagazine.com/reviews/5613
Die Hard lose drummer, to record new EP
Drummer Håkan Jonsson has left Swedish metal act Die Hard to concentrate full-time on his work with Watain. The band will continue on in the meantime with session drummer E. Forcas until a replacement can be found and will be going into the studio May 7-10 to record a new EP for release this coming Halloween via .
The Generals
Stand up straight
Metalcentral Records
The best way to put a tag on this Swedish quartet is to take Entombed's "To ride, shoot straight and speak the truth" and Dismember's "Massive killing capacity" and fuse the two to create an album that displays the mid-90s death 'n' roll sentiment as expressed by the country's extreme forerunners back then. Both bands have long since left their bop-mosh tendencies to explore different paths (although it was really Entombed's ball, with Dismember lightly toying with the idea amid a more straightforward death metal foundation), essentially leaving a gap in the market for those who fell in love with the style and who strive to make it their own. The Generals manage to pull it off with great conviction, despite not quite achieving the hair-raising impact made by their death metal ancestors. There's one main ingredient here -- the old-school Tomas Skogsberg guitar sound – that elevates this to a status it wouldn't otherwise deserve. It offers what is essentially slightly-above-par songwriting a boost into the realms of acceptance and makes the songs a good deal more enjoyable than if they had some sort of generic death metal tone. That said, the production on here is ever-so-slightly on the wrong side of tinny and it gets a tad annoying after a while. Songwise, it's average with a few shining moments here and there, most notably on their purer death metal moments such as "The offer still stands" and "Consulting with the sinner". Track of the disc must go to "Portal to paradise" though, with its clever use of '80s Sunset Strip hard rock passages that fit so well with the heavier elements that it's a shame The Generals didn't have the foresight to make more use of the amalgam. Overall, "Stand up straight" is a good debut album that shows a wealth of potential, providing the band take the right steps on their next effort.
- John Norby