Pitchfork's 'Show No Mercy' metal column rounds up some of the year's best albums and gets a few lists from contributors such as Kristoffer Rygg (Ulver) and Svein Egil Hatlevik (Zweizz): https://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/47248-column-show-no-mercy
Scandinavian highlights on said list include Watain, Bergraven, Ulver and DHG.
Pitchfork reviews Norwegian indierock act Ungdomskulen: https://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/46908-cry-baby
I haven't heard the full album, but everything I've heard so far has been mediocre at best, so I'm somewhat baffled that I see so many praising reviews. Anyhow, listen to some stuff at myspace and decide for yourself: https://www.myspace.com/ungdomskulen
Norwegian experimental noise/black-metal act Zweizz has a new super-limited cassette release out on Epicene Sound Systems. Read more: https://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=101585526&blogID=332517932
Sweden's The Animal Five will tour Germany in February along with Mother Tongue (US), The Strange Death of Liberal England (UK) and Louis Lament (GER). Dates:
02/04 - Grünspan, Hamburg
02/05 - Columbia Club, Berlin
02/06 - Centralstation, Darmstadt
02/07 - Underground, Köln
02/08 - Backstage, München
02/09 - Matrix, Bochum
The final batch of Swedish acts confirmed for the next Eurosonic Festival: Wildbirds & Peacedrums, Familjen, Hyacinth House, Slagsmålsklubben, Kleerup and Robyn. More info: https://www.noorderslag.nl/
IAT.MP3 artist The Grand Opening has cancelled their anticipated December tour and will instead head out on a longer tour in May. Right now, the band (John Roger Olsson plus Jens Pettersson on drums and Bo Anders Ljung on bass) is busy recording a new album with Linus Larsson at Hogrän in Gotland. Expect an April release.
MP3: Truckfighters - Atomic
"Dude!" That's my immediate, uninhibited reaction on putting on the new Truckfighters album "Phi" and hearing opening track "Atomic". That guitar tone is so thick and meaty - totally lacking in definition (can you hear the individual notes in each chord? nope, no way. attack? forget about it.), but more than heavy enough to inflict serious trauma. Nothing sharp about it at all, it's pure brute force and absolutely perfect for the kind of music they make. Less like a club, more like a wrecking ball. The impact is less precise, but still powerful. If there's only one thing to appreciate Truckfighters for, it's that damn tone. Stoner-rock perfection I say! Oh, and the song ain't bad either - the obvious Black Sabbath worship (that solo part!) is ever-present, but it's tempered by more progressive, modern touches ala QOTSA. You get the swagger without the tedious retro trappings that doom many others of their ilk. Quality rawk that's heavy as hell, that works for me.
Truckfighters - Atomic
Today marks the premiere of a new column mini-series from Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson with a special focus on the Stockholm music scene. Episode #1's test subjects: Norma. Check it out: [click here]
Mando Diao
Never seen the light of day
EMI
In numerous interviews, I've seen the members of Mando Diao talk about being influenced by, among others, the hip-hop scene of today and that they're getting tired of being compared to acts such as The Kinks, Rolling Stones and The Zombies. Fine, but just 'cause you talk about what you're influenced by doesn't mean that it shows. I don't hear an apparent change from the first two albums or 2006's more diverse "Ode to ochrasy". What I, on the other hand, do hear is the production skills of Björn Olsson giving this album a rough edge while at the same time giving it a more laidback feel. Sounds shattered? Well, yes it is and no it's not. The trademark that is Mando Diao floats all over this record, the snotty melodies of Gustaf Norén and the The Beatles-esque harmonies of Björn Dixgård are here as they should be, but it's Björn Olsson's participation that helps make this album one of the more well-crafted released from this band. The string arrangements and the one-take procedure was, quite frankly, the injection I have been looking for! It's too bad that the songs featured aren't among the bands best though. For the most part, they re just too anonymous with a few exceptions. The single "If I don't live today, then I might be here tomorrow", "Not a perfect day" (George Harrison, anyone?) and "One blood" are all great tunes and, if the band kept that kind of focus, this album would be as good as its previous one.
- Jonas Appelqvist
Watch Peter Morén (Peter, Bjorn and John) play a cover of "Never my love" by The Association together with Carl Newman (New Pornographers): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXAga3Gcnxg
Swedish hardcore act When We Fall has posted four tracks from their forthcoming album "We untrue our minds" up on myspace: https://www.myspace.com/whenwefall
Vegard Waske, manager for Norwegian acts such as 120 Days, Lindstrøm and Jaga Jazzist, discusses the way file sharing impacts indie artists and gets a few other label people to comment on the same: https://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=101420032&blogID=330095958
Upcoming dates for Danish indie act Oh No Ono:
12/08 - La Contrescarpe / Bars en Trans, Rennes (FRA)
12/09 - Paris Paris, Paris (FRA)
01/14 - MTC, Cologne (GER)
01/15 - Atomic Cafe, Munich (GER)
01/16 - Magnet Club, Berlin (GER)
01/17 - Molotov, Hamburg (GER)
01/19 - Melkweg, Amsterdam (NL) w/C-mon & Kypski
01/20 - Effenaar, Eindhoven (NL) w/C-mon & Kypski
The Noisejihad netlabel is back with a brand new live release "Noisejihad does Rumstativ": https://noisejihad.dk/netlabel/
Six different artists, five tracks and one video.