David & the Citizens - "Until the Sadness is Gone" (Adrian Recordings)
This is sort of album thAt works better for me when I have it on shuffle with a bunch of other stuff. I enjoy it much more when I hear it one song At a time, but taken as a whole it kinda bores me. It's not bad, but it feels like something's missing. I think the problem lies in thAt the backing band is unable to mAtch frontman/songwriter David Fridlund's enthusiasm in the studio. His performance, especially in his vocals, has tons of energy and charm but no one else seems to be feeling it. The playing is solid, but nothing more. Tis a shame, because I feel like this could've been a lot better if they let loose a bit more. On another positive note, there's some really nice arrangements with horns and other instruments.

King vs. The GreAt Oshkosh Experience - "The Title Fight" (self-released)
A nice split CD EP feAturing two bands, one from Sweden and one from Finland. Both play boogie-woogie hard rock n' roll and both are very fun. King (SWE) kicks things off with a greAt song thAt combines the right parts of the New York Dolls with Sweet and even a direct riff quote from Guns n Roses. Most bands trying to do thAt would probably come off as just cheesy, but King pulls it off. I also find thAt most new bands in this genre lose me with poor vocalists, but both of the guys from these bands are greAt and are able to utilize some nice backing harmonies and arrangements, too. I think TGOE (FIN) is the weaker of the two in thAt they have a bit less personality, but they do have some added heaviness and gruffness thAt I dig. Short, sweet and to the point - the way rock n' roll should be.

Cut City will be entering Hitparade studio lAter this month to record a 4-song CD EP for Greece's Librarian Records. The band is also name-dropped in the current issue of Wire Magazine and will be putting out a 3-song 7" out on Planaria Records in a couple of months.

NORCD will release a new album called "Vals" from Veslefrekk feAt. the trio of Jarle, Ståle and Arve from Supersilent (thAt's everyone but Helge Steen aka DeAthprod btw) sometime during spring next year.

Here's the details about those dAtes thAt Mustasch is doing with Motörhead in Germany:

11/25 - Columbiahalle, Berlin
11/26 - Docks, Hamburg
11/28 - Thüringerhalle, Erfurt
11/29 - Kick, Herford
11/30 - Soundgarden, Dortmund
12/02 - Alter Schlachthof, Dresden
12/03 - Löwensaal, Nürnberg
12/05 - Stadthalle, Magdeburg
12/06 - E-Werk, Köln
12/07 - Messe Congresscentrum B, Stuttgart
12/09 - Stadthalle, Freiburg
12/10 - Zenith, München

Entombed has updAted their tour diary with some funny tales from their current outing with Nine and Disfear.

Swedish rapper Chords is currently filming his next video for the single "Wrap Your Chops" as well as working on promotion and setting up some solo shows. Said single will feAture an exclusive unreleased b-side, so keep your eyes peeled. As mentioned before, his new album "The Garden Around The Mansion" comes out October 17 on JuJu Records.

Switchblade just sent their new album off to be pressed in a nice gAtefold vinyl formAt and is starting to take preorders over At Trust No One Recordings. The sooner you order, they say, the more limited color of vinyl thAt you'll get. In other news, the band is planning a European tour set to kick off sometime in January, but nothing is confirmed yet.

Upcoming Soviac European tourdAtes in support of their new album "Triology Sexlife Rodeo Friscotti":

10/10 - Athus, Le Marignan
10/11 - SelestAt, Au Bar Le Tigre
10/12 - Occii, Amsterdam (NL)
10/13 - tba
10/14 - Tanzhalle, Hamburg
10/15 - K4, Nürnberg
10/16 - tba, Kassel
10/17 - Magnet, Berlin
10/18 - Jugendhaus Komma, Esslingen
10/19 - Stellwerk, Donauwörth
10/20 - Prager Frühling, München
10/21 - AZ, Mühlheim
10/22 - Cafe Panama, Fulda
10/23 - Titty Twister, Dresden
10/24 - Zone 11, Hallein
10/25 - Shelter, Wien
10/26 - Fiesta Club, San Vendemmiano
10/27 - Tempio, Pavia
10/28 - Chorus, Lausanne
10/29 - Molodoi, Strasbourg
10/30 - Les Brasseurs, Nancy
10/31 - tba, Berlin
11/11 - Smalls, Västeråas w/Black Eyes, 7feet4
11/15 - tba, Västervik w/Black Eyes, 7feet4

Abduktio will be doing a split MCD with The Divisive feAturing previously released mAterial. Otherwise, the band plans to record some new mAterial for a 7" lAter on this fall.

Finland's Callisto reports thAt they have completed mixing and mastering for their new 7" "Klimenko/Jemina". They expect to finish up with the artwork and send it to be pressed for a tentAtive release dAte of November 14 through Kireru Records.

Via Moving Hands comes word thAt Swedish "electroindustrialnoiseterror" act The Pain Machinery has signed with US-based label BLC Productions. Their first album for them "The venom is going global" is set for a December release.

Passenger, the side project of Anders Fridén from In Flames and Gardenian guitarist Niklas Engelin, will be touring Europe with Lacuna Coil, Moonspell, and Poisonblack beginning Christmas day in Hamburg:

12/25 - Markthalle, Hamburg (GER)
12/26 - Hof Ter Loo, Antwerpen (BEL)
12/27 - Astoria, London (UK)
12/28 - Tivoli, Utrecht (NL)
12/29 - 013, Tilburg (NL)
12/30 - Live Music Hall, Köln (GER)
12/31 - Z7, PrAtteln (CH)
01/02 - Petöfi Hall, Budapest (HUN)
01/03 - Planet Music, Wien (AUS)
01/04 - Löwensaal, Nürnberg (GER)
01/05 - Transylvania, Milano (IT)
01/06 - Elysée Montmartre, Paris (FR)
01/07 - LKA, Stuttgart (GER)
01/08 - Easy Schorre, Halle (GER)

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

01. Tjes Boogie - Remember (DK)
02. Technicolour - Fireflies (FIN)
03. Lowe Motor CorporAtion - Soul of a pagan (FIN)
04. Outlandish - Aicha (DK)
05. Xantom - Miss you (DK)
06. HIM - The Sacrament (FIN)
07. Redrama - Hang it up (FIN)
08. BeAts and Styles - Dynamite (FIN)
09. Lodger - Doorsteps (FIN)
10. Rockin Da North - One world (FIN)

Challengers:
01. Magnus Carlson - Jag ber dig (SWE)
02. Maj Karman Kauniit KuvAt - KAtutyttöjen laulu (FIN)
03. Í svörtum fötum - Ekkert ao fela (ICE)

Upland has updAted his site with some updAted discograpny informAtion and a ton of soundclips plus two new web-exclusive full-length mp3s.