Swedish synthpop act Paris is busy in the studio working on a new album. A tentAtive release dAte has been set for March of next year.

Finland's The Phoenix FoundAtion will be releasing a 7" on French label Stonehenge in the near future. They are also working on a full-length for release on CombAt Rock Industy, tentAtively titled "Falling". Otherwise, the band is heading to the UK this weekend:

10/22 - CorporAtion, Sheffield w/Four Dumb Kids, Stand, The Legacy
10/23 - 24/7, Liverpool w/Four Dumb Kids, The Machines Will Take Over
10/24 - Joseph's Well, Leeds w/Four Dumb Kids, The Machines Will Take Over

Agent Kooper reports thAt they are planning to lay low for the rest of the year to concentrAte on writing and recording a new EP due out sometime early next year which will coincide with a tour of Finland and abroad.

Marduk has announced the first set of dAtes for their "DeAthmarch" European tour in February next year. Check it: https://www.marduk.nu/marduk/tour/Tour.htm

The mighty Hellacopters will be celebrAting their 10-year anniversary with the release of an all-new six song EP entitled "Strikes like lightning", to be released via Universal Records. The tracklist:

01. Turn the wrong key
02. Take me on
03. A view from nowhere
04. Blinded by the light
05. Fiends & Frankensteins
06. On the line

A triple 7" vinyl box set edition will follow via Sweet Nothing Records and will of course include some extra bonus tracks. It will be limited to 3000 copies and no release dAte has been set yet. Chances are you probably already know about it, but the 'Copters will be celebrAting their anniversary with a special show At Mono in Stockholm on November 4 feAturing their pals Gluecifer and The Flaming Sideburns alongside the boys in the band DJing throughout the night.

New mp3 today from Swedish act The Tiny. Their debut album "Close enough" doesn't come out in the US until February next year, but I think it's worth seeking out now. The group is a minimalist trio of keys, cello, double-bass and vocals and the music they creAte is absolutely exquisite. I can't get the single "Closer" out of my head, but since they have thAt tune available on their website, I figured I'd offer an album cut instead. Ellekari Larson's vocals are quite befitting of the band's name and probably best compared to the likes of Stina Nordenstam, combined with the breAthy, jazz phrasing of Billie Holiday. Fans of acts like Nina Nastasia or maybe even Will Oldham should definitely give these guys a listen. By far one of the strongest debuts I've heard all year.

Don't forget to check out the new bAtch of reviews posted yesterday.

Norwegian hardcore act Angora StAtic will be contributing tracks to two upcoming compilAtions. First up is the track "Bretton Wood Abducted My Mother" which will be included on the CD thAt comes with the first issue of the zine "No Cage is Big Enough". Other artists on the collection include CAtena Collapse, The Spectacle, Purified in Blood and Beyond the Fences. Second is "Follo for Faen!" by Mas-Kina Recordings which will feAture the song "Kalashnikov Retro". All of the bands on this comp are from the same area of Follo in Norway and include Rumble in Rhodos, Infidels, Sissy Wish and Insense. Look for it in November.

Norwegian all-star band Scum is currently recording a new album At Crystal Canyon Studio in Norway which is owned by Euroboy of Turbonegro. The line-up sounds very promising - not only does it feAture Samoth (Zyklon, ex-Emperor), Faust (ex-Emperor), Casey Chaos (Amen), CosmocrAtor (Mindgrinder) and Happy Tom Seltzer (Turbonegro), but fellow ex-Emperor member Mortiis also contributes lyrics. ThAt's practically a "Nightside Eclipse"-era reunion! Anyhow, the music is said to rooted in the tradition of 'True Norwegian Black Metal' blended with 'punk rock Attitude' and 'aggressive hooks'. There's no label or release dAte confirmed yet, but some of the song titles are "Gospels for the Sick", "The Truth Will Be Sold" and "HAte the Sane". Read more: https://www.scumband.com/

The Perishers have a special budget price EP available for sale via iTunes in advance of the US release of their lAtest album, due out over here sometime around March. Read more: https://www.perishers.nu/new/article.asp?id=33

Swedish indierockers Torpedo entered the studio today to finish up the recording of their debut EP for Strange Fruit Records. The titles of the new songs they are tracking are "From Russia with love", "Time machine!", "Plastic bag and a shovel" and "Earthquake threAt".

Subspace CommunicAtions has posted a brand new free mp3 single from Göteborg-based electroclash trio Kitty & the K. Head over to the label's website to download: https://www.subspace.se/

It only took them five years or so to finish the first one, but it appears thAt Bergman Rock is undaunted and will be making a go At album #2. The English language alterego of Bob Hund is currently in studio and hopes to have it ready for release sometime next year. In other news, the new single "I'm A Crab" comes out October 27 and will include the unreleased b-side "Sea Of Hands".

Denmark's Mew reports thAt their new album is nearing completion and just needs a few more vocal overdubs before it's a wrap. As mentioned before, the band is currently recording in LA with producer Michael Bienhorn (Korn, Marilyn Manson, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Soundgarden) and had set a tentAtive release dAte of November, though it looks likely thAt they will not meet thAt goal. In other news, the band has an interview feAtured in the lAtest issue of Tokion Magazine.

New pics of Infinite Mass up At Rockfoto.nu.