No big surprise here: Aftonbladet gives The Hives a perfect five out of five score for both their new album and their US tour kick-off show. "The world's best rock n' roll band" they say. Here's the record review with includes a couple sample tracks: je/story/0,2789,507759,00.html" target=_blank>https://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/noje/story/0,2789,507759,00.html (in Swedish)

Highly regarded Swedish grindcore band Nasum has signed with Burning Heart Records after putting out their previous three albums with US-based metal label Relapse. The alliance makes perfect sense as both the band and label are intertwined in many ways. Both are based in the city of Örebro and singer/guitarist Mieszko Talarczyk founded his Soundlab Studios with Mathias from now-current labelmates Millencolin. BHR will release the recently completed new album "Shift" in October and Relapse has already licensed it for the US and should hopefully have it out around the same time. Ritual will take care of japan. Read more: https://www.burningheart.com/news/article.php?id=111
Official statement from the band, including cover art, tracklist and recording details: https://www.nasum.com/mess_shift.asp

Single Unit are touring Scandinavia along with jason Forrest aka Donna Summer:

07/28 - Nordberg Festival, Nordberg (SWE)
07/30-31 - Safe As Milk Festival, Haugesund (NOR)
08/01 - Landmark, Bergen (NOR)
08/03 - Blå, Oslo (NOR)
08/04 - Göteborg (SWE)
08/05 - Inkonst, Malmö (SWE)
08/06 - Neon, Brösarp (SWE)
08/08 - Sound Art Festival, Overgaden, Copenhagen (DK)

Recent Adrian Recordings signee Emil jensen has added some mp3s to his website for download: jensen.se/musik.html" target=_blank>https://www.emiljensen.se/musik.html

Playlouder interviews Pan Sonic: https://www.playlouder.com/ (via jmartian.blogspot.com/" target=_blank>Dj Martian)
If they actually travel to West Virginia to record with Hasil Adkins, that would be so amazing.

Arctic Music Group is putting together a comp of new and unreleased material from 'the most brutal relentless death and black metal bands that Scandinavia has to offer' entitled "Voices from the Arctic Circle". It's scheduled to come out on july 27 and here's the tracklist:

01. Denata - Art Of The Insane
02. Lord Belial - Purify Sweden
03. Visceral Bleeding - Fury Unleashed
04. In Battle - Pioneers Of A Dead Future
05. Exmortem - Killstorms
06. Diabolical - Under My Skin
07. Imperial Foeticide - A Light Whirl, My Guide
08. Despised - Millenium Fuck
09. Latex - Hammerfuck
10. Mortuary Iod - Lyric Sickness
11. Nominon - White Death
12. Portal - In Step Of Forgotten Gods
13. Repudiate - Lifelong Damnation
14. Shadowbuilder - Silver & Black
15. Soil Of The Undead - Violent Desecration
16. Throneaeon - Oblivion
17. Latex - Sodomaniacs

Global Domination reports from the Tuska Festival in Finland: jik.com/gd/reviews/tuska2004-01.php" target=_blank>https://www.statikmajik.com/gd/reviews/tuska2004-01.php

The all-star Swedish metal lineup of In Flames, The Haunted, Hypocrisy, Lost Horizon and Nifelheim will be joining forces for a special benefit show called 200,000 Decibel at Trägårn in Göteborg on September 2. The show's goal is to raise 200,000 SEK (~$27,000) to pay the bills for Lennart Larsson, the founder of the 2000 Decibel Festival. Lennart is a long-time supporter of hard rock and metal in Sweden and the musical community he helped nourish is hoping to help him out after this spring's edition of his fest did so poorly and left him deep in debt. Read more: https://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=24908

Dissection has reportedly entered the studio with a full line-up and is recording a new album. It will be the band's first album since 1995's "Storm Of The Light's Bane" and singer/guitarist jon Nödtvedt's release from prison. The first single is scheduled for release in September.

Daily Vault reviews up-and-coming Norwegian pop star Maria Mena: jw.html" target=_blank>https://www.dailyvault.com/2004_07_19-jw.html

The Flaming Sideburns (FIN), The Raveonettes (DK), Cocktail Slippers (NOR) and The Caesars (SWE) are just a few of the many, many acts confirmed for Little Steven's Underground Garage International Festival on August 14 at Randall's Island in NYC. It looks like it's gonna be an amazing festival - Iggy and the Stooges, The Strokes, Bo Diddley, The Dictators, tons more.

Via jmartian.blogspot.com/" target=_blank>Dj Martian comes word that Resonant will release a new album from Icelandic post-rock artist Stafraenn Hakon in September called "Ventill/Poki". Download the track "Kjammi": jammi07.mp3" target=_blank>https://www.resonantlabel.com/kjammi07.mp3
Stafraenn will also be touring the UK around that same time with Dialect and here are the dates:

09/16 - The Arts Centre, Colchester
09/17 - The Wheatsheaf, Oxford
09/19 - Brudenell Social Club, Leeds
09/20 - Upon Tyne The Tyne, Newcastle
09/22 - tbc, Glasgow
09/23 - Exposed Art Gallery, Belfast
09/24 - tbc, Dublin
09/25 - Pine Lodge, Myrtleville Co Cork, Cork (free show)
09/28 - The Social, Nottingham w/Souvaris
09/29 - The Flapper & Firkin, Birmingham w/Souvaris
09/30 - Smallfish Records, London (in-store)
10/01 - The Freebutt, Brighton
10/02 - Rota Afternoon Sessions @ Notting Hill Arts Club, London (free show)

Also via jmartian.blogspot.com/" target=_blank>Dj Martian comes this feature from The Beat Surrender on the reissue of jaga jazzist's first album "Magazine": https://www.thebeatsurrender.co.uk/news/news_detail.php?news=110

Last Plane to jakarta, the weekly webzine written by john Darnielle of the Mountain Goats, 'reviews' "Revealed and Worshipped" from Swedish death-metal act Insision: jakarta.com/2004/7/insision.html" target=_blank>https://www.lastplanetojakarta.com/2004/7/insision.html

Ex-Tiamat bassist johnny Hagel and ex-Therion member Sami Karppinen have joined forces in starting a new label called Heresy Records. They plan to release 6-8 albums a year and their first two signings are Murghatroid, a metal act featuring ex-members from Therion, Ebony Tears and Eyetrap; and a black-metal band named Dem.