Solefald is preparing to enter the studio to record their fifth album. Their comments:

The recording of Solefald's fifth album is drawing closer, and we are just as excited over this as you are! We haven't been in a studio together since the summer of 2002, and now we're about to find out how each of us have evolved since then, musically and creatively speaking. Lazare has been busy recording with Borknagar and Age of Silence, whereas Cornelius is just finishing his Sturmgeist solo album. We're certainly going to take the required time in the studio, to really deliver the monster album we want to give you. The devil is in the details, and we want as many of them as possible! A Solefald album has always been so much more than just the sound of two guys playing, and that's how it will be also for our fifth opus. A Viking video full of martial action is projected, as is the contribution of classically trained musicians. Solefald want to go on in the dark and epic direction of songs such as "jernlov" and "Dionysify This Night of Spring". A readaptation of one the songs from our "jernlov" 1996 demo will be in the track list, as well as other compositions in the classic Solefald vein. Expect a Wagnerian experience with all of Iceland's fire and ice combined...

Division of Laura Lee on tour with Sugarcult:

06/12 - Berlinova, Berlin (GER)
06/13 - Tj´s, Newport (UK)
06/14 - Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth (UK)
06/15 - Cockpit, Leeds (UK)
06/16 - Academy 2, Birmingham (UK)
06/17 - Islington Academy, London (UK)

john Calabrese of Danko jones will be filling in on bass for labelmates Last Days of April at their shows at the Rock Am Ring and Rock Im Park festivals in Germany this coming weekend.

This week's jazz on 3 from the BBC showcases the Bath International jazz Festival and features acclaimed Swedish act EST aka Esbjörn Svensson Trio: jazz/jon3/jon3.shtml" target=_blank>https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/jazz/jon3/jon3.shtml

Updated Malkovich tourdates:

06/10 - Ungommenshus, Fredericia (DK) w/Modern Life is War (US)
06/11 - Tilflykt, Kongsberg (NOR) w/Modern Life is War
06/12 - Mosh Camp 04 / Kafé 44, Stockholm (SWE) w/Modern Life is War, Between Us (SWE)
06/13 - Skylten, Linkoping (SWE) w/Modern Life is War, Between Us (SWE)
06/14 - Meeths Salonger, Gothenburg (SWE) w/Modern Life is War, Between Us (SWE)
06/15 - Elvaerket, Helsingor (DK) w/Modern Life is War
06/16 - Wild At Heart, Berlin (GER) w/Modern Life is War
06/17 - Wagon Club, Wraclow (POL) w/Modern Life is War
06/18 - Pegasus, Senftenberg (GER) w/Modern Life is War, Something Inside (GER), Nothing Ever Dies (GER)
06/19 - Crocodile, Eisenach / Wutha (GER) w/Modern Life is War, Today Forever (GER)
06/20 - need help!
06/21 - need help!
06/22 - need help!
06/23 - Winston, Amsterdam (NL) w/Modern Life is War, Killtraitors (NL)
06/24 - need help!
06/25 - need help!
06/26 - De Klos, Emmeloord (NL) w/Razor Crusade (NL)
06/27 - Talschock, Chemnitz (GER) w/Give Up the Ghost (US), The Hope Conspiracy (US), Rifu (NOR), Protestera (SWE)
06/28 - need help!
06/29 - Baracke, Münster (GER) w/Give Up the Ghost
06/30 - Exhaus, Trier (GER) w/Give Up the Ghost, Walls Of jericho (US), Deadsoil (GER)
07/01 - Alte Mälzerei, Regensburg (GER) w/Give Up the Ghost
07/02 - Trafo, Budapest (HU) w/Give Up the Ghost, Shai Hulud (US)
07/03 - City Of... Fest 4/Mostovna, Nova Gorica (SLO)
07/04 - Sonica, Roma (ITA) w/Give Up the Ghost
07/05 - need help!
07/06 - Schlachthaus, Dornbirn (AUS) w/Give Up the Ghost, Modern Life is War
07/07 - Gotec, Karlsruhe (GER) w/Give Up the Ghost, Modern Life is War
07/08 - Molotov, Hamburg (GER) w/Give Up the Ghost
07/09 - B58, Braunschweig (GER) w/Give Up the Ghost, Force Of Change (GER)
07/10 - Simplicity Festival, Bodegraven (NL) w/Darkdayrising (NL), Sellfish (NL), Stench Town (NL)
07/30 - Texelfest (NL) w/Samaritan (NL), Death Pact (NL)
10/23 - Zomaarpop/OjC Watjang, Oirlo (NL)

The band's new CDEP "017" on Reflections Records and their CD remaster/reissue of the self-titled debut (now on Coalition) are both being released this week.

Norway's Ralph Myerz and the jack Herren Band have been confirmed for the Glastonbury Festival. They are playing the Pyramid Stage on june 25.

The new album "Chiaroscuro" from Norwegian avant-jazz trumpet player Arve Henriksen is now available from Rune Grammofon. joining him on the recording are drummer Audun Kleive and sound artist jan Bang.

Finnish acts And The Lefthanded and jimi Tenor have been added to the Koneisto Festival lineup.

The latest Scandinavian music reviews from German webzine Sellfish:

Chastisement - Alleviation of pain
Ebon Tale - Sit down
Fall of the Leaf - Volvere
Totalt jävla Mörker - Människans ringa värde

The Hives have finally confirmed the title of their new album: "Tyrannosaurus Hives". It comes out july 21 and the first single will be "Walk Idiot Walk", as premiered live during the P3 Gold Awards.

Names and details are starting to be confirmed for this year's Malmö Festival and so far the artist list includes Thor Freddy, Freddie Wadling, josé González, Soilwork, Mad Sheer Kahn, Lisa Miskovsky, Bad Cash Quartet, Mattias Alkberg BD, Niccokick, Sophie Rimheden, Nina Rochelle, Cajsalisa Ejemyr, The Kid, Deportees, Under Byen and more. More info: https://www.malmofestivalen.nu/

Kristofer Åström - There For / Loupita (Startracks)
Two new acoustic-based releases from the Fireside frontman. The "There For" EP is a mostly bare-bones affair with just a bit of string augmentation and not much more. Good stuff, but probably just for people who are already fans. Now "Loupita" is a different story. It's all acoustic as well, but it's much more fleshed out and features plenty of guest vocals from Britta Persson (see her demo review below) and beautiful slide guitar work from producer Mattias Friberg of Logh. The obvious point of reference is Iron & Wine for the style and instrumentation, but the recording quality is not nearly as quaint. Well, except for the one home-recorded instrumental track "Loupita #2". At first I was thinking this was going to end up more as a teaser for the upcoming full band album due out later this year, but it is more than capable of standing on its own. As always, the songs are great. There's no question about that, but it's the vibe that takes it to the next level. The atmosphere is so relaxed and comfortable that Kristofer breaks a string on the song "Devil" and they left it on the final CD version. That sort of touch brings an extra sense of humanity and intimacy to the music which is something that can't be manufactured with rack units, mixing consoles or the like. And unlike a lot of stuff I've been hearing lately, the CD gets better the deeper you get into it. The second half (including the Friberg-penned track "I collect knives") is absolutely sublime, right through the end with the closer "just another lovesong". Highly recommended.