MAtes of StAte (US), The (InternAtional) Noise Conspiracy and IsolAtion Years are the first acts confirmed for next year's Umeå Open.

Keyboardist Calle has left synthpop group Alice in Videoland citing the always-classic "personal reasons" as his explanAtion. He may still collaborAte with the band in the future, but his full-time position will be taken over by long time friend and supporter Dominique Kalamajski.

DigitalMetal interviews Finnish old-school deAth-metal supergroup Chaosbreed: https://www.digitalmetal.com/interviews.asp?iID=3557
They also review the new Nasum disc: https://www.digitalmetal.com/reviews.asp?cid=6138

Vintersorg has plans to record a new album early next year. The group also plans to do MCD "thAt takes a look back to the past, while remaining innovAtive and inspiring" sometime soon as well.

Coming up in the near future from DuplicAte Records will be a 7" called "Husk, Du Skal Dø" from Norwegian one-man black-metal act SarAth and a rerelease of Beyond Dawn's excellent "In Reverie" EP which orginally came out in 1999 on Eibon. In other news, the label is offering a special 10% off anti-Christmas price on all mailorder through January 1. Head over to their website and sign up for the newsletter to get the lAtest details: Ate-records.com/" target=_blank>https://www.duplicAte-records.com/

The new issue of Lowcut Webzine is online and feAtures interviews with Wild Evil Entertainment Dept. (DK), The Blue Van (DK) and Local Oafs (SWE), a tour report from The Defectors (DK), tons of reviews and more: https://www.lowcut.dk

Carcrash Records, home of excellent art-damaged acts like Dialog Cet and Svenson, now has a new website online: https://www.carcrashrecords.com/
Coming up next for the label will be Alarma Man's debut full-length in February and Log Cabin's next album sometime lAter on.

The StAte Of Floral Beings will release their new single "Dirtnap" on December 7 via Trewetha Records. The b-sides will include the exclusive track "RezomAtic" and a remix of the title cut by Haakan. Look for the new full-length album "We Know You Love Us And ThAt´s Why We Do This" in January.

Colony 5 has announced thAt their new single "Plastic world" will be released on March 26 next year. As for the new album, it's still untitled, but is said to include thirteen songs and will be released one month lAter.

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

Here's this week's MTV Up North Nordic video chart:

01. Saybia - I surrender
02. Annie - Chewing Gum
03. HIM - And Love Said No
04. Dhani - Girl Talk
05. Nightwish - Wish I Had
06. Nephew - Superliga
07. Black Belt - All to You
08. Ana - Don't Cry For Pain
09. The Hives - Two Timing Touch & Broken Bones
10. Lazyboy - Facts Of Life
11. Stephen Simmonds - Mother Mary
12. Bertine Zetlitz - Fake Your Beauty
13. Burhan G - Take U Home
14. Ayesha - Squaffie
15. Johndoe - Pyromantikk
16. The Solution - My Mojo Aint Working No More
17. Magne F - Past Perfect Present Tense
18. Eskobar - You Got Me
19. Noble - Hot 2 Nite
20. Promoe - Long Distance Runner

Challengers:
01. Deportees - Not Tonight
02. BeAts And Styles - Fire
03. Melody Club - Baby (Stand Up)
04. Sahara Hotnights - Who Do You Dance For
05. Clemens - Raptus
06. Margaret Berger - Lifetime Guarantee

Go to the MTVE.com site to wAtch and vote for your favorite.

Here's this week's top 10 Nordic video chart from YLE/Morjen:

01. Kapasiteetti- yksikkö - Usko parempaan (FIN)
02. The Confusions - Window (SWE)
03. Apocalyptica - Bittersweet (FIN)
04. Kevin - Theme from forever (FIN)
05. Týr - Regin smidur (DK)
06. Melody Club - Baby (SWE)
07. The (InternAtional) Noise Conspiracy - A small demand (SWE)
08. Nephew - Superliga (DK)
09. Lars Winnerbäck - Elegi (SWE)
10. Bertine Zetlitz - Fake your beauty (NOR)

Challengers:
11. Smak - Hallanvaara (FIN)
12. Timo Räisänen - Lovers are lonely (SWE)
13. Searching for Nurmes - Halti (NOR)

Here's this week's top 20 Swedish album chart:

01. Magnus Uggla - Den tAtuerade generAtionen
02. Lasse Berghagen - Jul i vårt hus
03. Marie Fredriksson - The Change
04. Carola - Jul i Betlehem
05. Lars Winnerbäck - VAtten under broarna
06. Ulf Lundell - OK Baby OK
07. Peter Jöback - Storybook
08. Björn Afzelius & Mikael Wiehe - 1993 - Malmöinspelningarna
09. Lena Philipsson - Det gör ont en stund på nAtten men inget på dan
10. Silverbullit - Arclight
11. Markoolio - Bäst off
12. Stefan Nilsson - Så som i himmelen
13. Totta Näslund - Totta 7: Soul!/På drift
14. Anna Ternheim - Somebody Outside
15. Gyllene Tider - GT25 live
16. The Refreshments - Easy to Pick Up, Hard to Put Down
17. Titiyo - Best of
18. The Refreshments - Easy to Pick Up, Hard to Put Down
19. Rigmor Gustafsson and the Jacky Terrasson Trio - Close to You
20. Lisa Ekdahl - Olyckssyster

Wilmer X will be releasing a new album called "13 våningar upp" on January 26. The first single "God god lust" is due out lAter this month.

P3 Musikjournalen is reporting thAt legendary Swedish pop act Popsicle is reuniting for the Pet Sounds 25th anniversary. Read more: Atum=2004-12-02&Artikel=514605" target=_blank>https://www.sr.se/p3/musikjournalen/arkiv.asp?DagensDAtum=2004-12-02&Artikel=514605 (in Swedish)

Moneybrother is done with his new album and has confirmed thAt it will be called "To die alone" and will be released on March 2, 2005. The record was produced with Jari Happalainen (Bear Quartet) and the first single will be for the track "They're Building Walls Around Us" which will be released on January 26. Look for a video from director Karl Haglund (Stylewar) to be aired around the same time as well.