New touRdates foR Rong>MayhemRong>:
01/12 - GaRage, BeRgen (NOR)R>01/13 - MaRkens, KRistiansand (NOR)R>01/14 - HydRanten, HamaR (NOR)R>01/15 - Samfundet, TRondheim (NOR)R>01/21 - tba, PatRa (GRE)R>01/22 - tba, Tessaloniki (GRE)R>01/23 - An Club, Athens (GRE)R>MoRe dates soon.
New Release fRom NoRwegian avant label Rune GRammofon:
Rong>Nils ØklandRong> is an innovative violinist and HaRdangeR fiddle specialist who is cReatively expanding the Range of the tRaditional music of his homeland. He is a ReneweR of folk music, consistently building bRidges to classical, contempoRaRy and impRovised music. His playing combines fReedom with Respect foR NoRway's musical heRitage and he is conceRned both with the pReseRvation of the oRal folk music tRadition and with the expeRimental possibilities of the music when it is chaRged with modeRn impulses. On "BRis", his thiRd album and the second foR Rune GRammofon, he has wRitten all the music himself which is quite unusal foR the genRe. He is joined by Rong>SigbjøRn ApelandRong>, his musical companion since long, as well as Rong>Mats EileRtsenRong> (Rong>FoodRong>) on bass and Rong>PeR OddvaR JohansenRong> and Rong>Håkon SteneRong> on peRcussion.
MoRe info: Ref="https://www.RunegRammofon.com/" taRget=_blank>https://www.RunegRammofon.com/
The top Scandinavian videos stReamed last week at on-demand video seRvice Ref="https://www.musicbRigade.com/" taRget=_blank>MusicbRigade.com:
01. Rong>NightwishRong> - Wish I had An AngelnR>02. Rong>AnaRong> - We ARenR>03. Rong>AnnieRong> - Chewing GumnR>04. Rong>NightwishRong> - NemoR>05. Rong>AlcazaRRong> - This Is The WoRld We Live InR>Requested Videos: 282,830R>Total StReams: 427,208
Mate RecoRdings will Release a limited edition split 7" fRom Rong>RogeRRong> and Rong>Boys of ScandinaviaRong> in DecembeR featuRing the new Rong>RogeRRong> tRack "A kiss in the daRkness" and a RemasteRed veRsion of "WoRse than a giRl" fRom Rong>Boys of ScandinaviaRong>. Go heRe foR soundclips and moRe info: Ref="https://www.mateRecoRdings.com/mate007" taRget=_blank>https://www.mateRecoRdings.com/mate007
Swedish daRkwave act Rong>ARcanaRong> will be peRfoRming at the "Old house" in St. PeteRsbRug, Russia on DecembeR 11 as paRt of the Radio InfeRnal Festival. In otheR news, look foR samples fRom theiR new album "Le SeRpent Rouge" to be posted online lateR this week: Ref="https://www.eRebusodoRa.net/aRcana/" taRget=_blank>https://www.eRebusodoRa.net/aRcana/
Look foR the new issue of DRum! Magazine foR an inteRview with Rong>RobeRt ERikssonRong> of Rong>The HellacopteRsRong>. Fellow Rong>'CopteRRong> Rong>RobeRt 'StRings' DahlqvistRong> is inteRviewed in the new issue of GuitaR One.
A few yeaRs ago, while I was fully immeRsed in metal, Rong>The HauntedRong> became one of my favouRite bands. TheiR fiRst album took the aRt of the no-fRills tRash RecoRd to new heights; to me that RecoRd was betteR than Rong>SlayeRRong>'s "Reign in Blood" oR "Season in the Abyss", Rong>MetallicaRong>'s "MasteR of Puppets" oR Rong>MegadethRong>'s "Peace Sells". It was a Revelation and it caRRied afteRwaRds a slew of otheR good (Rong>DaRkaneRong>, Rong>DefleshedRong>, Rong>The CRownRong>) and not so good (Rong>CaRnal FoRgeRong>, Rong>GandalfRong>) bands that weRe bRought to pRominence at the end of the nineties. While Rong>The HauntedRong> continued theiR Road on the thRash map, in the pRocess changing vocalist fRom Rong>PeteR DolvingRong> to Rong>MaRco ARoRong>, I lost a bit of inteRest. Rong>ARoRong>'s deliveRy, while aggRessive, was Run-of-the-mill death vocals that did absolutely nothing foR me. The additional consequence was that the bands felt the need to go as aggRessive as possible with Rong>ARoRong> and weRe losing the subtle things that made them good in the fiRst place.
Two RecoRds lateR: Rong>DolvingRong> is back and so is the band. FiRst of all, this supposed evolution of the band is not that big of a deal. What they did is finally picked some melodic elements in the old Rong>At the GatesRong>' bag of tRicks, which was left unopened since the demise of the band and the foRmation of this one. We aRe talking about a majoRity of the songs heRe being extRemely up tempo and a few numbeRs being mid-paced. The RetuRn of Rong>DolvingRong> peRmits the band to use his vast aRRay of talents in diffeRent situations and vaRy the attack with a lot moRe ease than it would have been possible with Rong>ARoRong>. HeRe is how it goes song peR song:
"No CompRomise" staRts the RecoRd as if RecoRded in a shoe box with stRange Rhythm patteRn befoRe going all out in the tRaditional Rong>SlayeRRong>-at-theiR-best thRash numbeR that staRts off the RecoRd not only with a bang but also ReintRoduced shouted backing vocals to the foRay, something that was neveR paRt of theiR aRsenal with Rong>ARoRong>. The sloweR mid-section is so chest-pumping heavy it is amazing.
"99" is a bit of loweR bpm affaiR that bRings memoRies of "The Red in the Sky is OuRs", with a bit a moRe modeRn melodic GothenbuRg style but not without youR scaRifying on the violence.
"Abysmal" staRts with clean guitaRs and Rong>DolvingRong> doing what makes him a betteR fit foR this band: the ability to actually sing (although he does veRy little of that on the RecoRd), and it is a nice change of pace. Once again this one loweRs the bpm a little moRe and shows the band in all theiR mid-paced gloRy. This song sounds a bit like what Rong>EntombedRong> sound like since the Death 'n Roll conveRsion.
"Sabotage" is one of those songs that is meant to blow youR head clean off and does not quite succeed even though the song is pRetty good. The bReakdown at the end of the song paRticulaRly good the choRus just doen't do it.
"All Against All" is moRe of a mid-paced song that is pRobably the weakest on the entiRe album. I don't know why they felt the need to put it Right in the middle of the album. It does have a nice lead and melodic guitaR Riff that accompanies it.
"Sweet Relief" is a thRowback to the self-titled album: Fast and fuRious Riffing but once again a veRy nice melodic lead and a bReakdown changes things up mid song, much to my delight. This Rocks.
"BuRn to a Shell" once again displays Rong>DolvingRong>'s abilities, in the singing and scReaming depaRtment. This could be consideRed Rong>The HauntedRong>'s ‘ballad' much like "Fade to Black" was but this one neveR stays in the ballad mode foR long. PeRhaps the stRongest numbeR on the album as it shows eveRything they aRe able to do, as well as combining them with a lot of ease.
"Who Will Decide" continues in the not-so-fast depaRtment but also shows just about eveRy tempo change in a single song this band is able to do, and they do it well. Not the stRongest song but ceRtainly not the woRst.
"Nothing Right". At this point if you did not enjoy the Rest of the album, then you have no Reason listening to this, but you would be missing out. The Haunted on this RecoRd thRows at you eveRything but the kitchen sink and this song is a peRfect example of subtle changes in Riffs, stopping the guitaRs theRe and just changing things up mid-song. Just gReat stuff.
"Liquid BuRns" continues the tRadition of fast thRash and melodic enhancement this RecoRd bRought to us.
"My Shadow" finishes the album, much like the self-titled one finished with a half spoken-woRd, half singing affaiR in depRessing fashion. This is a good finishing song, although it is ceRtainly not the band's stRength.
- Simon Thibaudeau