Mikael Åkerfeldt of Opeth talks to MetalReview.com about the recent tour, drummer Martin Lopez's panic attacks and subsequent show cancellations and more: https://www.metalreview.com/interviews/default.aspx?interview=30067

On May 13 there will be a Nordic Film Festival happening right in my backyard of San Francisco and the call is going out for music video submissions. If you'd like to submit your work, contact Tony DuShane at tony@filmjunkie.com. Entries are due by April 13. More details: https://www.filmjunkie.com/nordic/

The latest from Stratovarius and Timo Tolkki: https://www.stratovarius.com/index2.php?section=update_march

The Haunted have updated with a short report and some pics from the studio where they are tracking their fourth album: https://www.cyklode.com/haunted/doc/studio_report.htm
Lou from the famous NYC hardcore band Sick of it All stopped by and laid down some guest vocals on the track "Who will decide?".

Surprise, surprise - the next two Broder Daniel gigs in Karlskrona and Örebro, on the 12th and 13th repectively, have been cancelled. How long until they actually just break up? The next show is schedule for March 25 at Mejeriet in Lund. We'll see if it actually happens.

Danish dancepunks The Fashion have yet another new website and have also posted the video for the track "Roller Disco Inferno": high / low
Upcoming live dates:

03/12 - Gimle, Roskilde (DK) w/Johnny Deluxe
03/18 - Musikcaféen, Aarhus (DK)
03/19 - Thisted Gym, Thisted (DK)
03/30 - Barfly, London (UK)
06/04 - Aarhus Spot Festival (date might change) (DK)
06/11 - Tåstrup Kultur Center, Taastrup (DK) w/Speaker Bite Me
06/24 - Nibe Festival, Nibe (DK)

The ever-so modest men of C.Aarmé have posted some new pics online: https://c.aarme.lofi.org/?show=photos

Danish sadcore act Amber was recently in Chicago to record with the famous Steve Albini. Check out their studio diary: https://gaffa.dk/nyheder/view.php/news_id=11752 (in Danish)

Soviac and The Unisex are now booked by Monstera.

MIC Norway profiles El Caco: https://www.mic.no/mic.nsf/doc/art2004030912275756794232

The US version of Ariel Kill Him's album "In the Pyramid" comes out today on Eyeball Records and their Swedish label Kasual reports that the band is working on a tour for June. Details soon?

Kaospilot is on their way to lining up a US tour this summer. Here's what they've got so far:

05/29 - Knitting Factory Tap Room, NYC, NY
05/30 - First Unitarian Church, Philadelphia, PA
05/31 - New Jersey, NJ
06/01 - Long Island, NY
06/02 - The Zoo, Wilkes-Barre, PA
06/03 - Providence, RI
06/04 - Boston, MA
06/05 - Uconn, Storrs, CT
06/06 - Washington, DC
06/07 - All Books, Summerville, SC
06/08 - Atlanta, GA
06/09 - Nashville, TN
06/10 - Tulsa, OK
06/11 - Austin, TX
06/12 - Modified Arts, Phoenix, AZ
06/13 - Che Café, San Diego, CA
06/14 - Koo's, Long Beach, CA
06/15 - Sound and Lights, Las Vegas, NV
06/16 - Biko, Goleta, CA
06/17 - Santa Cruz, CA
06/18 - Bay Area
06/19 - Bay Area
06/20 - MeowMeow, Portland, OR
06/21 - 2nd Ave Pizza, Seattle, WA
06/22 - Boise, ID
06/23 - High Life House, Denver, CO
06/24 - Omaha, NE
06/25 - Sioux Falls, SD
06/26 - Minneapolis, MN
06/27 - FSU Garage, Cedar Falls, IA
06/28 - Lemp Arts Center, St Louis, MO
06/29 - Chicago, IL
06/30 - Diaper, Michigan, MI
07/01 - Masonic Temple, Toledo, OH
07/02 - Mr Roboto, Pittsburgh, PA
07/03 - ABC No Rio, NYC, NY

If you can help out with shows, please contact kaospilotbooker@hotmail.com.

Since Startracks imprint StarEP folded some time ago, there are still a number of homeless bands out there looking for an outlet for their material. Umeå's Cobolt is one of them. They say they've got enough material for a full length and any interested parties should contact them for a sampler.

Some of the bands confirmed for the Månefestivalen in Norway at the end of May: Vidar Busk, Silver, Amulet, Tellusalie, Tommy Tokyo, Camaros, Tuna Laguna, King Midas, Peru-You and Cuban Connection. More info: https://www.maanefestivalen.no/

David Fridlund of David & the Citizens has booked his first honest-to-goodness solo date at the City Sound Festival. I hear rumors about a solo album, but there's nothing official being said yet. Other new acts added to the City Sound bill: Kingston Airforce, Granada , Sandy Mouche , Soak The Sin , Span, Speech Defect , Peggy Lejonhjärta , The 21st Century Noise , Tobias Fröberg , Bukk , Bombshell Rocks and Troublemakers.