Verdura Records has announced that they will be releasing a 7" from the new Finnish free-improv-jazz group Mohel later this year. More news to follow.

Children of Bodom will return to the US once again, this time on tour with Lamb Of God and Fear Factory in October. Dates soon.

Surferosa are currently recording a couple new songs in Sweden, "Monsterbitch" and "Emergency Rescue", plus an unnamed 'surprise-treat'. Wait and see, I guess.

Katatonia and Amaran will be doing some European tourdates together centered around the two band's appearances at ProgPower in early October. Here's Katatonia's schedule now:

08/20 - Summer Breeze Open Air, Abtsgmünd (GER)
08/21 - Metalcamp, Tolmin (SLO)
08/26 - Samsen, Kristiansand (NOR)
08/27 - Hole In The Sky, Bergen (NOR)
08/28 - Folken, Stavanger (NOR)
08/29 - Garage, Oslo (NOR)
09/29 - Loppen, Copenhagen (DK)
10/03 - Progpower Europe, Baarlo (NL)

More soon.

Check out some pics from the Sahara Hotnights US tour: https://www.saharahotnights.com/dev/photos/index2.asp?i=82

Global Domination does 'Name that fucken cover tune': https://www.statikmajik.com/gd/namethat/covertune01.php

Norway's Datarock reports that they'll be recording their debut full-length in October and hope to see it released sometime around spring next year. Apparently, Mikal, the head of their label Èllet Records, is taking a sabbatical from the biz, so the band (and everyone else on the label) is free to do what they way. That means there's no word on who will eventually release the record, but it also means that the group is working on repressing the "Computer Camp Love" EP themselves. As for other future plans, they're going to try and book some shows abroad this fall. I'll be sure to keep you updated.

As for what will happen to the rest of the bands on the Èllet Records roster, I'll try to find out.

I heard about this awhile ago, but now it's official: one of Sweden's biggest record stores, Skivhugget in Göteborg, is bankrupt and in dire straits. My understanding is that they will try to weather the storm and, at the very worst, will keep the online mailorder operation alive. Read more from the Göteborg Post: ttp://www.gp.se/gp/jsp/Crosslink.jsp?d=286&a=177061 (in Swedish)

The Glitterhouse website has a bunch of great free downloads online, including The Ricochets, Helldorado, Thomas Dybdahl and more: https://www.glitterhouse.com/index.asp?lang=e&mode=downloadlist&rnd=3%2C814334E-02=&incs=false

Check out the Epitaph Records e-card for C.Aarmé: https://www.epitaph.com/goodies/ecard.php?id=304

Finnish rockers Hanoi Rocks are planning some tourdates around Europe:

09/28 - Thunder Road, Codevilla (ITA)
09/29 - Blackout, Rome (ITA)
09/30 - Sonar Live, Colle Val D´Elsa (ITA)
10/01 - New Age, Roncade (ITA)
10/02 - Temporock, Gualtieri (ITA)
10/14 - Razzmatazz, Barcelona (SPA)
10/15 - tba
10/16 - Sala Jam, Bergara (SPA)
10/17 - Arena, Madrid (SPA)

Finland's leading goth-metal export HIM is planning to celebrate their 10-year anniversary with the release of a DVD in October. The disc will reportedly feature all 14 videos the group has done during the extent of their career, plus various 'making of' clips including footage of them working with Bam Margera of"Jackass" fame and various interview material.

In somewhat silly news, the remixed 5.1 surround sound version of Refused's classic album "The Shape Of Punk To Come" has been nominated for 'Best Multichannel Reissue' at the Surround Music Awards. The competition:

Outkast - Stankonia
George Harrison - Live In Japan
Steely Dan - Gaucho
Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

The winner will be announced at the awards ceremony on August 31. Read more about the awards here: https://www.surroundpro.com/articles/publish/article_217.shtml

Norwegian singer/songwriter Magnet will finally see the US release of his most recent album "On your side" on October 19 via Filter US Recordings. The US version of the CD will include three bonus tracks and, as hinted at by the press release, touring will follow.

Speaking of Magnet, you can stream some live tracks him, Kings of Convenience and many more from the Summer Sundae Weekender Festival in the UK that happened earlier this month: https://www.bbc.co.uk/6music/out/festivals2004/summersundae/interviews.shtml