Looptroop is heading out on a European tour with The Chords and Timbuktu as support. The dates:

1/22 - Jyväskyla (SF) Lutakko (no support)
1/23 - Tampere (SF) Klubi (no support)
1/24 - Helsinki (SF) Nosturi (no support)
1/29 - Luleå Fär1/(no support)
1/30 - Luleå Fär1/(no support) All Ages
1/31 - Umeå Corona (no support)
2/01 - Östersund Folkets Hus (no support)
2/07 - Växjö Popstad (no support)
2/12 - Stockholm Fasching
2/13 - Köpenhamn (DK) Vega
2/14 - Hamburg (D) Phonodrom
2/16 - Siegen (D) TBA
2/18 - Gent (B) De Centrale
2/21 - Lasarte (E) Zulo
2/22 - Madrid (E) Aqualung
2/23 - Barcelona (E) Apolo
2/25 - Milano (I) 111 Coctail Bar
2/26 - Lausanne (CH) Casino De Montbenon
2/27 - Basel (CH) Kaserne
2/28 - Wil (CH) Remise
3/01 - Biel (CH) La Coupole
3/02 - Linz (A) KAPU
3/03 - Wien (A) B72
3/04 - Bratislava (CS) Bajkal
3/05 - Prague (CS) Rock Café
3/06 - München (D) Backstage
3/08 - Bremen (D) Moments/ Ring The Alarm

Nine reports they are finished with their new album and expect it to be out in late April or early May. No titles or anything yet, but they say they finished 10 songs total and LG Petrov (Entombed) makes a guest appearance.

For those interested, Pitchforkmedia.com totally skewers "Behind the Music" from The Soundtrack of Our Lives in this review today.

Swedish composer Krister Hansén will be having a premiere of the piece "1" at Scandinavia House New York on February 2. The ensemble Acidophilus will be performing the music, which is to be accompanied by the video work "Shovel" by artist Pernilla Edholm.

Preview the cover for the new Lullacry album "Crucify My Heart". It will be out in Finland on February 17 from Spinefarm Records and the rest of Europe on March 17 from Century Media.

The upcoming album "Welfare Problems" from the band Randy got a set release date. Look for it April 21 on Burning Heart. Jocke Åhlund (Caesars Palace) produced. I'm excited - the last record was great and I think they just keep getting better and better.

The Virtues will having a big party on February 6 at Tantogarden in Stockholm to celebrate the release of their debut album "Ruminate". Look for it on Crying Bob in Sweden or from Zip Records in the US come April.

Falconer singer Mathias Blad has been replaced by Destiny frontman Kristoffer Göbel because of his unwillingness to tour. Blad will still stay involved with the band they say, as he will be tapped to help out with backing vocals on future recordings. And speaking of future recordings, the band is getting ready to enter Los Angered Studios to work on their next album, due late 2003 on Metal Blade. "It will be a concept album," the band says, "but fear not... it will not be one of those weird concept albums. The music is mostly as it has been but with one lyrical story throughout the whole album."