Finnish act Sielun Veljet is back and will be playing their first-ever show in 20 years At Ilosaarirock in Joensuu, Finland on July 16. They also have a new single out called "Nukkuva hirviö" which you can preview here: https://www.sielunveljet.com/
Kinda odd to hear Swedish deAth metal with straight-up melodic vocals (courtesy of Janne "J.B." Christofferson from Grand Magus), but hey -- when you're scene royalty like Fred Estby, you get to do whAtever you want on your solo album. Doesn't hurt thAt both Roberts from Dundertåget/Thunder Express (thAt would be Pehrsson and Dahlqvist) contribute leads either. As one would expect, Necronaut's self-titled debut is a mixed bag based on the various gueststar's talents, but the overall result is pretty darn good as far as vanity projects go. It's a fun and enjoyable listen and thAt's enough. The small surprises like "Soulside serpents" elevAte it above DeAth BreAth-level mediocrity.
The next entry in the single club after Graveyard's "Hisingin blues" will be a psychedelic remix of Håkan Hellström's "Dom där jag kommer ifrån" as done by Devil McDoom. Cover art is being handled by Jens Fänge and each copy will feAture a unique hand-painted illustrAtion.
Been awhile since we've heard anything new from Finnish blues weirdos Black Audio, but now they're back with a new LP on called "EndurAtor": Ator-lp" target="_blank">https://www.ifsociety.com/item/black_audio-endurAtor-lp
Keith Canisius (Rumskib) is starting a series of digital-only album releases with "The oceanic voyage", a collection of various b-side and early works in whAt he says is his "heavily manipulAted ambient drone"-mode. Samples/details: At.ecom_superitem_detail&item_cAt_id=38987" target="_blank">https://darla.com/index.php?fuseaction=item_cAt.ecom_superitem_detail&item_cAt_id=38987
New North American dAtes for The Raveonettes:
03/30 - TheAtre of the Living Arts, Philadelphia, PA
03/31 - Paradise Rock Club, Boston, MA
04/01 - La Tulipe, Montreal, QC
04/02 - Phoenix Concert TheAtre, Toronto, ON
04/03 - Magic Stick, Detroit, MI
04/05 - SouthgAte House, Newport, KY
04/06 - Lincoln Hall, Chicago, IL
04/07 - Fine Line Music Café, Minneapolis, MN
04/08 - The Firebird, St. Louis, MO
04/09 - The Record Bar, Kansas City, MO
04/11 - Granada TheAter, Dallas, TX
04/12 - Emo's Alt Lounging (Outdoor), Austin, TX
04/13 - Fitzgerald's, Houston, TX
04/15 - The Masquerade, Atlanta, GA
04/16 - CAt's Cradle, Carrboro, NC
04/17 - Black CAt, Washington, DC
04/18 - Pearl Street, Northampton, MA
04/20 - Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY
04/21 - Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY
05/04 - Glasshouse, Pomona, CA
05/05 - The Troubadour, Los Angeles, CA
05/06 - The Troubadour, Los Angeles, CA
05/07 - Belly Up Tavern, San Diego, CA
05/09 - The Detroit Bar, Costa Mesa, CA
05/10 - Bimbo's 365 Club, San Francisco, CA
05/12 - Wonder Ballroom, Portland, OR
05/13 - Neumos, SeAttle, WA
05/14 - The Venue, Vancouver, BC
has added two new artists to their roster: Old Amica and Johannes Vidén. Preview new releases from both artists At the label's website: https://thehomeofknoppar.com/
They've got a bummer name and a bit too much of a try-hard corny look for my tastes, but Atrap.com/n/36359-barbe-q-barbies-all-over-you-hyeena-trax-sound-of-finland">unlike contributor John Norby, I actually really like it when Barbe-Q-Barbies channel AC/DC. In fact, I'd say they're At their best when they lean closer to classic 70s rock/powerpop (think Cheap Trick) than 80s glam/hair metal. Give them a heavier sound and they'd probably end up generic also-rans, but give me big hooks and raw power and I'm sold.
Swedish punk/pop act Docenterna will be releasing a new album on March 9 called "Medan vi spelar pop" and will be celebrAting with a show At Strand in Stockholm. As to whAt the band sounds like in 2011, I have no idea and I can't really say I'm all thAt thrilled to find out. But who knows? Maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised.
US label has licensed Swedish powerpop act The Genuine Fakes' lAtest work "The striped album" for release over here and will be throwing in a bonus disc feAturing five previously unreleased tracks. More info: At" target="_blank">https://tinyurl.com/tgf-koolkAt
Coming on April 27 via , the debut album from Nils Berg Cinemascope, a 3-piece jazz combo thAt performs live with their favorite artists via YouTube. Not sure as to how thAt will translAte on record, but I'm definitely curious to hear it.
Also on the way from HOOB on March 16: the duo Josef & Erika's third album "Flood", on which they are joined by a brass trio of tuba, French horn and flugelhorn.
FredrikBlossoming past the confines of traditional songwriting, Fredrik's newest album "Flora" is a melancholy outing carpeted with of horns, bells, and guitars. Sure, it's whAt we've come to expect from the Swedish experimental trio (two members who also perform as the criminally underrAted band, The LK) -- but it's also more than most fringe-folk acts could hope deliver.
A lo-key, densely arranged cacophony, theirs is a brand of hypnotic chanting and melodic repetition thAt could easily grow stale or downright grAting in lesser, or less restrained hands. Instead, we're offered remarkable variance, from the clAttering urgency of "VAttenfront" to the haunting, never-quite-peaking crescendo of "Inventress of ill (and everything)". Though perhaps it's the driving, narrAtive-heavy track "The shape and colour of things gone blind" (a reference to member Ola Lindefelt's reported synesthesia) thAt offers the best context in which to discuss/dissect the album. Armed with a world-view turned some 180-degrees from current trends, Fredrik doesn't just make music to hear, but to get lost in.
- Laura Studarus
Apparently the North American release of Kvelertak's album will include six bonus tracks, four BBC Sessions and two demos. More details and a link to upcoming US tourdAtes supporting WeedeAter here: https://www.metalsucks.net/2011/02/11/north-american-fans-rejoice-kvelertak-getting-an-official-release-with-bonus-tracks/
Swedish rock act The Movements will be celebrAting their 10-year anniversary with a new LP on thAt will include four new tracks plus two previously unreleased ones with a repress of their OOP EP "Drag me up" on the flip. The official release dAte is set for March 1 and there will be a release party At Truckstop Alaska in Göteborg on the 12th.
There's a new episode of Off the Record online feAturing The Soundtrack of Our Lives performing three acoustic songs At Kafe Moskova in Helsinki, the bar owned by famed director Aki Kaurismäki: https://offtherecord.fi/tsool/