IT'S A TRAP! Scandinavian Music Journal

Brännmärkt - Levande lögn

Mon, 09 Jul 2012 13:51:01 -0700

Raw Lidköping crust from members of M:40, The Shocking Odds and Digher. Look for the band's debut EP "Ingen vinner" to be released on July 21 via Halvfabrikat Records with a release show alongside M:40 at Stand Matsalar the same day.

M:40 - Diagnos / Slut på allt

Thu, 14 Jun 2012 11:34:44 -0700

Two killer tracks from M:40's upcoming album "Diagnos", due out July 13 via Halvfabrikat Records.

M:40 in the studio

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 13:24:03 -0700

Swedish crustpunk act M:40 reports that they are currently recording their third album "Diagnos" at Hoborec Studios, laying down their first new material since 2008. Expect a summer release.

The Gatheration - An illusion just to fail (video)

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 11:45:36 -0700

The Gatheration is a new band featuring the four brothers Blomberg, Simon and Daniel from M:40 plus Ulf of Grace.Will.Fall and Jesper who is apparently the black sheep of the family with no notable band resumé. Anyhow, they've come together with the intention of playing straightforward punkrock and, if this song's any indication, I'd say they've succeeded mightily. Look for their debut 7" on HoboRec/Halvfabrikat in May with a European tour to follow.

Sirius playlist week #51

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 11:18:19 -0800

Here's the playlist for this week's (all-punk/hardcore) radio show:

01. Darkthrone - Hiking metal punks
02. TALK 1
03. Ebba Grön - Staten & kapitalet
04. Massgrav - Jävla fittor
05. Disfear - Live the storm
06. Samtidigt Som - För jag tror att ingen annan kan känna såhär för dig
07. TALK 2
08. We Live In Trenches - Autonomy clinic
09. MABD - Kom kom
10. Black Sheep - Crazy world
11. C.Aarmé - Ti ca tu a
12. Sods - Television sect
13. TALK 3
14. No Hope for the Kids - Rainy day
15. Frivolvol - Take it from the beginning
16. Hanna Hirsch - Ingen kommer sakna oss
17. Silver - Drenched in comfort
18. TALK 4
19. Randy - Win or lose
20. Victims - Your division
21. Smalltown - Warning
22. Lögnhalsmottagningen - Bodybuilder
23. M:40 - Sista tiden
24. TALK 5
25. Hebosagil - Cosmic

Reminder: my show airs every week on Sundays and Mondays at 11pm ET on Sirius XM U. That's channel 26 on Sirius, 43 on XM and 831 for DirecTV subscribers. Next week's show (December 28/29) will be all jazz.

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 11:49:38 -0800

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.

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0800

The band's follow-up to their solid "Historiens svarta vingslag" full-length tones down the metal for a more streamlined, raging d-beat hardcore attack, though they manage to retain the dark melodies that elevate them above also-ran status. On this particular EP they seem to do best when they turn down the tempo and compensate by amping up the intensity. Closer "En av dom" ("One of them") doesn't quite reach Breach-like levels of bleak desolation, nor does it match up with "My war" in terms of pure vitriolic rage ("'82 demos" FTW), but it does exemplify the approach, especially when the band gives the music proper breathing room and embraces the far reaches of their dynamic range. Unfortunately, no matter how good the songs are, it's completely ruined by the shrill audio quality. I've heard mixed things about Pirates Press/CZ in the past, but this is the first record I've heard pressed through them that lives up to the bad hype. Without any low-end, the M:40's capacity for heaviness is essentially neutered, thus capping their potential at an unfairly low level. It's hard not to be disappointed.

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 12:05:05 -0700

Swedish crusties M:40 have started to line up 2009 tourdates:

01/20 - Tvo, Turku (FIN)
01/21 - Klubi, Tampere (FIN)
01/22 - Lutakko, Jyväskylä (FIN)
01/23 - tba, St. Petersburg (RUS)
01/24 - tba, Petrozavodsk (RUS)
04/08 - Köpi, Berlin (GER)
04/09 - Zoro, Leipzig (GER)
04/10 - Gerberstrasse, Weimar (GER)
04/11 - AJZ, Neubrandenburg (GER)

All Finnish and Russian dates are with Finnish act Büfo and the dates in Germany are with fellow Swedes End Of All.

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 18:59:18 -0700

Here's the playlist for this week's radio show:

01. Suis La Lune - Förmögenhet
02. TALK 1
03. Dmitry Fyodorov - Leisure
04. M:40 - Konfrontation
05. Cola Freaks - Ingenting set
06. TALK 2
07. Sort Sol - Boy/Girl
08. Montys Loco - Farewell Mr Happy
09. Fy Fan - Arbetslos inte dum i huvdet
10. TALK 3
11. Those Dancing Days - Home sweet home
12. Viktor Sjöberg - Bostadsrätt
13. Frivolvol - And the youth of a nation sang
14. Jesper Norda - Tomorrow you'll be forgiven but tonight you will have your teeth knocked out
15. TALK 4
16. Norma - Waste
17. Häkan Lidbo - Mental hardcore
18. Celestial - Crystal heights
19. TALK 5
20. Mattias Alkberg BD - Här är ditt liv
21. Smalltown - The music
22. Audionom - Han gar och fiskar
23. Nitad - Rädslan
24. TALK 6
25. Broder Daniel - Underground

My show on Sirius Left of Center (channel 26) airs Sundays at 11pm ET with repeats on Monday at the same time, but is pre-empted next week (10/12) by a Beck special.

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 16:38:43 -0700

Swedish crust label Halvfabrikat will be putting out a new self-titled full-length LP from Anatomi-71 in the near future along with two new split 7"s featuring Passiv Dödshjälp/Livstid and M:40/Sand Creek Massacre. Dates and details to come.

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 15:39:14 -0700

M:40, Exhale and Grace.Will.Fall are keeping a blog of their tour together: http://tourblog.hoborec.com/

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 20:18:29 -0700

Swedish crusties M:40 have posted two new tracks for free download: http://www.m40.se/

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:57:48 -0700

Halvfabrikat will be releasing the new Operation CD and both M:40's "Industrilandskap" 7" EP and "Historiens svarta vingslag" 12" LP on August 1. Preorder now: http://www.halvfabrikat.net/

Tue, 20 May 2008 17:03:06 -0700

Halvfabrikat will be releasing a vinyl edition of M:40's crushing album "Historiens svarta vingslag". No official release date yet, but it should be out the same time as the band's new 7" EP.

Mon, 18 Feb 2008 15:45:10 -0800

Swedish d-beat act M:40 will be going into HoboRec Studios in March to record some tracks for new split 7"s with fellow Swedes End of All and Dutch act Sand Creek Massacre. In other news, look for a cassette version of their "Historiens svarta vingslag" album via Malaysian label Pissed Off Records soon.

Sat, 02 Feb 2008 23:26:31 -0800

Here's the playlist for this week's radio show:

01. Annika Norlin/Säkert! - Generalens visa
02. TALK 1
03. Downstairs - Legs for arms
04. Dmitry Fyodorov - 1b-1
05. Northern Fields - Never take the beauty
06. TALK 2
07. Barra Head - Undermine
08. Fläskkvartetten - Som glas (ft. Nina Persson)
09. Benea Reach - New waters
10. TALK 3
11. Firefox AK - Winter rose (Tellevika remix)
12. Dansdepartementet - Svarta brev
13. Randy - Little toulouse
14. TALK 4
15. Britta Persson - At 7
16. M:40 - Brännmärkt
17. Mechanical Bird - Martha
18. TALK 5
19. Marvins Revolt - Multiple fractures
20. The Drawbacks - Straight lines & circles
21. Isolation Years - Say-nothing day
22. Christian Kjellvander - Poppies and peonies
23. TALK 6
24. Little Dragon - Recommendation
25. FAP - Sjömannen
26. Cortex - Animals (...looking at me)
27. TALK 7
28. Ulf Ljusberg - Whatever was
29. Mayhem - Deathcrush
30. Alog - St.Paul sessions II
31. TALK 8
32. Tigerbombs - 1000 sparks
33. Mainliners - Bourbon and ice
34. Mando Diao - San Francisco Bay
35. Madrugada - Look away Lucifer
36. TALK 9
37. Matts Katt - Refused was fucking murdered

Fri, 07 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Look for Swedes M:40 and Splitter to tour Europe together in October:

10/18 - Mukkes, Leeuwarden (NL)
10/19 - Bar&Boos, Leiden (HOL)
10/20 - Dizzyrock Festival, Geel (BEL)
10/21 - tba
10/22 - The Soap Box Club, Nancy (FRA)
10/23 - tba
10/24 - tba
10/25 - tba
10/26 - Ann And Pat, Linz (AUS)
10/27 - Cizkrajov KD, Slavonice (CZ)
10/28 - AZ Conni, Dresden (GER)
10/29 - Fundbureau, Hamburg (GER)
10/30 - Toxis, Rostock (GER)

Sat, 25 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700

The playlist for this week's radio show:

01. Laakso - Worst case scenario
02. TALK 1
03. Superfamily - I want my money back
04. The Bear Quartet - Ask me don't axe me
05. Ståålfågel - Små gröna män
06. TALK 2
07. Printer - Satisfaction (radio edit)
08. NEI - New morning
09. Paper - Out of it into it
10. Darkthrone - Canadian metal
11. TALK 3
12. Sweatmaster - Animal
13. Bloodbath - Buried by the dead
14. Moneybrother - Guess who's gonna get some tonight
15. TALK 4
16. The Perishers - Victorious
17. The Skull Defekts - Unholy drums are singing
18. Hell On Wheels - Alexander
19. TALK 5
20. Karin Ström - Ordlös
21. Kompjotr Eplektrika - Skulldrummantra
22. Scraps of Tape - How your heart gets thrown
23. TALK 6
24. Brainbombs - Stinking memory
25. M:40 - Brännmärkt
26. Logh - Bring on the ether
27. TALK 7
28. CS Nielsen - Happy
29. Amorphis - Weaving the incantation
30. Juvelen - Hanna
31. TALK 8
32. Killerchaps - Equally dumb
33. Dinosau - Derr lady
34. Knugen Faller - Inte som ni
35. TALK 9
36. The Kissaway Trail - La la song
37. Pg.Lost - Yes I am
38. Suburban Kids with Biblical Names - Marry me
39. TALK 10
40. Don Juan Dracula - Take me home

MP3: M:40 - När bomberna faller

Thu, 02 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700

So what if M:40 lives up to most every d-beat/crustcore cliché? Natty dreads, two vocalists (one screechy, one burly), lyrics decrying the sorry state of the system/world/life, and so on. It doesn't matter 'cuz the music is well-written, well-played and well-recorded. The genre doesn't really need anyone to push it forward; it was doing just fine with the Discharge blueprint before His Hero Is Gone came along, not to mention all of the Swedish legends such as Wolfbrigade/Wolfpack, Totalitär and Skitsystem. I admit I do get bored of everyone endlessly covering the same subjects in pretty much the exact same way (not to mention preaching to the choir), but when I hear a band play this stuff with a proper level of intensity, it's impossible for me to deny the appeal. Oh, and I fucking love that muted chug-chug/chug-chug-chug stuff. Cut the shit, start the pit!

Sat, 14 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700

The playlist for my radio show this week:

01. At the Gates - Suicide nation
02. TALK 1
03. Moving Oos - Stronger
04. Eskju Divine - Hold on
05. Mechanical Bird - Sunday
06. TALK 2
07. Mixtapes & Cellmates - Quiet
08. DS13 - Thrash lifestyle
09. Montt Mardié - Metropolis
10. Junior Senior - Can I get get get
11. TALK 3
12. Niccokick - Love & neon lights
13. Kristofer Åström - I collect knives
14. Death Breath - His protoplasmic worship
15. TALK 4
16. Mob - Ghost track
17. MZ412 - Unhealing wounds
18. Ugress - Manhattan sapphire
19. TALK 5
20. Shining - Låt oss ta allt från darandra
21. No Hope for the Kids - Rainy day
22. Moneybrother - Det blir ingen dans
23. Amandine - For all the marbles
24. TALK 6
25. Familjen - Det snurrar i min skalle
26. Last Days of April - Aspirins and alcohol
27. M:40 - När bomberna faller
28. TALK 7
29. Espen Jørgensen - The immaculate conception
30. Motorpsycho - For free
31. The Carny - Man under the sun
32. TALK 8
33. Karin Ström - Klaustrofobi
34. Badun - Pulsen
35. Meshuggah - Future breed machine
36. Värttinä - Mero
37. TALK 9
38. Randy - Better than art
39. Closer - Open casket
40. Alog - Buffalo demon
41. TALK 10
42. On Trial - Speaking of witch

Thu, 07 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Halvfabrikat has set a release date of July 7 for the new record "Historiens svarta vingslag" from Swedish crusties M:40.