As promised, the doors of new Swedish avant-pop/darkness label have been thrown open and their first three releases are now available for ordering + streaming via Bandcamp: mp.com/" target="_blank">https://belaten.bandcamp.com/
I recommend starting with mp.com/album/sol" target="_blank">michael Idehall's album "SOL".
FleshpressIt's generally a prerequisite of sludgy doom metal that intros and track lead-ins run for inhuman amounts of time and Finland's Fleshpress are no exception. We're over half way through the 11-minute opener, "Glass trails", before there's any hint of something solid starting, with the initial six and a half minutes sounding off like an ethereal soundtrack to one of the Wallander movies. The track then plods along in simplistic Tool-esque mode before hitting its stride and finally breaking into a killer mid-paced fist-pounder resplendent with vocals touching on a mix of The Secret and Zao. "Copper eye" kicks off with more of a straightforward dirty black metal outlook, although the sludge base is prevalent throughout, while closer, "Oblivion persistent" adopts the sludge penchant for dragging the hell out of a tune to the point that it seems like it'll never end. It's crafted so well and with such menace, though, that it's captivating -- and devastating -- from start to finish. The few moments that drag or don't seem too inspired on this take little from the remainder of the recording. Good stuff indeed!
- John Norby
Swedish artists José González and I Break Horses will both be playing the ATP "I'll Be Your mirror" Festival in Asbury Park, New Jersey this coming September.
The esteemed Village Voice has a sizable profile piece on Finnish/Ethiopian artist mirel Wagner in advance of her hitting the States for SXSW: m/2012-02-22/music/on-mirel-wagner-and-the-alleged-death-and-apparent-spread-of-freak-folk/" target="_blank">https://www.villagevoice.com/2012-02-22/music/on-mirel-wagner-and-the-alleged-death-and-apparent-spread-of-freak-folk/
New music from Norwegian artist Sandra Kolstad. Expect a new album this coming fall.
Brilliant new sights and sounds from Norwegian artist Susanne Sundfør. "White foxes" is the first single off her forthcoming album "The silicone veil" which will be released on march 26.
Nutid, the excellent instrumental duo of Åsa Jacobsson and Alf Håkan Åkesson, will be releasing a new album this coming spring. Check out their new website: https://www.nutid.info/
Swedish heavies Pyramido will be touring in April:
04/05 - Die Friese, Bremen (GER)
04/06 - AZ, Köln (GER)
04/07 - l'Astrophone, metz (FRA)
04/08 - KuZeb, Bremgarten (CH)
04/10 - Ballonfabrik, Augsburg (GER)
04/11 - Proberaum, Karlsruhe (GER)
04/12 - Oettinger Villa, Darmstadt (GER)
04/13 - AZ, mülheim (GER)
04/14 - AJZ, Bielefeld (GER)
04/15 - UJZ Korn, Hannover (GER)
Copenhagen-based Industrial/postpunk label has announced two new releases, a 12" from Swedish act Street Drinkers and a 2x C-40 comp entitled "Port out, starboard home" which is devoted to
Joakin Westlund of Aerial/the Giant's Dream has a new solo project called Alpha mound and this right here is his debut. Look for the album "Burning words" to be released later this year.
Steel mammoth frontman Garfield Steel is going solo and will release his debut album "Darkness freedom" on march 28 via in collaboration with sublabel and . Says the press release: "Darkness Freedom is part classic [huh?] NWOFHm and part futuristic synthesizer exploration. Hard rocking guitars intertwine with smoothly pulsating drum machines and eerie effects, creating a haunting new synthesis of heavy rock and electronic sound manipulation."
Finnish live music site Off the Record has a new session up featuring Swedish/American metal act Soen (ex-Willowtree, Opeth): https://offtherecord.fi/soen/
Robyn will be doing a string of US dates supporting Coldplay this summer:
06/22 - American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
06/23 - American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
06/25 - Toyota Center, Houston, TX
06/26 - Toyota Center, Houston, TX
06/28 - St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa, FL
06/29 - American Airlines Arena, miami, FL
07/02 - Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA
07/03 - Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, NC
07/05 - Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
07/06 - Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
07/08 - Verizon Center, Washington, DC
07/09 - Verizon Center, Washington, DC
PSL has the premiere of a new collaboration track featuring Per Egland and Kicki Halmos (masquer): https://blogg.svt.se/psl/2012/02/22/extra-peregland/
Said tune is from Per's new album "Allt för din skuld" (due out march 7) and will also be released as a split single with masquer covering Per's old song "Franco för mig" on the flip.
Get past the goofy intro and dig some solid blackened sludge from Norway's Black Hole Crew.