New Kongh to get vinyl release in June

French label MusicFearSatan will be handling the vinyl 2LP edition of Kongh's new album "Shadows of the shapeless". Expect a limited edition of 500 (300 black, 200 red) in June.

Kongh out to conquer Europe

Swedish doom act Kongh is heading out on a European tour this weekend:

05/02 - Hacienda Sonic, Sierre (CH)
05/08 - Martha, Kiel (GER)
05/09 - Willemeen, Arnhem (NL)
05/10 - De Rots, Antwerpen (BEL)
05/11 - La Mécanique Ondulatoire, Paris (FRA)
05/13 - Edaska Rock Club, Barakalda, Bilbao (ESP)
05/14 - La Caverna de medussa, León (ESP)
05/15 - Bola 8, Gijón (ESP)
05/16 - Fabrica de som, Porto (POR)
05/17 - Ritmo y Compás, Madrid (ESP)
05/18 - Centro Civico la Fonteta, Barcelona (ESP)
05/19 - Baloard, Montpellier (FRA)
05/20 - Vicolo Stretto Pub, Colorno (Parma) (IT)
05/21 - Sinister Noise Club, Rome (IT)
05/22 - Tubecult Fest @ Orange Café, Pescara (IT)
05/23 - Scalo San Donato, Bologna (IT)
05/25 - Haus Mainusch, Mainz (GER)
05/26 - MTC, Cologne (GER)

New Kongh album on May 15

Swedish doom trio Kongh reports that their new album "Shadows of the shapeless" is finished and confirmed for release on May 15 via Trust No One. 5 songs, 57 minutes, so you know it's a major epic. There's also word of a pending US release in a addition to a 2LP version, but no dates yet on either. Listen to samples of two tracks at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/kongh

Kongh to begin recording new album

Swedish doom act Kongh will be heading into the studio tomorrow to record their sophomore album "Shadows of the shapeless". Expect five "massive" tunes and a May release.

Swedish doom act Kongh will be making their US live debut at Kuma Corner's Doom Fest, happening at the Double Door in Chicago on December 20. Check it: http://www.myspace.com/kumasdoomfest

Check out episodes #55 and #56 of Combat Music Radio program "Obdurate Ground" for an extended interview/feature with Swedish doom act Kongh: http://www.combatmusicradio.com/obdurateground/

Swedish doom act Kongh will be going into Teknikkompaniet Studios in Vetlanda with producer/engineer Peter Lundin on October 25 to begin work on their next album, tentatively due out next spring.

Kongh plans to enter the studio this fall to record their new album, tentatively titled "Shadows of the shapeless". Expect an early 2009 release, but in the meantime, be sure to catch them on tour with labelmates Switchblade - dates (and samples) at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/kongh

Swedish doom acts Switchblade and Kongh are doing some shows together in September:

09/03 - Utkanten, Malmo (SWE)
09/04 - Cassiopeia, Berlin (GER)
09/05 - Kunstverein, Nurnberg (GER)
09/06 - Negasonic, Aalst (BEL)
09/07 - 013 (Ashes To Ashes, Doom To Dust III), Tilburg (NL)
09/08 - tba

Swedish punks (and recent Manifest Awards champions) Wolfbrigade have a new website: http://www.wolfbrigade.se/
The band recently recorded seven new tracks for a new 12"/CD and will be heading out on the road for a lot of dates this year. Plans are still being worked out for Australia and Japan, but here's what they have so far:

03/01 - PunkPartaj 6.66, Sandviken (SWE) w/Meanwhile, Counterblast, Kongh, more
03/09 - Kafé 44, Stockholm (SWE) w/DSB, Sista Sekunden
03/13 - Ar D'arto, Coimbra (POR)
03/14 - Porto Rio, Porta (POR)
08/29 - Balkanika Core festival, Kranj (SLO) w/ENT, Mob 47, more
09/06 - Play Fast or Don't 5, Hradci Králové (CZ) w/Selfish, Massgrave, more

The nominees for the Swedish Radio P3 Guld awards have been announced:

Pop:
Anna Järvinen - Jag fick feeling
Friday Bridge - Intricacy
Jens Lekman - Night falls over Kortedala
Sambassadeur - Migration
Taken By Trees - Open Field

Dance:
Aril Brikha - Ex machina
Axwell - collected work
Minilogue - collected work
The Field - From here we go sublime
Tiger Stripes - collected work

Rock/metal:
Arch Enemy - Rise Of The Tyrant
Dark Tranquility - Fiction
Kongh - Counting heartbeats
Marduk - Rom 5:12
Mustasch - Latest version of the truth

Hiphop/soul:
Petter - God damn it
Ken - Äntligen hemma
Adam Tensta - It's a Tensta Thing
Million stylez - From A Far
Basutbudet - Svensk bas

Newcomer:
Adam Tensta
Maia Hirasawa
Million Stylez
Neverstore
Those Dancing Days

Female artist:
Laleh - Prinsessor
Maia Hirasawa - Though, I'm Just Me
Miss Li - God Put A Rainbow In The Sky
September - Dancing Shoes
Säkert! - Säkert!

Male artist:
Danny - Heart. Beats.
Jens Lekman - Night falls over Kortedala
Lars Winnerbäck - Daugava
Mange Schmidt - Känslan kommer tillbaks
Salem Al Fakir - This Is Who I Am

Group:
Kent - Tillbaka till samtiden
Mando Diao - Never Seen The Light Of Day
Sahara Hotnights - What If Leaving Is A Loving Thing
Shout Out Louds - Our Ill Wills
The Ark - Prayer For The Weekend

Song:
Kleerup with Robyn - With Every Heartbeat
Mange Schmidt feat. Petter - Giftig
Oh Laura - Release Me
Sahara Hotnights - Cheek To Cheek
Säkert! - Vi kommer att dö samtidigt

Guldmicken (live):
Laakso
Mustasch
Salem Al Fakir
Säkert!
Timo Räisänen

More info: http://www.sr.se/cgi-bin/p3/nyhetssidor/index.asp?programID=3014

Creative Eclipse interviews Swedish doom act Kongh: http://www.creative-eclipse.com/file/interviews29.htm

MP3: Promise and the Monster - Sheets

Promise and the Monster in a word: haunting. For awhile, I had her CD sitting on my desk next to Kongh's "Counting heartbeats" and it's amazing how similar the cover art for the two albums are. Kongh, a band on Trust No One (the label run by Switchblade drummer Tim Bertilsson), play loud, crushing doom which of course is far from the quiet, reserved sounds of Promise and the Monster, but they both evoke similar feelings of despair. The dark woods, the serif font, represent it well. As the best doom bands know, heaviness is not always related to volume and distortion. It's the space between that's often darkest.

Promise and the Monster - Sheets

The playlist for this week's radio show:

01. Isolation Years - Frosted minds
02. TALK 1
03. Hyacinth House - Lucky stranger
04. Immanu El - Kosmonaut
05. Kamera - Fragile
06. TALK 2
07. Pay TV - Fashion report (clubmix)
08. Fun - I've got a truck
09. Timo Räisänen - Sixteen
10. TALK 3
11. Superfamily - Warszawa
12. Majessic Dreams - Still inside
13. The Indecision Alarm - Time for the big guns, baby
14. Boeoes Kaelstigen - Flir
15. TALK 4
16. The Fine Arts Showcase - Modern love
17. Karin Ström - Ordlös
18. Meleeh - Malign
19. TALK 5
20. Kongh - Pushed beyond
21. Baby Woodrose - Let yourself go
22. TALK 6
23. Mixtapes & Cellmates - Quiet (Cat Burgler remix)
24. The Je Ne Sais Quoi - Rhythm
25. The Bell - I need nothing
26. September - Satellites
27. TALK 7
28. Piroth - Waltz for prima ballerina
29. Sällskapet - Järnstaden
30. Montt Mardié - Birthday boy (drama)
31. TALK 8
32. CS Nielsen - Bottle for the road
33. Susanna and the Magical Orchestra - Love will tear us apart
34. Voices Break the Silence - Mopo3
35. TALK 9
36. Plain Fade - Blue skies ahead

Kongh's half of the forthcoming Ocean Chief split can now be heard on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/kongh