Since I'm lazy, here's some cut-and-paste news from Vãrttinä:
A forty-five minute segment of Värttinä's 20th Anniversary Concert in Helsinki, at Aleksanterin Teatteri on Feb 28, 2003, (videotaped by DeCo Media of Helsinki), will be broadcast by finnish digital TV Teema on New Years Day, January 1, 2004. A fifteen minute interview with Mari Kaasinen and Janne Lappalainen will start the program at 17:55, followed by the musical part of the broadcast.
Check out the video for "Fuel" from finnish hardcore band Endstand.
finnish power-metal band Thunderstone has been chosen to support Iced Earth on their upcoming European tour. Dates:
03/18 – 013, Tilburg (NL)
03/19 – Hof Ter Loo, Antwerpen (BEL)
03/20 – Podium, Hardenberg (NL)
03/21 – Mean Fiddler, London (UK)
03/22 – Elysee Monmatre, Paris (FR)
03/23 – Transbordeur, Lyon (FR)
03/25 – Aqualung, Madrid (SPA)
03/26 – Sala Jam, Bergara (SPA)
03/27 – Razzmatazz, Barcelona (SPA)
03/29 – Rolling Stone , Milano (IT)
03/30 – Z7, Pratteln (SWI)
04/01 – E-Werk, Köln (GER)
04/02 – Löwensall, Nürnberg (GER)
04/03 – Filharmonie, Filderstadt (GER)
04/04 – Planet Music, Wien (AUS)
04/06 – Docks, Hamburg (GER)
04/07 – KB, Malmö (SWE)
04/08 – Karen, Göteborg (SWE)
04/09 – Arenan, Tukholma (SWE)
04/11 – Nosturi, Helsinki (FIN)
As mentioned here before, Thunderstone's second album "The Burning" comes out January 12 on Nuclear Blast and you can listen to samples here.
finnish "pagan battle metal" band Turisas have signed with Century Media Records. The band is currently at Sound Suite Studio in Marseille, France with producer Terje Refsnes (Tristania, Destroyer 666, Morgul) working on their as-yet-untitled debut album. Vocalist Mathias Nygård comments:
"I'm extremely pleased with the deal and I'm really looking forward to working with Century Media. The audience for this kind of folk/heathen/battle metal has grown enormously within a couple of years and I think the timing for the release of our debut is almost perfect. The songs to be recorded are all very pagan battle metal, but we've never been afraid of taking our own path and maybe bending the line between different genres and music styles. The drums are pounding, so grab your sword and join the ranks of Turisas marching for war!"
Gee, who knew that scene was ripe to take off? Certainly not me. Look for an early 2004 release.
finnish old-school death metal supergroup Chaosbreed reports that they are currently negotiating a deal with a "well-known metal label" and will post details once the ink is dry. Otherwise, the band will be playing a gig at Stella Star Club in Helsinki with Omnium Gatherum, The Wake and Cause for Effect on December 19 as part of the 'Club Rock Hell-event'. Tickets are 6euro and the band plans to hit the stage at 10pm.
Go here to check out samples from finnish power metal band Thunderstone's upcoming album "The Burning": https://www.thunderstone.org/audio.php. The record comes out January 12 on Nuclear Blast.
finnish goth-pop metal act HIM will doing a Jaegermeister-sponsored tour of Germany starting in March:
03/25 - Grosse Freiheit, Hamburg
03/27 - Pier 2, Bremen
03/28 - Jovel, Munster
03/30 - AMO, Magdeburg
03/31 - Columbiahalle, Berlin
04/01 - Easy Auensee, Leipzig
04/02 - Alter Schlachthof, Dresden
04/03 - Palladium, Cologne
04/05 - Soundgarden, Dortmund
04/06 - Capitol, Offenbach
04/07 - Muffathalle, Munich
From memepool comes this fabulous page of Swedish and finnish band promo photos from the 60s and 70s. As you can see, The Hives were far from the first Swedes to wear matching outfits.
finnish electronic artist Lackluster is doing two dates in the UK next week. Details, including all upcoming dates:
12/10 - Default, Birmingham (UK)
12/11 - Deluxe Gallery, Blase Records Releaseparty, Hoxton Square, London (UK)
01/29 - Psychonavigation Releaseparty, Dublin, (IRL)
02/21 - Kulttuuritalo Wiljami, Kaiku02, Rovaniemi (FIN)
finnish electronic label Rikos Records has established a 24/7 shoutcast (mp3) radio stream. Listen here: https://radio.rikosrecords.com:8000/
The new Backyard Babies album "Stockholm Syndrome" has been confirmed for an international release on March 1, 2004.
Kinda off-topic, but still amusing: Sidetalkin' - finnish style
On Thursday, December 4, finnish electronic/experimental label Abflug will travel to Rub al Khali (aka The Empty Quarter), the world's largest sand desert, in the United Arab Emirates to put on a show. Artist Karri O. will be performing a live set of all-new material, surrounded by 200m+ sand dunes. While it's probably doubtful that most of you will be able to attend in-person, audio and video clips will be posted online at the label's website following the event, as well as pictures and a full report of what went down.
finnish retro videogame pop group Desert Planet have a quirky interview up at French electro-based netzine Coolbpm. If listening to oldschool Nintendo music sounds appealing, be sure to check these guys out because they're great at what they do.
Guitarist Jasse Von Hast has left finnish goth-metal act Charon in order to concentrate more on his day job.
Combat Rock Industries will release the vinyl version of Nine's lastest album "Killing Angels" on December 5.
Other CRI-related news:
Endstand will be touring Japan in January. Dates:
01/15 - East, Kyoto
01/16 - ZD, Niihama
01/17 - Jitterbug, Tokushima
01/18 - Megahertz, Kitakyushu
01/19 - day off
01/20 - Battlebox, Kumamoto
01/21 - Kieth Flack, Fukuoka
01/22 - Pepperland, Okayama
01/23 - Huck Finn, Nagoya
01/24 - Red Cloth, Tokyo
01/25 - Faith, Mitsukaido
Check out pics from their recently completed European tour here: https://www.fireinsidemusic.com/touri/
Manifesto Jukebox will be recording a split 7" with Japan's Minority Blues Band for Snuffy Smile Records and will tour over there in mid-April.
finnish hardcore band Hero Dishonest has a new bassplayer named Leisure Suit Larry who apparently only knows two ways of playing: loud and wrong. They'll be coming over to the US in August and will also be doing a split with Brazil's Mukeka Di Rato for release sometime next year.