New Switchblade underway this spring

According to this tweet, Swedish doom trio Switchblade will be recording a new album this spring with Karl Daniel Liden (A Swarm of the Sun/Dozer).

Oak - Demo
(self-released)

This down-tempo post-metal lark is really getting tired now. Mention of a new band in the genre always sparks a bit of interest in the hope that someone is going to bring something new and exciting to the table. That rarely happens, however, and the story is no different with Sweden's Oak. The four tracks on offer here are melodic, overdriven and ponderous with so little in the way of vocals that it could almost be classified as instrumental. Musically, it's well executed; creatively, it's not great at all. It's like Isis without the ingenuity, Switchblade without the dirt, and Red Sparowes without the atmosphere. In that respect, Oak find themselves well behind the times and, if they endeavour to make a mark in the scene, really need to rethink their strategy before releasing future material.
- John Norby

Switchblade, down to two

Switchblade made their first live appearance as a duo last night at Kafé 44 in Stockholm and PSL was there to film it: http://blogg.svt.se/psl/2010/9/15/switchblade-ar-tillbaka-som-en-duo/

Switchblade and Kongh to release split LP

Switchblade and Kongh, two of Sweden's finest doom acts, will be releasing a split 12" LP later this year via Trust No One Recordings.

Switchblade - s/t
(Trust No One Recordings)

When it comes to a matter (or lack) of speed there aren't that many bands capable of touching Switchblade. The Stockholm trio have taken the rules of drone/doom to the extreme in order to spew forth a barrage of sickening dread upon anyone who dares listen. Think of an ambient, guttural drone coupled with a tortured, black metalesque vocal and you get the idea of what this band are all about. Given the ultraslow nature of Switchblade, mention must be made of how tight the musicianship is on here. With vast chasms between beats, it's inspiring to hear everyone come in on cue every time, and that's not easy when the bpm borders on the negative. That said, with little in the way of variety on display, it can be a difficult and, at times, tedious listen if you're not in the right frame of mind. Released on drummer Tim Bertilsson's own label Trust No One, this fifth full-length recording might be more of the same from Switchblade, but it's sure to leave die-hard fans of the genre in awe.
- John Norby

Sirius playlist week #43

Here's the playlist for this week's radio show Sirius XMU, a special pre-Halloween edition:

01. TALK 1
02. Switchblade - 1815
03. TALK 2
04. Abandon - In reality suffer
05. Raison d'Etre - Metamorphyses phase III
06. TALK 3
07. Notre Dame - Le theatre du vampire
08. Mercyful Fate - Desecration of souls
09. Cortex - Warrior night
10. TALK 4
11. Immortal - All shall fail

Reminder: my show airs every week on Sundays and Mondays at 11pm ET on Sirius XMU. That's channel 26 on Sirius, 43 on XM and 831 for DirecTV subscribers.

Switchblade/Kongh September tour

Swedish doom masters/labelmates Switchblade and Kongh are heading out for a string of dates together in September:

09/04 - Winston, Amsterdam (NL)
09/05 - Frontline, Ghent (BEL)
09/06 - Ashes to ashes, Doom to dust (NL)
09/07 - Waldmeister, Solingen (GER)
09/08 - AZ, Aachen (GER)
09/09 - Hafenklang, Hamburg (GER)

Switchblade album preview

Swedish doom masters Switchblade have a new website and are streaming their forthcoming self-titled album, a monumental 49-minute piece split into three sections: http://www.switchblade.se/
Lots of great studio pics there too -- be sure to check the gallery.

Kongh - Unholy water

Swedish trio Kongh step up the game on their new album "Shadows of the shapeless" by delivering a concise, punishing record. "Concise" is a stretch actually, but when you consider how many of their ilk go for the longer=better formula, any tracks < 15 minutes stand out. Only one band can hold chords and my attention for any longer and that's Khanate and they're long gone; broke the mold and took it with 'em too. Anyhow, music that despairing is almost too painful to revisit with any frequency, so I much prefer the far more straightforward pummel of Kongh. It's slow and heavy, it's got discernible head-banging riffs, it makes me happy in a way that only the most crushing doom can. We'll see if Trust No One label bosses Switchblade can top 'em whenever their new one drops, but for now this one stands alone.

MP3: Kongh - Unholy water

Switchblade sets recording date

Switchblade will be entering Gröndal Studio with engineer Karl Daniel Lidén (VAKA, Dozer) on April 24 to begin recording their next album.