Rigas is teaming up with Nya Sampan in a new project called Postkontoret. Look for a 7" in September. A new Rigas EP is due out this fall.

Daniel Cirera on tour in Germany:

07/06 - Cafe Central, münchen
07/07 - Asta Sommerfest, mainz
07/08 - Lahneck Festival, Lahnstein Bei Koblenz
07/09 - Galerie Beach Club, Frankfurt
07/12 - Strandbar magdeburg, magdeburg
07/13 - Bundespressestrand, Berlin
07/15 - magnet Club, Berlin
07/16 - Bochum Total Heinz Bühne, Bochum
07/17 - Cubanova, münster
07/19 - Gorilla Bar, münster
07/20 - Sumpfblume, Hameln
07/21 - Saturn at mönckerbergstrasse, Hamburg
07/22 - Flower Power, Leipzig
07/28 - City Beach Club, Hamburg
07/29 - Surf Wm, Sylt

His album "Honestly I love you *cough*" will be released over there on July 21.

Check out the video for "Some place new" from Bobby Baby: mp3/someplacewin.wmv" target=_blank>https://www.bobbybaby.net/mp3/someplacewin.wmv

Norwegian sludge-rockers Årabrot have completed work on their new album "Rep Rep", once again working with producer/engineer Billy Anderson. Look for it to be released this fall.

Stockholm-based metal act This Ending (nee The Plague/A Canorous Quintet) have signed with metal Blade. The band will record their debut full-length this fall at Off-Beat Studio.

This week's top 20 Swedish album chart:

01. Lars Winnerbäck - Efter nattens bränder - 1996-2006
02. Peps Persson Oh boy - Det bästa med Peps Persson
03. marie Fredriksson - min bäste vän
04. Benny Anderssons Orkester - Bao på turné
05. Tomas Ledin - Plektrum
06. The Poodles - metal will stand tall
07. Amy Diamond - Still me still now
08. Carola - Från nu till evighet
09. Lill Lindfors - Här är den sköna sommaren
10. Shirley Clamp - Favoriter på Svenska
11. BWO - Halcyon days
12. Lasse Stefanz - Pickup 56
13. Eric Gadd - Eric Gadd
14. Totta & Wiehe - Dylan
15. Ola - Given to fly
16. Laleh - Laleh
17. Patrik Isaksson - Patrik Isaksson
18. In Flames - Come clarity
19. Linda Bengtzing - Ingenting att förlora
20. Anna Christoffersson/Steve Dobrogosz - It's always you

Beta Satan is a new electro-pop-grindcore sideproject offspring of Danish act Tiger Tunes. Check out two songs on myspace: myspace.com/betasatan" target=_blank>https://www.myspace.com/betasatan

MP3: Raison d'Être - Metamorphyses Phase I

Enough already! After one week of hot sunny weather, I'm through. Good thing I've got a proper soundtrack to take my mind off the summer doldroms. Raison D'être (aka Peter Andersson) has been one of the leaders of the dark ambient genre for long, long time and his newest masterwork "metamorphyses" is absolutely brilliant. The record consists of what amounts to six movements of light-devouring darkness. This is the soundtrack to the most dismal blackness you could possibly imagine. Totally enveloping and all-encompassing. Ambient in this case does not mean background music - I like to crank this record up loud, close my eyes and let it consume me. Traditional notions of rhythm and melody aren't always necessary to hold your attention. Check out "Phase I" which I've posted today. It reminds me of the sound of the harbor at night, when you can here the the ropes pinging against the masts. Except of course, it's far more sinister than that. This is the anti-summer soundtrack.

Raison d'Être - Metamorphyses Phase I

MP3: Totalt Jävla Mörker - Människan som försöksdjur

The new self-titled Totalt Jävla mörker album is way more metal than I expected. I know it's foolish of me, especially since the band's name literally means "Total fucking darkness". It's just that their earlier stuff tended to be more hardcore and less full-on brutality. There's still strong hints of their punk roots, but c'mon - listen to the song I've posted today and try and tell me that's not totally metal. It's all grinding blastbeats and stabbing chords. There's an extremely short breakdown thrown in for good measure, but at a total runtime of 1:06, this song does what it needs to do and ends. Short, heavy and to the point. The way it should be.

Totalt Jävla Mörker - Människan som försöksdjur

Congrats to Thomas Denver Jonsson for winning himself a copy of Hell On Wheels' latest album "The odd church". Yes, even popular and respected musicians can enter and win on It's a trap! After all, they are all still just people like you and me: broke and in need of new music. Thanks to everyone who entered! I'll try to give away a few more CDs this summer.

William Hut's new single "Take it easy" is now up on myspace: myspace.com/williamhut" target=_blank>https://www.myspace.com/williamhut
The track comes from the band's forthcoming album "Nightfall", due out this fall (I think) via Universal music.

Check out the video for "Kill the DJ" from Norway's Ralph myerz and the Jack Herren Band: mediaservices.com/?id=66980858-9976-4659-9a91-642d62db022b&delivery=stream" target=_blank>https://exodus.interoutemediaservices.com/?id=66980858-9976-4659-9a91-642d62db022b&delivery=stream

Embee from Looptroop has a brand new mixtape called "mash hits" that just came out and you can hear snippets here: mashhits_snippets.mp3" target=_blank>https://www.looptroop.nu/shop/soundclips/mashhits_snippets.mp3
To buy the disc, hit up Looptroop's online shop: https://www.looptroop.nu/shop

Denmark's No Hope for the Kids has been confirmed for this year's Pointless Fest, August 10-13 in Philadelphia. Sadly, it will be their only US show this trip. Def not to be missed.

Hybris releases are here and in-stock, both as CDs and mp3s! Look for a multitude of titles to be added to the webstore shortly: m/store.php?search=Hybris">[click here]
(Note: not all the mp3s are up yet, but they will be added over the next day or so. Physical CDs are in-stock and ready to ship.)