Norwegian act Pale Kids have scrapped their album after many release delays and will be going back into the studio to rerecord it.

Alouatta has started recording their debut full-length and will be doing basic tracks with Andre Linder (Östermalm) before sending it off to Fredrik Björk (Twopointeight) for overdubs.

Danish act Private has revamped their website: https://www.weareprivate.com/

M:40 has started to line up a lot of tourdates for next year:

01/20 - Tvo, Turku (FIN)
01/21 - Vastavirta-Klubi, Tampere (FIN)
01/22 - Lutakko, Jyväskylä (FIN)
01/23 - Club Tsokol, St. Petersburg (RUS)
01/24 - Pub Porshen, Petrozavodsk (RUS)
04/08 - Köpi, Berlin (GER)
04/09 - Zoro, Leipzig (GER)
04/10 - Gerberstrasse, Weimar (GER)
04/11 - Ajz, Neubrandenburg (GER)
06/11 - Be-Part Festival 6, Stuttgart (GER)
07/03 - Packebusch Festival, Packebusch (GER)
07/16 - Obscene Extreme Festival, Trutnov (CZ)

Finnish act Büfo will be joining them for the Finnish and Russian dates and fellow Swedes End of All will accompany them in Germany. Also, keep an eye out for a new split 7" with Dutch act Sand Creek Massacre early next year.

Sounds Like Violence checks in from Tambourine Studios in Malmö where they are recording their new album: https://www.soundslikeviolence.com/news.asp?ID=78

The Infernus-led lineup of Gorgoroth has announced that they have enlisted former vocalist Pest to take the place of the infamous Gaahl. As to which version of the band gets to keep the Gorgoroth name, we have to wait until January for the court case to be decided. Read more: https://www.regainrecords.com/viewItem.php?id=325

Swedish indiepop singer/songwriter Juni Järvi is seeking backing musicians to help him record his next album: https://www.junijarvi.com/news.html

Chromewaves on the new Frida Hyvönen album "Silence is wild": https://www.chromewaves.net/2008/12/review-of-frida-hyvonens-silence-is-wild/

Look for "Strange constellations", the debut album from Norwegian act Heroes & Zeros, to be released in GAS on February 20.

Ektro Records will be releasing the new album "Predatress" from Finnish cult speed metal legends Solitiare, their fourth overall. No exact release date yet, but you can listen to samples here: https://www.ektrorecords.com/ektro.php

Crucified Barbara's new album "'Til death do us party" will be officially released on February 11 in Scandinavia, February 27 elsewhere throughout Europe.

The North American CD release of the new The Soundtrack of Our Lives album "Communion" won't happen until March 3 (as mentioned the other day), but the digital version will be out January 6 and the vinyl on February 3.

The folks at Tiger/Fysisk Format in Oslo have posted their top picks for 2008: https://www.tigernet.no/epages/tiger.sf/no_NO/?ObjectPath=/Shops/Tigernet/Categories/LIST/TOPPTI/2008
Great stuff, especially if you're interested in the Norwegian underground. And that Coffins album on a few of those lists? 100% killer, even if they're from Japan (and on a label here in Olympia, WA).

Swedish indiepop artist Friday Bridge has a new website: https://www.fridaybridge.net/
Her new album "Bite my tongue" will be out February 11 via But is it Art? with the first single "Shanghai shipping" being released as a free download soon.

Göteborg-based indiepop-punk act Samtidigt Som will be releasing their debut LP "Flykt, kärlek och broderskap" on January 28 via Luxury Recordings. Said album was produced by Kalle von Hall of Bad Cash Quartet and they say it will sound similar to the EP (remember?), 'cept more dynamic. Keep an eye out for the first single "Vid min sida" to be released on January 14.