This Saturday's "Hear and Now" program on the BBC's Radio 3 will feature modern Norwegian classical composers and electronic music from Bergen. Read more: https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/listings/index.shtml?day=Saturday (scroll down)
Remember you can listen to an archive of the program online for seven days following the program. (alerted via jmartian.blogspot.com/" target=_blank>Dj Martian)

Rumor has it that Andy McCoy of Hanoi Rocks has been asked to fill in for legendary late guitarist johnny Thunders at the upcoming New York Dolls reunion shows in june. Izzy Stradlin (Guns n' Roses) was originally slated as the man for the job, but he supposedly backed out once he heard there might be plans for more extensive gigging beyond the one-off festival appearance announced so far. We shall see...

Seems like Satyricon did quite well on their US tour opening for Morbid Angel judging from this message. The best part? Plans are underway for them to come back for a headlining tour in August! Hopefully drummer Frost can make it this time around as well.

Aftonbladet reviews the new SH album and provides a few samples: je/story/0,2789,480351,00.html" target=_blank>https://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/noje/story/0,2789,480351,00.html (in Swedish)

Here's this week's MTV Up North Nordic video chart:

01. The Rasmus - Funeral Song
02. HIM - Solitary Man
03. Kashmir - Aftermath
04. Promoe - These Walls Don´t Lie
05. Paleface - Colgate Soulmate
06. Sondre Lerche - Two Way Monologue
07. Tungtvann - Slepp Dae Laus
08. Paperback Freud - Kate
09. C21 - All That I Want
10. Beats And Styles - Allstars
11. Bergman Rock - jim
12. Blue Foundation - End Of The Day
13. Grand Avenue - This Is Not An End
14. Winta - I Want You
15. Amulet - We Are Thunders
16. Infinite Mass - No.1 Swartskalle
17. The Legends - Call It Ours
18. Petter - Fredrik Snortare och Cecilia Synd
19. Tim Christensen - jump The Gun
20. Alcazar - This Is The World We´re Living

Challengers:
01. Whyte Seeds - Black Key Song
02. Venke Knutson - Scared
03. Thunder Express - Believe In You
04. Cheek - Avaimet Mun Kiesiin
05. Honestly - The Gyminstructor

Go to the MTVE.com site to watch and vote for your favorite.

This week's top 10 Nordic video chart from YLE/Morjen:

01. Nightwish - Nemo (FIN)
02. Finntroll - Trollhammaren (FIN)
03. The Rasmus - Funeral song (FIN)
04. Nina Rochelle - Stockholm kommer förstöra mig (SWE)
05. Labrador - Freeway to Mars (DK)
06. Uniklubi - Rakkautta ja Piikkilankaa (FIN)
07. Eskobar - Bring the action (SWE)
08. Elastinen - Syljen (FIN)
09. Infinite Mass - No 1 svartskalle (SWE)
10. Petter - Fredrik Snortare och Cecilia Synd (SWE)

Challengers:
01. Indica - Scarlett (FIN)
02. Fjärde Världen - Här i vårt kvarter (SWE)
03. Sofia - You know what to do (FIN)

Sweden's The Curtain are going to Canada in june to do some shows, as well as the NXNE in Toronto on june 8. More info about that here: https://www.nxne.com/

Confirmed june dates for The Sounds:

06/06 - Download Festival, Donnington (UK)
06/08 - Roadhouse, Manchester (UK)
06/09 - Islington Academy, London (UK)
06/17 - Megafeztival, Grebbestad (SWE)

The jester Records website says that the new Ulver album will be called "Blood Inside". No exact release date has been announced yet, just that it's due in 2004.

Swedish doom metal band Candlemass have called it quits yet again, seemingly for the last time. Their statement:

"We are truly sorry to inform you that Candlemass have disbanded! This is sad news for us and everybody else that love this fantastic band. There will be no more gigs, no new album, no more doom!
This is it... ..finished..........zero...........nada........out!!!
Despite the tremendous success of the reunion, everything hasn’t been perfect.
Tiny cracks in the façade could be seen during the first round in the summer of 2002 because members of the band do not share the same vision of C-mass, the gigs, an eventual new album, democracy etc, and last year it became clear that the indifferences were too large to overcome.
A demo was recorded but the internal problems overshadowed the fun of playing. The gig at Klubben (Stockholm) nov. 29 came to be the last and final for Candlemass.
The band have tried to save the situation. There have been meetings and discussions, but unfortunately it hasn’t been possible for the five members to agree on how Candlemass could work in the future. The members would have loved to continue but the chemistry is just not there anymore.
The magic is gone........................."

Of course, the music will still live on, especially since GMR Records is compiling a tribute album to the band. Some of the names set to contribute include Opeth, The Hellacopters, The Haunted, Cathedral, Grand Magus, Krux, Satyricon and maybe Timo Rautianinen & Trio Niskalaukaus. It's tentatively set for a spring 2005 release.

Unleashed's new album will be called "Sworn Allegiance". It comes out on july 26 via Century Media Records.

The much-anticipated new album from The Hives has been confirmed for a july 20 release date.

jettie has a new website design online: jettieband.com/" target=_blank>https://www.jettieband.com/

Swedish psych-rockers Dungen will release their new album "Ta det lugnt" in june.

While in London working on the upcoming Lord of the Rings musical, the singers of Värttinä and janne Lappalainen are taking some time out to speak with BBC Radio 3's Late junction program with host Fiona Talkington on May 24. More info here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/world/
They will also record a short program for BBC Wales to be broadcasted in Britain on june 20 via BBC Radio 3.