Finnish pop act The Phonies will have both of their albums released in the US via Nashville-based label Double D Records. No word on an actual date yet, but soon they say. Read IAT's review of their most recent album "Gran tourettes" m/index.php?article=183">right here.

Tracklist and cover art for the new, super-limited Nicolas makelberge/The Go! Team split CDR single coming out this week on *Rico: m" target=_blank>https://www.ricorico.se/rss001.htm

Hydra Head have signed Swedish black-metal act Heresi.

The Psyke Project's most recent album "Daikini", one of my most favorite albums from last year and probably one of the most crushing metalcore albums ever, will be getting a UK release this coming August. Details soon.

Aversionline on the new mässmörd record: m/blahg/2006/07/more-crimes-against-humanity-goodies.html" target=_blank>https://www.aversionline.com/blahg/2006/07/more-crimes-against-humanity-goodies.html

PonyRec, one of my favorite up-and-coming labels, has signed Swedish duo majessic Dreams. Their abstract dreamy and droning pop music has been well-liked at IAT for a long time, so I'm definitely looking forward to their next full-length when it's released in spring 2007. Check out their earlier releases right here: m/store.php?search=majessic">[click here]

The folks behind Denmark's Spot festival have posted special interview/studio sessions with the bands Davenport (ft. a guest appearance by Nicolai Dunger), PowerSolo, Spektr (interviewed by David Fricke, chief editor of Rolling Stone), Diefenbach and WhomadeWho for free streaming: https://www.spotfestival.dk/index.php?SectionID=1204&ContentID=6024&ParentIDs=0/1204/&1152964717

Congrats to Rickard of Hell On Wheels for becoming the father of a new baby daughter.

Swedish punk-rockers Ninja Dolls will do a few dates in Germany this fall:

09/28 - Wild At Heart, Berlin
09/29 - Alte Pauline, Detmold
10/04 - Kluepfel, Nuremberg
10/05 - Kulturpalast, Wiesbaden

Listen to the band here: myspace.com/ninjadolls" target=_blank>https://www.myspace.com/ninjadolls

I finally got confirmation that Teddybears STHLm (now just Teddybears) will have their most recent album released in the US on September 12. Check 'em out on myspace: myspace.com/teddybears" target=_blank>https://www.myspace.com/teddybears
I'll probably post an mp3 at some point in the near future. If you liked that recent Robyn album, you're sure to dig this too.

Interview: Marybell Katastrophy

MP3: Ef - Ett

Despite the ridiculous, pretentious title, Ef's debut full-length "Give me beauty... or give me death!" is actually quite good. I didn't really have high expectations since I found their earlier demo material to be lacking, but I have to admit that they really pulled it together. The playing is much more solid and the arrangements are tight and really flow nicely, exactly the way good post-rock should. Perhaps they listened to my criticism that "less is more" because the busy math-rock riffs I disliked in the past are gone. Regardless of where the inspiration came from, it's a marked improvement. This particular track I've posted also shows that these guys are more than capable of incorporating string arrangements as well. Genre aficionados will probably complain that the songwriting isn't all that original (it's not), but it's solid enough that I don't care. It sounds good and that's enough for me. Originality it totally overrated anyway.

Ef - Ett

MP3: Amorphis - The brother-slayer

Finland's Amorphis was a very important and formative band for me when I first started to get interested in Scandinavian music. I first heard a song from the "Thousand lakes" album on a Relapse comp and was immediately blown away by the combination of brutal death metal and classic folk melodies. Integrating humppa polka with metal sounds like a perfectly awful idea on paper, but I assure you it works (witness the advent of Finntroll for an even better example, but that's a post for another Friday). Even better, the dark imagery of Finnish epic poem "The Kanteletar" from which the band derives their lyrics fit perfectly in metal. The band's next album "Elegy" in 1996 was a huge turning point for the band as they had just added 'clean' vocalist Pasi Koskinen and started to soften their sound. Of course, many in the death metal community were less that impressed, but I found the balance of old and new to be just right. Subsequent albums found the band going even softer and my attention has drifted elsewhere, but "Elegy" will always remain a highlight of my collection (though I hear their most recent is a return to form, I have yet to listen myself). Todays mp3 however, does not come directly from said album, but instead from the "my kantele" EP which came out soon afterwards. It's on the mellower side, so don't be scared off by my earlier mentions of brutal metal - it's not even close. The Hawkwind and Kingston Wall covers that also appear on the disc should give you a much better idea of where this is at genre-wise.

Amorphis - The brother-slayer

I know I promised a new contest this week, but work has been kicking my ass, so I haven't gotten around to putting it together. Sorry! However, if you're on the newsletter, you'll get the details in your mailbox very soon.

Pics of Pelle Carlberg live in Taiwan: m/photos/raura/sets/72057594066068940/" target=_blank>https://flickr.com/photos/raura/sets/72057594066068940/