IT'S A TRAP! Scandinavian Music Journal

Darkthrone demos to get vinyl reissue

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 16:34:11 -0400

Peaceville Records is compiling Darkthrone's first four early demos from the years 1988-1989 ("Land of frost", "A new dimension", "Thulcandra") and will be releasing them as a restored/remastered 2LP set under the title "Sempiternal past". The official release date is November 14.

Fenriz' Band of the Week: Obnoxious Youth

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 13:50:39 -0400

Fenriz has selected Uppsala hardcore thrashers Obnoxious Youth as his band of the week: http://www.myspace.com/officialdarkthrone/blog/544502897
Personally, I'm not so into this style, but in no way can I deny that they excel at it.

Fenriz' Band of the Week: Morbid Insulter

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 12:12:11 -0400

Fenriz' latest pick for his band of the week is Swedish act Morbid Insulter: http://www.myspace.com/officialdarkthrone/blog/544143813

Mindy Misty is Fenriz' band of the week

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 12:05:42 -0400

Fenriz has selected excellent Norwegian noiserockers Mindy Misty as his band of the week: http://www.myspace.com/officialdarkthrone/blog/543813880
I tend to enjoy most of his picks, but this one will even appeal to non-metal folks.

The Inarguable interviews Fenriz

Thu, 28 Jul 2011 11:26:58 -0400

There's a new, long interview with Fenriz of Darkthrone at the blog The Inarguable: http://theinarguable.blogspot.com/2011/07/made-of-music-interview-with-gylve.html

Fenriz' Band of the Week: H�rda Tider

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 12:03:42 -0400

Fenriz' band of the week is Swedish HC act H�rda Tider: http://www.myspace.com/officialdarkthrone/blog/543740537

Fenriz' Band of the Week: Execration

Thu, 05 May 2011 11:48:41 -0400

Fenriz' new band of the week is Execration from Norway: http://www.myspace.com/officialdarkthrone/blog/542840550

Fenriz' band of the week gets its own site

Fri, 18 Mar 2011 11:42:02 -0400

With the current mass exodus from Myspace, Fenriz of Darkthrone has moved his much-valued "band of the week" blog to its own website: http://www.bandoftheweek.net/
Not all the acts he selects are Scandinavian, but if you're into organic-sounding heavy rock/metal, you can't go wrong with his recommendations.

Darkthrone cover contest winners

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 19:09:57 -0500

Darkthrone has announced the winners of their fan-created cover art contest for the reissues of "Goatlord" and "Ravishing grimness": http://www.peaceville.com/darkthrone/

Top tens for 2010: It's a Trap!

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 13:17:20 -0500

Not everything in the picture above is officially a 2010 release, but they are all various things I picked up this past year and would recommend you do the same, should the opportunity present itself. Bonus points to anyone who can name every record pictured! Anyhow, as I was saying, there was quite a lot of really good music released in 2010, but at the same time, very few crossed the line into greatness. This year, only three albums made the cut.

Dear Euphoria - This night will flee (Given Productions/Herbivor Music)

A deep and richly satisfying listening experience that speaks of love and emptiness and the vast space between, with each repitition revealing new insight. Beautifully haunting.

Masshysteri - s/t (Ny V�g/Feral Ward)

The perfect pop-punk album. RIP.

Okkultokrati - No light for mass (Fysisk Format/Lilla Himmel/Odio Sonoro/Ormeyngel Records)

Apocalyptic visions set to a soundtrack of the rawest metal/punk sludge. A zeitgeist-defining album of unmatched ugliness.

Best Song:

Susanne Sundf�r - The brothel
I still get goosebumps every time.

Best Demo:

Underachiever - This is where I lost the ability to love
Faster Katt - Demo 2010

The notion of a demo is almost completely lost in this digital age, but there are still those who carry the torch, preferring to test the waters with honest, rough-edged recordings before commiting to any sort of "official" release. In 2010 I listened to way more, way better demo/self-released material this year than any big-name releases, so this list could be a lot longer, but these two stuck with me the longest.

Other Records Worth Mentioning

Like I said at the top, there really were a lot of really good albums this year. Here's a few more that might not rate as high as the three above, but are all well worth your time:

The Bear Quartet - Monty Python (Adrian Recordings)
BQ's endless restlessness and constant desire to innovate remains one of their greatest assets, but it also means that they sometimes miss the mark. Still, the band remains one of Sweden's all-time greats, if not the greatest.

Darkthrone - Circle the wagons (Peaceville)
The opposite of BQ in that the band is continually regressing, but very similar in the approach that they continually churn an almost overwhelming amount of quality material.

Enforcer - Diamonds (Earache/Heavy Artillery)
Too goofy to be truly great, but guaranteed to stay in steady rotation for years to come.

Johan Helte - Sara, (Raffaella)
On the cusp of greatness. Ask me again about this record in six months.

Kimono - Easy music for difficult people (Kimi Records)
My sleeper pick of the year. It's hard to cite exactly what's so gripping about this record, I just know that I keep listening to it regularly.

Monzano - By this time last year everything will seem younger (Spoon Train Audio/How is Annie Records)
Another one on the cusp. Not sure anymore if I permanently burned myself out on these literary indie gents from Norway or if it's one that'll come back to me after some time apart.

Britta Persson - Current affair medium rare (Selective Notes)
More than a few exceptional moments (see "Toast to M" for example), but not enough cohesion.

Robyn - Body talk (Konichiwa Records)
There's a reason this is on everyone's list.

S�kert! - Facit (Razzia Records)
A good album that simply hasn't connected with me as much as I had hoped.

The Tallest Man on Earth - The wild hunt (Dead Oceans)
Another one that made a lot of year-end lists for good reason.

Tiger Tape - I woke up in H�kar�ngen (Cosy/Lo And Behold)
My favorite indiepop album of 2010.

Plus a few more names: Ikons, Haust, Sl�a Knivar, Lapko, Fun, Meleeh, Moto Boy... and let us not forget all of the amazing reissues from The Crypt such as Pan-Thy-Monium, Crypt of Kerberus, Uncanny, Furbowl and so on. So yeah, lots of good music. No complaints!

Fenriz' top albums of 2010

Fri, 03 Dec 2010 12:12:21 -0500

Fenriz of Darkthrone lists his favorite albums of the year: http://www.myspace.com/officialdarkthrone/blog/541049007
Tons of great worthwhile picks for underground metal/punk aficiondos -- quite a few selections from my own list as well.

Panzerfaust, the reissue

Mon, 18 Oct 2010 19:34:15 -0400

Darkthrone's 1995 landmark release "Panzerfaust" album is getting a deluxe reissue this month via Peaceville on both CD and vinyl and will include a bonus disc of audio commentary from Fenriz giving "personal insight into the background to the album and his inspirations for particular riffs and songs, and unconventional recording methods." More here: http://www.peaceville.com/darkthrone/

Fenriz approved: Beastmilk

Wed, 22 Sep 2010 13:26:19 -0400

Finnish act Beastmilk, Fenriz of Darkthrone's current band of the week, is definitely worth checking out: http://www.myspace.com/beastmilkeverywhere

Fenriz presents "Bewinged Heavy Metal Glory"

Fri, 17 Sep 2010 11:30:44 -0400

For those of you (like me) who are into classic metal, Fenriz of Darkthrone has a new speed metal mix posted for download: http://afistinthefaceofgod.blogspot.com/2010/09/fist-in-face-of-god-presents-fenriz-aka.html
As always, a mixed lot of mostly unknowns, but well worth investigating.

Sirius playlist week #30

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 11:46:56 -0400

Here's the playlist for this week's radio show Sirius XMU, all metal/punk to coincide with the new podcast:

01. TALK 1
02. Waklev�ren - Attakk
03. Eskatol - Fane av l�gner
04. �rabrot - End of the world / Revelations
05. L�gnhalsmottagningen - Positivt tankande
06. TALK 2
07. Grave - Liberation
08. Obliteration - Exterminate
09. Liket Lever - Levande begravd
10. Knugen Faller - Jag vill inte vara med
11. TALK 3
12. Haust - Anti-reproductive
13. Underachiever - Cut a smile
14. Pointless Youth - Damaged head
15. Wolfbrigade - In adrenaline
16. Darkthrone - I am the graves of the 80s
17. TALK 4
18. Nekromantheon - We're rotting
19. Slugathor - The smoke
20. Tyrant - I'll burn that bridge (before you can cross it)
21. TALK 5
22. Bitch Boys - Automobile
23. M�gel - Jag �r s� r�dd
24. Okkultokrati - On mouth of hells
25. Victims - Another way to die
26. Nitad - Stockholmsnatt
27. TALK 6

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.

Podcast: Nekromantik Norway

Sun, 25 Jul 2010 17:18:13 -0400

Not all of these tracks are from recent releases, but together they do make up the majority of my current listening rotation. Dig in, get dirty.

DATE ADDED : 07/25/10
LENGTH : 40:29 min
DOWNLOAD : itsatrap_podcast_07252010.mp3 (55.6mb)

Tracklist:
01. Haust - Anti-reproductive
02. Darkthrone - I am the graves of the 80s
03. Eskatol - Fane av l�gner
04. �rabrot - Dead to me / Aficionado
05. Okkultokrati - Tomb city rockers - Pungent state
06. Obliteration - Exterminate
07. Waklev�ren - Oslo spy
08. Nekromantheon - We're rotting
09. Eskatol - Siste dans
10. Darkthrone - Circle the wagons
11. Obliteration - Ingesting death
12. Okkultokrati - On mouth of hells
13. Haust - Pointing and laughing
14. Waklev�ren - Attakk

Waklev�ren - Oslo spy

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 16:14:23 -0400

Not that it needs to be reiterated, but Norway's been ruling the scene when it comes to filthy metal/punk. Darkthrone, Obliteration, Okkultokrati, Haust... all top-notch acts. See also: Waklev�ren. I'm making a mix, it'll be posted this weekend and it'll include this track.

Withershin - Wherein I exalt

Wed, 02 Jun 2010 19:57:12 -0400

Black metal in 2010, part I. Did the genre desert me or did I simply lose interest? I've been listening to this new Withershin EP ("The hungering void") and pondering these questions because, while I can tell the music is good, I still can't force myself to care. Well-executed melodic Swedish black death ala Dissection...? There's certainly room for more besides Watain. And yet, I feel nothing. I don't mean that in an ironic kvlt way either -- I'm really surprised by my lack of enthusiasm. So where did things go wrong I wonder? The genre did go through a certain amount of growing pains around the turn of the century and now things seem pretty evenly split among two major strains. First, we have the upper-tier established acts who have been going at it for years, some more progressive than others (Enslaved, Mayhem), others more content to drift towards the mainstream (Satyricon, Dimmu Borgir and seriously, WTF is up with this nonsense?). Some just keep on keeping on (Dark Funeral, Marduk), a few decided to abandon the genre completely (Darkthrone sorta, yes Ulver). Then, on the other hand, we have the new BM underground which, from my point of view, seems all too willing to embrace and accept sketchy politics and increasingly shitty, poorly recorded music. A race to the bottom, as I've mentioned here before I believe. The fact that I hear the new Burzum is getting a third vinyl repress bums me out. That means that competent bands like Withershin don't have a place anymore and boring, jaded dudes like me will shrug it off. I think my major hangup must be the lack of mystery in today's BM -- 15 years ago these bands were legitimately terrifying and sounded barely human. They burned down churches and killed each other and lived way off in some distant land that seemed far beyond reach. I distinctly remember hearing Emperor for the first time and how it sounded like absolutely nothing I had ever experienced. Then, a few years later, I remember seeing Emperor's first video and how amazingly disappointed it made me. No longer the aural expression of pure evil, here were a bunch of average metal dudes making an average metal video and playing dress-up in the woods. To say nothing about how boring they were live when I eventually saw them on tour, but the magic was forever lost and bands like Withershin have no hope to reclaim that. I don't know what's to be done though. Has the grim masquerade run its course? Can we start smiling at each other and simply enjoy the music for what it is, not what it used to represent?

Sirius playlist week #21

Mon, 24 May 2010 11:41:17 -0400

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

01. Elephant9 - Fugl f�nix
02. TALK 1
03. H�kan Lidbo - X-Bot-DXC vs MC-Monstrux - EuroAsian Warzone Cronicle
04. Disco Ensemble - Protector
05. Kausal - Evac
06. TALK 2
07. Smoke Mohawk - Murder attempt
08. Masshysteri - Dom kan inte h�re musiken
09. MF/MB/ - The big machine
10. Chicagojazzen - VI
11. TALK 3
12. Monty - Seglaren
13. Sweatmaster - Turnover
14. The Aches - Count slowly to ten
15. Dismember - Misanthropic
16. TALK 4
17. Camouflage - Syster sol
18. EL-SD - S�SJ�
19. Darkthrone - Those treasures will never befall you
20. TALK 5
21. Deathbed - Black sky

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.

Trapped Under Vice IV

Mon, 17 May 2010 16:53:25 -0400

Fenriz of Darkthrone has put together yet another mix for Vice, 'cept this time he's got some help from Sindre Solem of mighty Norwegian death metal act Obliteration: http://afistinthefaceofgod.blogspot.com/2010/05/trapped-under-vice-vol.html
Not a lot of Scandinavian selections this time (actually, just one), but don't sweat it -- every mix that's been posted so far has been a winner.

This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart

Fri, 23 Apr 2010 17:56:16 -0400

This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart:

01. Gitarkameratene - Kanon! Gitarkameratenes aller beste
02. Susanne Sundf�r - The Brothel
03. Donkeyboy - Caught in a Life
04. Jenny & Arne - From Our Hearts
05. Chand Torsvik - Kongeriket Norge
06. Aleksander With - Still Awake
07. Finn Kalvik & Hans Erik Fosnes - Neste Stasjon Grorud
08. Raga Rockers - Shit Happens
09. Diverse artister - Melodi Grand Prix 2010
10. Ingrid Olava - The Guest
11. Torbj�rn Egner - Samlede CD-er
12. Navigators - The Straight And Narrow
13. Thom Hell - All Good Things
14. WigWam - Non Stop Rock'N'Roll
15. Dum Dum Boys - Tidsmaskin
16. Ketil Bj�rnstad - Remembrance
17. Sigrid Moldestad - Sandkorn
18. Darkthrone - Circle The Wagons
19. Staut - Staut
20. Diverse artister - Mgp Jr 2008

This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart

Fri, 16 Apr 2010 17:34:06 -0400

This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart:

01. Susanne Sundf�r - The Brothel
02. Donkeyboy - Caught in a Life
03. Chand Torsvik - Kongeriket Norge
04. Jenny & Arne - From Our Hearts
05. Aleksander With - Still Awake
06. Raga Rockers - Shit Happens
07. Diverse artister - Melodi Grand Prix 2010
08. Ingrid Olava - The Guest
09. Darkthrone - Circle The Wagons
10. Batteri - Batteri
11. WigWam - Non Stop Rock'N'Roll
12. Torbj�rn Egner - Samlede CD-er
13. Navigators - The Straight And Narrow
14. Staut - Staut
15. Serena Maneesh - S-M 2: Abyss In B Minor
16. Thom Hell - All Good Things
17. Hanne Boel & Carsten Dahl - I Think It Is Going To Rain
18. Dum Dum Boys - Tidsmaskin
19. Audrey Horne - Audrey Horne
20. Hilde Louise Asbj�rnsen - Never Ever Going Back

Dagsavisen vs. Fenriz

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 16:58:39 -0400

Dagsavisen interviews Fenriz of Darkthrone: http://www.dagsavisen.no/kultur/musikk/article480086.ece (in Norwegian)

Sirius playlist week #15

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 11:29:58 -0400

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

01. Johan Heltne - Din alkoholism �r ingen alkoholism
02. TALK 1
03. Per Egland - Merkurius brinner (Martin Senter remix)
04. G�sta Berlings Saga - Bergslagen
05. TALK 2
06. Moses - Warning
07. Repoman - Flock of jackdaws
08. Darkthrone - I am the graves of the 80s
09. TALK 3
10. Pallers - The kiss
11. Ikons - Slow light (Pistol Disco remix)
12. TALK 4
13. Her�tys - Pelkk�� pahoinvointia
14. Love Is All - Bigger bolder
15. Susanne Sundf�r - The brothel
16. TALK 5

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.

Sirius playlist week #13

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 11:42:13 -0400

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

01. Brothers of End - Beats for you (Rasmus H�gg remix)
02. TALK 1
03. Haust - A final effort
04. Rasmus Kellerman - Five years from now
05. Echo Is Your Love - Playlist song
06. EL-SD - Walking sideways
07. TALK 2
08. Axe - Harm
09. Khoma - From the hands of sinners
10. Zeigeist - Bunny
11. C.Aarm� - Assuan
12. TALK 3
13. The Fine Arts Showcase - This is the day
14. Sonic Ritual - Early graves
15. Death By Kite - Pills
16. Susanne Sundf�r - O master
17. TALK 4
18. Simian Ghost - Star receiver
19. Moloken - Untitled III
20. Darkthrone - I am the graves of the 80s
21. TALK 5

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.

Sonic Ritual - Early graves

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 14:35:36 -0400

Gonna continue with another mp3 post of dirtball metal-punk because, well, just because. Metal was my first musical obsession so it's never far from my heart, but we do fall out of favor from time to time. As any fan will tell you, the stereotypes are true too often and they make for a major stumbling block to the uninitiated; factor in a serious predilection towards the worst, most over-compressed, trigger-happy recordings ever and there's plenty not too like. Still though, I stick it out because metal has and always will be very important to me and also, despite all the machismo and misogyny, classic Heavy Metal (in caps, always) is the one kind of music my wife and I see eye-to-eye on. Can't get her into most modern torch-bearers though, but I try and Sonic Ritual are probably one of the better candidates -- unlike Darkthrone (see yesterday), the vocals are always clean, they've got strong choruses and they have a female guitarist. I wish the latter wasn't important, but in a male-dominated world/genre, it most certainly is. Anyhow, whether or not you know that shouldn't affect your appreciation of the music because these dudes rip. "Early graves" is the first taste of what will be their debut LP I believe and, as always, I'm eager to hear more.

Darkthrone - Those treasures will never befall you

Wed, 24 Mar 2010 13:13:37 -0400

Darkthrone doing vocal harmonies? Holy shit! They regressed to the most primal form of black metal a few years back and now they're slowly evolving forward again with "Circle the wagons". And really, aside from the overall rawness of their sound and a few extra-blackened riffs, the Darkthrone of 2010 is not far from the glorious sound of prime-era 80s Heavy Metal, a sound I'm learning to appreciate more and more with each passing day. All the fools who continue their race to the bottom, chasing down the harshest, most inept and racist/nationalist/totalitarian black metal possible to fulfill whatever pissing contest obsessions they have can fuck right off; I've got no use for that garbage and neither should you.

The Out Door: Darkthrone

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 12:39:14 -0400

Pitchfork talks to Fenriz of Darkthrone in their new column "The Out Door": http://pitchfork.com/features/columns/7777-the-out-door-1/4/

He is the working class

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:18:37 -0400

Darkthrone, black metal and class war as discussed by 138 aka Christoffer Jonsson in Aftonbladet: http://www.aftonbladet.se/kultur/article6704030.ab (in Swedish)

Metal Punk Bliss

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:16:29 -0500

Another mostly OT post, but again, totally worth checking out: Fenriz of Darkthrone has made another mix for Vice, this time featuring tracks from his vinyl collection for a mix he called "Metal Punk Bliss": http://www.viceland.com/music/2010/03/a-fist-in-the-face-of-god-fenriz-presents%E2%80%A6-trapped-under-vice-vol-iii/
Featured Scandinavian artists include Puke and Darkthrone ('natch!).

Sirius playlist week #10

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:24:34 -0500

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

01. TALK 1
02. Familjen - N�r planeterna stannat
03. Elephant9 - Fugi f�nix
04. Yosei - The raven
05. TALK 2
06. The Tarantula Waltz - Bacchus
07. Hortlax Cobra - Smoke
08. Sonic Ritual - Early graves
09. Meleeh - Vowbreaker
10. TALK 3
11. Khoma - From the hands of sinners
12. The Ark - Echo chamber
13. Darkthrone - Those treasures will never befall you
14. Fun - Slonko
15. TALK 4
16. Degrees - Can't walk thru this alone
17. jj - Let go
18. Bruket - Polisen l�gger pussel
19. Dreamboy - Pay attention
20. TALK 5
21. Moto Boy - IF you your bed could cry

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.

Darkthrone "Circle the Wagons" microsite now open

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:01:35 -0500

The microsite for the new Darkthrone album "Circle the wagons" is now updated with samples and more info: http://www.peaceville.com/darkthrone

Sirius playlist week #7

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 11:23:26 -0500

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

01. Champagne Riot - The champagne anthem
02. TALK 1
03. The Late Parade - We will walk straight through this wall
04. Bolywool - Save my soul
05. Darkthrone - Eyes burst at dawn
06. Boy Omega - Follow the herd
07. TALK 2
08. Isobel & November - She came down the mountain
09. Dream Evil - Kill, burn, be evil
10. TALK 3
11. Martin Senter - Ingenting f�rlorat
12. Pascal - Tyst h�r i m�rkret
13. Hello Saferide - Anna
14. Brothers of End - Big bird
15. TALK 4
16. Voices Break the Silence - Lost

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.

Vinyl die-hards get new Darkthrone first

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 12:16:23 -0500

If you're like me and are excited about the new Darkthrone, the vinyl edition of the new album "Circle the wagons" is now available for preorder and will be released on March 8, a full month before the CD/digital. Go here for details: http://www.peaceville.com/darkthrone/
If I didn't already just preorder a bunch of Swedish death metal reissues, I'd be all about it.

Darkthrone - Eyes burst at dawn

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:05:08 -0500

Download a new track from Darkthrone in exchange for an email address: http://www.burningshed.com/store/peaceville/freedownload/24/

Fenriz' "Band of the Week" goes big

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:06:49 -0500

Many folks have abandoned myspace, but Fenriz of Darkthrone still uses it to highlight his favorite underground acts with his "Band of the Week" feature and now, after doing it continually for a long while, it's led to some bigger/better things besides just hipping many folks to lots of great music (myself included). First up, there will be a "Live Evil Fest" happening in Camden, UK in late October featuring a number of previous "Band of the Week" recipients including Obliteration and Sonic Ritual, two IAT favorites. Go here for more on that: http://www.myspace.com/liveevilfestival
Secondly, both Nocturno Culto and Fenriz will be co-editing the March issue of Terrorizer where they will be running features and interviews on many other bands they dig. Should be great for anyone into true underground metal + punk, so yeah, keep an eye out!

Obliteration - Nekropsalms (Fysisk Format)

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 14:36:46 -0500

There's so much metal in so many shapes and guises out there these days that it's inevitable a proportion of bands will rage against the shimmery-shiny output of many of today's bigger acts and opt for the down and dirty approach adopted -- usually out of necessity -- by those who first kicked off the extreme metal movement. Indeed, Kolbotn's Obliteration have done just that and, while a lot of latter day old-school acts whet the whistle with demonic nods towards dirty metal's formative years, this Norwegian crew come across so authentically ancient that they could easily be mistaken as having been around during the early days of Darkthrone's bleak death metal reign. It's no wonder that Fenriz himself praises them for having succeeded in accomplishing what he and Nocturno Culto had attempted to do with "Soulside journey" and "Goatlord" between '88 and '91. Indeed, "Nekropsalms" harks right back to that era in terms of sound and song structure and offers a superb album that sounds even more old-school than some of the genuine mature stuff out there. There's not much point in highlighting examples of nostalgic vibe on this, the band's second full-length effort, when it oozes early-�90s atmosphere from start to finish. If you want to relive the experience of discovering this type of music when it was first clawing its way out of subterranean Norway, then this is the album with which to do it. Death, doom, despair, horror and -- indeed -- Obliteration await.
- John Norby
Rating: 9

Farewell to 2009

Thu, 31 Dec 2009 15:10:58 -0500

A few statistics for the year, should you be curious...

Total news items: 3880
Reviews: 77
Mp3s: 235

Top downloads (for tracks posted in 2009):
01. Florence Valentin - Spring Ricco
02. Ison & Fille - Jag skratter idag
03. King Diamond - No presents for Christmas (slightly cheating since I also posted it last year)
04. The Scrags - Psycho cyclone
05. Mercy - Heavy metal warriors

Top search terms:
01. Porno (no surprise, though I suspect most people aren't actually looking for the Swedish rapper)
02. Darkthrone
03. King Diamond
04. Melody Club
05. Black Uniforms

Remember, the mailorder goes on hibernation tomorrow so get your orders in now. Otherwise, I'm hard at work on revamping the site for 2010 and will be back with regular updates next week. Take care and happy New Year!

Sirius playlist week #52

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 09:00:00 -0500

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

01. TALK 1
02. Mattias Alkberg - Andra k�nner
03. Darkthrone - Launchpad to nothingness
04. Mikkel Meyer - Kokostosca
05. TALK 2
06. First Band from Outer Space - Turn left to the Mexican barbeque
07. Kr�kes�lv - Privat regn
08. TALK 3
09. Galaxy Safari - Save me
10. Witchcraft - Samaritan burden
11. Bad Hands - Sonnenrad
12. TALK 4
13. Lapko - I shot the sheriff
14. Siena Root - Into the woods
15. Marvins Revolt - Siberia
16. TALK 5

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.

MetalSucks interviews Fenriz

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 18:11:01 -0500

The always-entertaining Fenriz of Darkthrone has a new interview at MetalSucks: http://www.metalsucks.net/2009/12/02/darkthrones-fenriz-the-metalsucks-interview/

New Darkthrone bio, new album confirmed

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:55:01 -0500

Fenriz has posted an updated Darkthrone bio on myspace and in it he reveals that the band's next album "Circle the wagons" will be released in February.

Darkthrone vinyl reissues on the way

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:45:12 -0500

Peaceville will be doing vinyl reissues of Darkthrone's classic albums beginning with 1992's "A blaze in the northern sky" on December 7. 180g vinyl, gatefold sleeve, new liner notes from Nocturno Culto and limited to 1000 copies.

Nocturnal Cult interviews Valhall

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:14:41 -0500

The Nocturnal Cult webzine has a new interview with Darkthrone sideproject/cult doom act Valhall: http://www.nocturnalcult.com/

Fenriz presents "Trapped under VIce vol II"

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:41:43 -0400

Fenriz from Darkthrone has made what looks to be another great mixtape of old-school metal, this time focusing on "proto-metal", aka "metal before there was metal" from the era of 1968-1978: http://www.viceland.com/music/2009/10/a-fist-in-the-face-of-god-fenriz-presents%E2%80%A6-trapped-under-vice-vol-ii/
Very little Scandinavian content, but that doesn't mean it's not worth checking out.

Darkthrone to finish new album next month

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:20:51 -0400

Darkthrone will be putting the finishing touches on their next album come late October.

Trine + Kim designstudio celebrate 10 years

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 14:17:58 -0400

Norwegian visual artists Trine + Kim designstudio celebrate their 10th anniversary of work with a retrospective exhibition on their many iconic album covers (Ulver, Mayhem, DHG, Darkthrone, etc.) and a book collection entitled "Decade". There will be a release party and mini-concert on October 30 at Podium in Olso (RSVP req'd) and I believe their works will be on display for the following two days in the same locale.

Sirius playlist week #32

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 13:15:14 -0400

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

01. TALK 1
02. Elias and the Wizzkids - Mr. Right Guy
03. Marit Bergman - Thoughts grow darker in the night
04. Jomi Massage - I see those who died
05. The End Will Be Kicks - Lule� Los Angeles La Paz
06. TALK 1
07. Viola - Shimmery summary (sha-la-la-love)
08. The Bear Quartet - Sailors
09. [ingenting] - Halleluja!
10. TALK 2
11. Erik de Vahl - Got it all
12. The Scrags - Twist at the graveyard
13. Trapdoor Fucking Exit - DOA
14. Iisole - The words
15. TALK 4
16. Death By Kite - Scared of heights
17. Sonic Ritual - Take the edge off
18. Mainliners - Olivia
19. Ted G�rdestad - R�cker jag till
20. TALK 5
21. Darkthrone - Hiking metal punks

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.

Faithcraft interviews Darkthrone

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:59:41 -0400

The Malaysian webzine Faithcraft Productions interviews Fenriz of Darkthrone: http://faithcraftmobile.blogspot.com/2009/07/x-klusive-interview-with-darkthrone.html

Fenriz makes a mixtape for Vice

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 14:34:27 -0400

Fenriz from Darkthrone made a thrash/death metal mix for Vice which they are offering for free download: http://www.viceland.com/music/2009/07/a-fist-in-the-face-of-god-fenriz-presents-trapped-under-vice-vol-i/
Tons of great cult acts there -- well worth checking out!

Valhall's 3rd album now released, 9 years later

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:07:53 -0400

It appears that Norwegian doom act Valhall (feat. Fenriz of Darkthrone) finally managed to put out their never-released 3rd album "Red planet" via Housecore Records, the label run by Phil Anselmo (Pantera, Down, etc.). See here: http://www.thehousecorerecords.com/

Darkthrone album reviews

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 19:46:27 -0400

Word on the street has it that Darkthrone's next album this fall will be called "Black mountain totem".

The roots of Norwegian death metal

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 16:05:27 -0400

DeathMetal.org talks the history of Norwegian death metal with Fenriz (Darkthrone), Anders Odden (Cadaver) and Kjetil Manheim (Mayhem): http://www.deathmetal.org/death_metal/music/norwayDM.html

Engangsgrill e-card

Tue, 05 May 2009 12:34:48 -0400

Check out an e-card for Engangsgrill, the doom split featuring Fenriz from Darkthrone and Nattefrost from Carpathian Forest: http://www.indierec.no/ecards/engangsgrill

Terrorizer talks to Fenriz about Engangsgrill

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 18:03:30 -0400

Terrorizer interviews Fenriz (Darkthrone) about his recently unearthed doom project Engangsgrill: http://www.terrorizer.com/content/fenriz-talks-about-his-unearthed-doom-rarities

Presenting: Engangsgrill; feat. Fenriz, Nattefrost

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 13:28:31 -0400

Check out Engangsgrill, a split project featuring Fenriz from Darkthrone and Nattefrost from Carpathian Forest playing their version of stoner-rock: http://www.myspace.com/engangsgrill
The debut album is out on May 11 via Indie Recordings.

Hole in the Sky celebrates 10 years with 'A Blaze in the Northern Sky'

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 19:12:33 -0400

Norway's Hole in the Sky festival will be celebrating their 10th anniversary this year with a special all-star performance featuring Enslaved plus members of Darkthrone, Emperor, Mayhem and possibly more. Read on: http://www.holeinthesky.no/

October Falls - IV

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 12:19:13 -0500

I don't keep up with black metal much anymore since the scene has become so large and fragmented. Of course I still follow the old heavies (Enslaved, Darkthrone, Satyricon, etc.), but there's so much new crap to wade through, I rarely bother. Every once in a while though I'll come across something, whether in print or from a personal recommendation, that will pique my interest and I'll check it out. So I don't know if it's this more reserved approach or a much-improved bullshit detector, but I'm finding that the few new BM acts I'm checking out tend to be above-average. Hence my latest example, October Falls from Finland. Their sound is a tad on the retro side -- I hear echoes of "Nightside eclipse"-era Emperor, a bit of early Ulver -- but it's also progressive in a way that brings to mind US artists such as Weakling and Wolves in the Throne Room. The Wolves comparison is especially apt actually, especially in the way they embrace environmental themes. After all, the album this track is from is entitled "The womb of primordial nature". Now I can't say if they're involved with eco-terrorism as has been insinuated about Wolves, but does it really matter? So much of BM's appeal is in the mystery behind the artists. Anyhow, it all comes down to the music in the end and October Falls makes beauitful, epic soundscapes that takes on qualities of shoegaze and drone, but always remains undeniably metal. Perhaps not melodic enough to win over non-metal converts like, say, Alcest, but very recommended for anyone interested in hearing that old mid-90s sound made fresh.

Unrestrained interviews Darkthrone

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 12:18:54 -0500

Darkthrone has reprinted their excellent new interview from Unrestrained: http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=123087153&blogID=466345918 Recommended reading!

Decibel hangs with Darkthrone

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 14:24:29 -0500

Darkthrone are the cover story for the new issue of Decibel: http://decibelmagazine.com/Content.aspx?ncid=260003

Sirius playlist week #51

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 11:18:19 -0500

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

01. Darkthrone - Hiking metal punks
02. TALK 1
03. Ebba Gr�n - Staten & kapitalet
04. Massgrav - J�vla fittor
05. Disfear - Live the storm
06. Samtidigt Som - F�r jag tror att ingen annan kan k�nna s�h�r f�r dig
07. TALK 2
08. We Live In Trenches - Autonomy clinic
09. MABD - Kom kom
10. Black Sheep - Crazy world
11. C.Aarm� - 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. L�gnhalsmottagningen - 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.

Top 10s for 2008: Mattias Alkberg (The Bear Quartet/MABD)

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 08:46:00 -0500

2008

Black Metal: Behexen, Khold, Arckanum, Abomino Aetadeath, Krypt.

All released this year and all of them better than Darkthrone and Satyricon. Who's new records were great as well.

Straight music (i.e non-black metal) from abroad: Chad Vangaalen, Daniel Martin Moore, Portishead, The Fall, Gang Gang Dance, Robert Forster, Fucked Up, Mogwai, The Cure, Mudhoney, Josephine Foster, Roots Manuva.

I can't remember anymore right now. It was a good year, record-wise at least.

Swedish and not black metal: Dan Lissvik, Paper, PDC, Park Hotell, Vapnet, H�stpojken, H�kan Hellstr�m, Masshysteri, Tristess, Joel Alme, Veronica Maggio, Frida Hyv�nen, T(I)NC, TsooL. There are more, but these are the ones I liked the most. Mind you, some I just got and I will grow tired of them.

Records I missed last year that would have made the top five: Michael Dracula and Mayhem.

TV: True Blood, Dead Set, Dexter, The Office, (bits and pieces of) Livet i Fagervik, Survivors.

Movies: Tr�d�lskaren, Stepbrothers.

Thats it really. Haven't seen Let the Right One In, De ofrivilliga yet. And I'm gonna see The Baader Meinhof Complex tonight.

It's been a so-so year. Better than the last one but not good.

I've been listening to Rockabilly and Black Metal for the most part, reading books, writing songs and poetry.

I toured a little with Br�derna Lindgren and played like ten gigs by myself or with others. Recorded some songs with different people. Been fucked over by record companies.

For 2009 I'm gonna make at least one record, hopefully three. Oh, and get a job. Really, it's true.

And not die, again.

---------------------------
Mattias Alkberg broke up his band MABD earlier this year, but he still plays with The Bear Quartet and has a burgeoning solo career. Expect a new single and album under his own name in 2009.
www.mabd.se
www.thebearquartet.com

What does Fenriz see?

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 18:20:39 -0500

Fenriz from Darkthrone does Rorschach tests for Legacy Document: http://legacydocument.blogspot.com/2008/12/rorschach-test-subject-6-fenriz-do-i.html

Podcast: 2008 ugliness

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 00:27:00 -0500

LENGTH : 36:19 min
DOWNLOAD : itsatrap_podcast_12152008.mp3 (34.0mb)
RSS : [click here]

Tracklist:
01. Disfear - Get it off
02. Nitad - Levande d�d
03. Frivolvol - Take it from the beginning
04. Montys Loco - Ages ago
05. Darkthrone - Hiking metal punks
06. C.Aarm� - Rhythm
07. Haust - Ugly fucking Oslo
08. Silver - The white logic
09. Hebosagil - Cosmic
10. Brainbombs - Turn to shit

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 12:30:00 -0500

Listen to a sweet classic metal mix put together by Fenriz of Darkthrone: http://fairtilizer.com/track/darkthrone

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 11:25:08 -0500

Scandinavian metallers making the Pitchfork "Show No Mercy" top albums of 2008 list include Enslaved, Disfear, Darkthrone and The Haunted. Read more, including guest lists from two of the dudes in Enslaved: http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/147495-column-show-no-mercy

Darkthrone - Hiking metal punks

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 11:22:49 -0400

If you can't understand my love of Darkthrone, there's a good chance that you and I just won't get along. I'm not saying you have to share my appreciation, but you need to know where I'm coming from. Modern-day Darkthrone epitomizes everything that's awesome about heavy metal and underground music. They take the best elements of NWOBHM, black metal and punk rock and distill it into something purely Darkthrone -- it's raw and filthy, yet eminently classic. "Hiking metal punks"? Ridiculous, right? Again, that's what's so great about it! These dudes love to go hiking in the mountains with their metal friends, so it's only natural that they're going to immortalize the experience in song. Remember, metal is supposed to be the soundtrack of social misfits, so this fits perfectly. If you listen to old metal, you should already know that a lot of metal is pretty damn goofy; why should Darkthrone be any different? Because they were once grim black-metal warriors? Don't forget, they also used to be a solid death-metal band once upon a time. People change. They evolve, or in this case, regress. No more false edifice or silly posing, just 100% pure heavy metal. All that's left is pure love.

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 11:22:06 -0400

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

01. Firefox AK - Techno tears
02. TALK 1
03. Hello Saferide - Anna
04. Sods - Copenhagen
05. Jonathan Johansson - En hand i himlen
06. TALK 2
07. Miss Li - I'm sorry, he's mine
08. Parker Lewis - Heart rate hill
09. Tiger Lou - Crushed by a crowd
10. Juvelen - Don't mess
11. TALK 3
12. Katzenjammer - Le pop
13. Passiv D�dshj�lp - Exorcism i beslagtagen kropp
14. The Goner - Haven
15. The Social Services - Seven dwarfs
16. TALK 4
17. The Skull Defekts - Waving
18. Moto Boy - Ride my wild heart
19. Oskar Sch�nning - Faustine
20. David Sandstr�m Overdrive - Songs that maybe won't be forgotten
21. TALK 5
22. Darkthrone - Hiking metal punks

Reminder: my show airs on Sirius Left of Center (channel 26) at 11pm ET with repeats on Monday at the same time.

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 19:09:01 -0400

Check out a microsite for the new Darkthrone album "Dark thrones and black flags", due out later this month via Peaceville Records: http://www.peaceville.com/darkthrone/darkthronesandblackflags/
Be sure to peep the video section!

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 17:23:45 -0400

Peaceville is giving away a free track from the new Darkthrone album "Dark thrones and black flags": http://www.burningshed.com/store/peaceville/freedownload/8/
Said record comes out October 20 and I'm really looking forward to it.

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 10:59:11 -0400

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

01. Mimas - Cats on fire
02. TALK 1
03. Martin Vogel - Pick A D
04. Jonna Lee - The light
05. Abalone Dots - Over Georgia
06. TALK 2
07. Tobias Hellkvist - Ships of the North Atlantic
08. Lapko - Killer whales
09. The Social Services - The Baltic Sea
10. TALK 3
11. Hello Saferide - I wonder who is like this one
12. Boeoes Kaelstigen - Cecta
13. C.Aarm� - Tu puta mi casa
14. TALK 4
15. Pay TV - Fashion report
16. The Goner - The last folk song
17. Tomas Halberstad - Travel as I wait
18. Darkthrone - Raised on rock
19. TALK 5
20. Commando M Pigg - Att kasta spjut

Reminder: My show on Sirius Left of Center (channel 26) airs Sundays at 11pm ET with repeats on Monday at the same time.

Black Uniforms - F.O.A.D.

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 11:28:37 -0400

The new Backyard Babies single "Fuck off and die" is a pathetic attempt at edginess from a band past their prime. They can curse all they want, but it won't change the fact that the song sounds like "Lick it up"-era Kiss and that's about as dangerous as a fluffy Bernese Mountain Dog puppy. If you want to hear that sentiment expressed in an actual threatening manner, you've either got to go to the title track of Darkthrone's latest album "F.O.A.D." or head even further back in time to Black Uniforms' song off the 1986 "Back from the grave" demo. Leave it to the dirtball thrashers to get it right! Black Uniforms not only wrote a far better song, they even outdid Backyard Babies in the glam department, combining crustpunk-style spiked leather jackets with huge poofy hair and makeup, a look I think is definitely due for a revival. Download today's track and head over to the Backyard Babies website to compare and contrast. I think you'll agree.

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 11:58:44 -0400

Aftonbladet is streaming the new Backyard Babies single "Fuck off and die", which unfortunately is nowhere near as good as the Darkthrone or Black Uniforms tracks of the same name: http://www.aftonbladet.se/webbtv/noje/musikvideor/article2969526.ab

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 13:24:59 -0400

Metal Inquisition on Fenriz from Darkthrone and interior design: http://metalinquisition.blogspot.com/2008/03/darkthrones-fenriza-true-maverick-in.html

Sun, 09 Mar 2008 16:48:04 -0400

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

01. Figurines - The wonder
02. TALK 1
03. CS Nielsen - Happy
04. Superfamily - Teens of the 70s
05. Winter Took His Life - Oh
06. TALK 2
07. Frivolvol - Out come the knives
08. Bogus Blimp - Untitled jazz no. 1
09. Firefox AK - Pushing
10. TALK 3
11. Disfear - Get it off
12. Biker Boy - March song (Kalle J remix)
13. Eskju Divine - Darkness all around
14. TALK 4
15. Dogday - New romance
16. Mew - Am I wry? No
17. Det �r Jag Som �r D�den - Hello!
18. TALK 5
19. Familjen - Huvudet i sanden
20. Darkthrone - Skald av Satans sol
21. Caesars Palace - (I'm gonna) Kick you out
22. TALK 6
23. Lack - Behead
24. Bertine Zetlitz - Fake your beauty
25. Hebosagil - Old prophet
26. TIAC - OTW
27. TALK 7
28. Marybell Katastrophy - Hip
29. Strip Music - Never die
30. The Social Services - Electric brae
31. TALK 8
32. At the Gates - All life ends (live)
33. Fireside - Jupiter
34. Ulver - Funebre
35. Paper - They're gonna keep me
36. TALK 9
37. Convoj - Cultural legacy
38. Maia Hirasawa - Still June
39. Silverbullit - Run
40. TALK 10
41. Massgrav - Vuxenliv

Sat, 15 Dec 2007 19:47:25 -0500

The playlist for this week's radio show, an all-winter theme:

01. Ricochets - Cold outside
02. TALK 1
03. Shining - Winterreise
04. Britta Persson - Winter tour
05. Svenson - In the snow
06. Weeping Willows - Christmas in prison
07. TALK 2
08. The Tiny - No money (for X-mas)
09. Kompjotr Eplektrika - Blikktztunddonner
10. The Knife - Reindeer
11. TALK 3
12. Hello Saferide - iPod X-mas
13. January Jaunt - Stuck in glaziers
14. Darkthrone - Too old, too cold
15. TALK 4
16. S�llskapet - Nordlicht
17. E.S.T. - Strange place for snow
18. Sort Mel - Det gr�nne flesket
19. Notre Dame - A scrooge tale
20. TALK 5
21. Kristofer �str�m & Hidden Truck - Winter moment
22. Syster Lycklig - Bilden till sn�storm
23. The Book of Daniel - 3rd of December
24. TALK 6
25. Samuraj Cities - Cold feet
26. Amandine - Silver bells
27. Logcabin - View of frost
28. Silverbullit - Winter coat
29. TALK 7
30. In Flames - December flower
31. Viktor Sj�berg - On a winters day
32. The Bear Quartet - Blizzard
33. TALK 8
34. Brick - Gray day
35. Laakso - Merry Christmas
36. Strayfolk - Another year before the mast
37. TALK 9

Don't forget to vote for Sirius Blog Radio at the Plug Awards! Vote here: http://www.plugawards.com/general_vote.php
We are nominated under the category "Media (Obsessive) > Specialty Show Of The Year (Commercial Radio)".

Fri, 07 Dec 2007 14:29:47 -0500

Dark Essence will be releasing a new live 7" from Taake early next year entitled "Svartekunst". Four tracks, including a cover of "Over fjell og gjennom torner" by Darkthrone.

Top 10s for 2007: Mattias Alkberg (The Bear Quartet/MABD)

Wed, 05 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0500

I worried a bit earlier this fall if I was on the verge of insanity. I couldn't stop listening to black metal, especially as performed by torturers and murderers. But then it dawned on me that I'd been listening to "good" music as well. So here goes:

01. Spiritual music (Black Metal [Gahhlskagg, Trelldom, Emperor, Svartkraft, Darkthrone], Roots Reggae [Jah Stitch, Dillinger, Dr Alimantado], Cosmic Jazz [Pharoah Sanders, Alice Coltrane, John Coltrane, Miles])
The jury's still out on the insanity part, though.

02. Old TV Shows: Heimat 2, Fanny and Alexander, Freaks and Geeks, Prime Suspect, The Lakes etc

03. UFC on Swedish TV

04. Writing songs

05. Playing shows

06. Starting up a place with friends were we can play guitar and write stuff at all hours.

07. Some other people that released records this year, such as Einst�rzende Neubauten, Killa Priest, R-Kelly, Entombed, Babyshambles, The Liars and Julie Doiron.

Otherwise it's been a terrible year, one of the worst so far.

---------------------------
Mattias Alkberg plays in both The Bear Quartet and Mattias Alkberg BD. Expect new albums from both in 2008?
www.mabd.se
www.bearquartet.com

Darkthrone - F.O.A.D. (Tyrant Syndicate/Peaceville)

Sat, 24 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500

This is the filthiest, most numbskulled black-thrash album I've heard in years and years and I absolutely mean that in the best way possible. Most bands progress and become more refined as the years go by, but Darkthrone retreats and regresses, always getting closer and closer to the pure black metal sounds of originators such as Venom and Bathory. I still love the sophistication of so-called BM elites such as Emperor, but Darkthrone does a much better job of personifying everything that metal should be about. This is music for the dejected and rejected, the kind of stuff that revels in being a no-class dirtball. The title track says it all: "Fuck off and die!" If you don't like it, it's because you're not supposed to.

It's also worth noting that the so-called unproduced recording on this still sounds thousands of times better than any other modern metal album. No lame triggered drums, no wall of over-compressed guitars, nothing but the purest essentials. Everything is crisp and well-balanced and guess what? Even the bass is loud and clear. Amazing!
- Avi Roig
Rating: 8

Sun, 18 Nov 2007 12:51:08 -0500

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

01. Kristofer �str�m - Just a little insane
02. TALK 1
03. Darkthrone - Canadian metal
04. Sambassadeur - Subtle changes
05. Niccokick - Love & neon lights
06. TALK 2
07. Death By Kite - Bhf. Asta
08. The Alpine - Iceland
09. Pluxus - Bootstrap
10. TALK 3
11. Graveyard - Thin line
12. Hospital - Something in the water
13. Attrap - Just a word away
14. TALK 4
15. Jonna Lee - I wrote this song
16. Paper - My life is going under
17. Broder Daniel - You bury me
18. TALK 5
19. Radio LXMBRG - Score on the floor
20. Maia Hirasawa - Gothenburg
21. Rather Sound Than Safe - The beat
22. Det Gamla Landet - Det heliga landet
23. TALK 6
24. Paris - When I laid my eyes on you
25. No Hope for the Kids - Rainy day
26. Sir Eric Beyond and the Avant-Garde - If this is the way
27. Barra Head - Overseas
28. TALK 7
29. Superfamily - Warszawa
30. Oskar Sch�nning - S
31. Brick - Automen
32. TALK 8
33. Miss Li - Leave my man alone
34. Kasper Bj�rke - Liquid propagnosia
35. Loveninjas - I wanna be like Johnny C
36. Anti Cimex - Only in dreams
37. TALK 9
38. Pan Sonic - Virta 1

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 18:07:00 -0400

Here's a new interview with the always-entertaining Fenriz of Darkthrone: http://www.lucemfero.com/darkthrone102007.php

Fri, 19 Oct 2007 14:14:09 -0400

Stylus is not stoked on the new Darkthrone album "F.O.A.D": http://www.stylusmagazine.com/reviews/darkthrone/foad.htm
Myself, on the other hand - I love it.

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 15:17:45 -0400

This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart:

01. Henning Kvitnes - Stemmer i gresset
02. Vidar Johnsen & Peter Nordberg - Ord & �gonblick
03. Alejandro Fuentes - Tomorrow only knows
04. Dance With A Stranger - Everyone needs a friend - The Very Best of DWAS
05. Raga Rockers - Ubermensch
06. Minor Majority - Candy store (2 CD edition)
07. Valkyrien Allstars - Valkyrien Allstars
08. J�rn Hoel - P� grunn av d�
09. Sigvart Dagsland - Forandring
10. Solveig Slettahjell - Domestic songs
11. Trond-Viggo Torgersen - Det du kan + noe rart & noe nytt
12. GT-Sara - P� farten med full rulle
13. Leif Ove Andsnes - Ballad for Edvard Grieg
14. Postgirobygget - Tidl�s
15. Finn Kalvik - Bjerke/Hagerup/Kalvik
16. Darkthrone - F.O.A.D
17. Susanne Sundf�r - Susanne Sundf�r
18. Inger Lise Rypdal - Ansikter
19. The Fernets - The Fernets
20. Superfamily - Warszawa

Sun, 14 Oct 2007 10:47:08 -0400

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

01. Lars Winnerb�ck - Innan m�rkret faller
02. TALK 1
03. TIAC - Boredom
04. Brainbombs - Who can you trust
05. Ted G�rdestad - Helena
06. TALK 2
07. Bj�rn Kleinhenz - China Blue
08. Viktor Sj�berg - The sensation of your head on my chest
09. Marvins Revolt - Deliberate deeds
10. TALK 3
11. Abalone Dots - Under the rain
12. The Bear Quartet - The lost kid office
13. Lo-Fi-Fnk - Wake up
14. Watain - Underneath the cenotaph
15. TALK 4
16. The Tiny - Closer
17. Supersilent - 8.4
18. Anna Ternheim - Today is a good day
19. TALK 5
20. The Skull Defekts - The secret
21. Lukestar - White shade
22. Pay TV - Fashion report
23. Wolfpack - Enter the gates
24. TALK 6
25. Tigerbombs - Shaking the tree
26. Familjen - Ivanhoe & Rebecca
27. Giant Robot - Public = shopping
28. Eskju Divine - Hold on
29. TALK 7
30. The Bell - On and on
31. DHG - The snuff dreams are made of
32. Trio Mediaeval - Det lisle b�net
33. TALK 8
34. Peter Bjorn and John - It beats me every time
35. Margaret Berger - Seek I'll hide
36. Kaizers Orchestra - Kontroll p� kontinentet
37. TALK 9
38. Darkthrone - F.O.A.D.

Thu, 11 Oct 2007 13:12:59 -0400

This week's top 20 Norwegian album chart:

01. Henning Kvitnes - Stemmer i gresset
02. Vidar Johnsen & Peter Nordberg - Ord & �gonblick
03. Alejandro Fuentes - Tomorrow only knows
04. Raga Rockers - Ubermensch
05. Minor Majority - Candy store (2 CD edition)
06. Sigvart Dagsland - Forandring
07. J�rn Hoel - P� grunn av d�
08. Valkyrien Allstars - Valkyrien Allstars
09. Dance With A Stranger - Everyone needs a friend - The Very Best of DWAS
10. Black Debbath - Hyller kvinnen
11. Trond-Viggo Torgersen - Det du kan + noe rart & noe nytt
12. GT-Sara - P� farten med full rulle
13. Darkthrone - F.O.A.D
14. Vazelina Bilopph�ggers - Bensin p� b�let
15. Finn Kalvik - Bjerke/Hagerup/Kalvik
16. Bj�lsen Valsem�lle - Over elva
17. Leif Ove Andsnes - Ballad for Edvard Grieg
18. Leieboerne - F�lg oss hjem Ole Paus
19. Superfamily - Warszawa
20. Kari Bremnes - Live

Fri, 05 Oct 2007 13:44:50 -0400

MIC Norway has new profile pieces up for both Darkthrone and Solveig Slettahjell.

Sat, 29 Sep 2007 18:18:29 -0400

The playlist for this week's radio show:

01. TALK 1
02. Repoman - Chemically obsessed
03. Moder Jords Massiva - Vapen
04. Kornstad Trio - Intornette
05. TALK 2
06. Ghost Brigade - Autoemotive
07. Rather Sound Than Safe - The beat
08. September - My neighbourhood
09. TALK 3
10. Ebba Gr�n - 800�
11. Torpedo - My evil twin
12. Jonna Lee - Dried out eyes
13. TALK 4
14. Marvins Revolt - Bugs in time
15. Pimentola - Death is a secret
16. Nils Berg - Sailors fighting in the dance hall
17. TALK 5
18. Lampshade - By and by I come
19. Midnight Choir - Will you carry me across the water
20. Moonbabies - Walking on my feet
21. TALK 6
22. Candlemass - Elephant star
23. Front and the Factory Lies Beneath - Under a black sun
24. Cortex - Warrior night (live)
25. TALK 7
26. The Grizzly Twister - This city is a halo
27. New Decade - I guess you ran from something
28. The Grand Opening - Don't drop off
29. TALK 8
30. The Bear Quartet - I'm still her
31. Paper - My life is going under
32. Darkthrone - Wisdom of the dead
33. Detektivbyr�n - Natt�ppet
34. TALK 9
35. Mob - Ghost track
36. Fare You Well - Deceiving eyes
37. TALK 10

Darkthrone - Canadian metal

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Darkthrone has a new EP called "NWOBHM", as in "New wave of black heavy metal". Of course, being Darkthrone, there's not really anything 'new' about it. The band prides themselves on embodying all that is kvlt, grim and true in Norwegian black-metal, or as Fenriz says himself, "How much primitive can you can?" (fast-forward to 1:20 before the end) So yeah, think Venom, not fellow Nordsmen Emperor. Also consider, again - this being Darkthrone, that there's gonna be some wackiness. If the tounge-in-cheek EP title wasn't enough, consider "Canadian metal". Um, really? When I think Canadian metal, I think of Voivod and Gorguts, two bands that sound nothing like Darkthrone. Actually, it starts to make a bit more sense when you google the lyrics and find threads like this featuring much more learned metal historians. In a way, Darkthrone seems to be reverting to an almost-Manowar level of singlemindedness. Not that that's a bad thing - someone's got to carry the torch. Besides, Manowar's over-obessive singlemindedness is one of the reasons they're so great. I'd say the same is true for Darkthrone. Stay true!

Sat, 25 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0400

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. St��lf�gel - Sm� gr�na m�n
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 Str�m - Ordl�s
21. Kompjotr Eplektrika - Skulldrummantra
22. Scraps of Tape - How your heart gets thrown
23. TALK 6
24. Brainbombs - Stinking memory
25. M:40 - Br�nnm�rkt
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

Fri, 27 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0400

A Tune A Day has a brand new track from Darkthrone: http://dalen.wordpress.com/2007/07/26/darkthrone-canadian-metal/

Thu, 21 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Darkthrone will release the new EP "NWOBHM" ("New Wave Of Black Heavy Metal") in late July and will be released on both CD and 7" vinyl. Tracklist:

01. Wisdom of the dead (EP version)
02. Canadian metal (CD only)
03. Hedninger fra helvete ("Heathens from hell", exclusive track)
04. Bad attitude (Testors cover, CD only)

As for the much-anticipated new album, that one's called "F.O.A.D." ("Fuck off and die") and will be out in September. Tracklist:

01. These shores are damned
02. Canadian metal
03. The church of real metal
04. The banners of old
05. Fuck off and die
06. Splitkein fever
07. Raised on rock
08. Pervertor of the 7 gates
09. Wisdom of the dead

Darkthrone, one of the few bands that seems to get better and better with age.

Sat, 16 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0400

The playlist for my radio show this week:

01. Pistol Disco - Walking with Jesus
02. TALK 1
03. Heroes & Zeros - Into the light
04. Vijaya - Your gun will never set you free
05. Convoj - My timekeeping heart
06. TALK 2
07. Darkthrone - Too old, too cold
08. A Perfect Friend - Rush hour
09. Death By Kite - Hiroshima
10. TALK 3
11. Fun - I've got a truck
12. Moonbabies - Walking on my feet
13. The Perishers - When I fall
14. TALK 4
15. Regulations - Police siren
16. Viola - Ordinary teenage sensation
17. Bj�rn Kleinhenz - Starlit queen
18. TALK 5
19. Gravy - Glory to our brilliant name
20. Hero Dishonest - Stalin vs Hank Hardy
21. Sophie Zelmani - To know you
22. Ulver - Capitel III: Graablick blev hun vaer
23. TALK 6
24. H�kan Hellstr�m - Ramlar
25. Abhinanda - Highway tonight
26. Single Unit - Passion, pirates & parasites
27. TALK 7
28. Kompjotr Eplektrika - Skulldrummantra
29. The Tiny - Just like you
30. Death Breath - Death breath
31. TALK 8
32. Entombed - Serpent speech
33. The Cardigans - Marvel hill
34. Soviac - I got the ribbah
35. TALK 9
36. The Bear Quartet - Put me back together
37. You Is Stupid - I am history
38. Paris - 60 minutes
39. The Process - Mot Sverige i tiden
40. TALK 10
41. Weeping Willows - I give you the morning

Thu, 07 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Dagavisen is counting down the top 30 Norwegian albums of all-time: http://www.dagsavisen.no/kultur/musikk/article293966.ece
Summary of what's posted so far:

30. Turboneger - Apocalypse Dudes
29. Tre S� Kinesere - 365 Fri
28. Darkthrone - A Blaze In The Northern Sky
27. Madrugada - The Nightly Desease
26. Kung Fu Girls - This Is The Kung Fu Beat
25. Sissy Wish - You May Breathe
24. Lillemor - Lokkemann
23. Terje Rypdal - Bleak House
22. a-ha - Hunting High An Low
21. Thomas Dybdahl - That Great October Sound

Mon, 04 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Check out Aversionline for an amazing drunken video interview with Fenriz of Darkthrone: http://www.aversionline.com/blahg/2007/06/04/how-much-primitive-can-you-get/

Mon, 14 May 2007 00:00:00 -0400

The Nocturnal Cult webzine has an awesome new interview with Fenriz of Darkthrone: http://www.nocturnalcult.com/

Aortaorta - Bloodrush (Sonitus Insulto)

Fri, 26 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0500

These Finns return with a new six-song batch of sludgy, dirge-heavy punk and this review is long, long overdue. I like it best when they settle into a comfortable groove and are content to bludgeon you relentlessly and repetively with a simple, crushing riff. Closing number "No pulse" is a brutally effective example, sounding like some unholy hybrid of late-era Black Flag meets Darkthrone by way of early Neurosis. It's heavy and hypnotic. Unfortunately, the more they try to change it up, the more they stumble. Keep it simple, keep it strong.
- Avi Roig
Rating: 6

I - Far beyond the quiet

Thu, 04 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Abbath's new band I picks up pretty close to where Immortal left off and I think that's great. See, unlike most black-metal purists, I've always felt that the each of the band's albums was better than the one that preceded it. Besides being recorded terribly, early material such as "Pure holocaust" and "Battles in the north" just aren't that good. The promo photos? Still undeniably classic. But the music? Eh, I rather listen to Darkthrone if I want to stay tr00 and kvlt. I however, is something different. The cold darkness of black-metal remains, but the music is far more rooted in thrash and other, more classic heavy metal styles. Just listen to that song I've posted today and tell me that opening riff doesn't remind you of "Bark at the moon". Sure, it starts to sound a lot more like Bathory once the drums and ominous keyboards come in, but that too is a good thing. Abbath's croaking vocal style might be too much for some to take, but I think it just adds to the atmosphere he's trying to create. It's supposed to sound evil, y'know? Thrash on.

Top 10s for 2006: Staff picks

Thu, 14 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0500

Not everyone was able to get their lists in on time, but I think you'll find more than enough titles here well-worth investigating, whatever your tastes may be. Enjoy!

Jonas Appelqvist:

01. The Fine Arts Showcase � Radiola (Adrian Recordings)
When Christian released a kinda mediocre record, Gustav stepped up, delivered and restored the honour of the Kjellvander brothers.

02. C.Aarm� � Vita (Burning Heart)
Music for the gut, not the brain. G�teborg's finest punks just recently split up, it's a pity.

03. Hets � s/t (V2/Etikett: Hets)
I was a bit hesitative when I heard that members from Laakso, Fireside and Moneybrother formed a band. They proved me wrong.

04. Raised Fist � The sound of the republic (Burning Heart Records)
This long awaited full-length proved to be exactly what I hoped for. Uncompromising hardcore, this time with hooks!

05. Insurgent Kid � Paranoia (Wasted Sounds)
Just recently released and it went straight into this list. The punkrock on this disc is, in fact, all I ever need.

06. Khoma � The second wave (Roadrunner)
I always knew something good would come out of Plastic Pride.

07. Aerial � Black rain from the nombing (Nomethod)
Epic and almost instrumental post-rock from Sandviken that moved me big time.

08. Tar... Feathers � Make way for the ocean floor to fall to the surface (Release the Bats!)
Self-willed indiepop that sounds like Modest Mouse mixed with Xiu Xiu at times.

09. Darkthrone � The cult is alive (Peaceville)
Pioneers that released their most interesting record since "Total Death". Black-metal with one hell of a punkrockattitude!

10. Cult of Luna � Somewhere along the highway (Earache)
One of the records I've listened to the most in 2006 and it's still intriguing.

Top 3 non-scandinavian records of 2006:
Converge � No heroes (Epitaph)
Electric President � s/t (Morr Music)
Cursive � Happy hollow (Saddle Creek)

Nancy Baym:

01. Hell On Wheels - The odd church (Hybris/PlayRec)
It's catchy, it's quirky, it's consistently strong. And it's interesting too.

02. Skywriter - Where both worlds never meet (Iceberg Records)
The slow ones drag a bit, but the fast songs are a sublime mix of sexy, cool, driving and restrained.

03. Consequences - s/t (BOW/Groover Recordings)
Puts the "infection" in infectious pop. I can't stop listening to it and really don't want to either.

04. Peter Bjorn and John - Writer's block (V2/Wichita)
Not as good as last year's "Falling out", but an okay Peter Bjorn and John record is still better than most.

05. Pelle Carlberg - Everything. Now! (Labrador)
He's thoughtful, he's sensitive, he's twee, but most of all he's the perfect mix of soothing and beautiful. Frazzled nerves be gone!

06. The Phonies - Gran tourettes (Money Laundry Records)
Inconsistent record from Finland's Phonies, but it's best songs are exhuberant enough to carry the rest.

07. Billie the Vision & the Dancers - The world according to Pablo (self-released)
While I'm From Barcelona gets all the buzz, I prefer this. It's kind of mellow, a little dark, sort of conceptual if you bother to figure it out, but most of all, it just sounds good.

08. David & the Citizens - Stop the tape! Stop the tape! (Bad Taste)
David Fridlund's a melodic genius and the music may be better than ever, but Fridlund's angst runs too close to whining too much of the time.

09. Starflower - Moment in the sun (Music Is My Girlfriend)
Tranquil and poppy, youthful and tuneful, it's a gentle little debut from a band I hope will diversify its sound in releases to come.

10. The Charade - Real Life Drama (Skipping Stones)
Half of this is too sweet for me, but the rest is charming as all get out, and "September" easily wins the award for catchiest sugar pop song of the year.

Honorable Mentions:

Sivert H�yem and the Volunteers - Exiles (Hektor Grammofon)
It's not out yet and I've only heard 2 songs, but given his track record with Madrugada and his last solo record, it's guaranteed a spot in my top 10 when I do get to hear the rest.

Tiger Lou - The loyal (Startracks)
It came out in 2005 but now I've finally heard this record. It's got such a cool consistent vibe, such a unique sound, and I'm under it's spell completely.

Matt Giordano:

01. Peter Bjorn and John - Writers block (V2/Wichita)
After last years excellent "Falling out" I expected a great album, but this release just floored me.

02. Loney, Dear - Sologne (Dear John)
Yes, this is technically a re-release, and yes, it's that good.

03. The Fine Arts Showcase - Radiola (Adrian)
This is the new album I listened to most this year, and a it was quite a leap artistically for Mr. Kjellvander.

04. Hell On Wheels - The odd church (Hybris)
This one sat in my room for about a month until one day I brought it in the car with me, and to say the least, I was impressed.

05. Vapnet - Jag vet hur man v�ntar (Hybris)
"Thom�egr�nd" instantly hit me with pure pop genuis, and this album is so textured and deep, it has yet to be fully realised.

06. Firefox AK - Madame, madame! (Razzia)
It took me a while, but I have finally realised how genius this album is.

07. Nicolai Dunger - Sjunger Edith S�dergran (EMI)
I believe this is Mr. Dunger's most cohesive album to date, and perhaps his most intimate.

08. Sibiria - Inom familjen (Hybris)
Martin A and Martin H put out two stellar albums in one year. Gorgeous.

09. The Knife - Silent shout (Rabid)
This album is both bleak and enchanting.

10. David & The Citizens - Stop the tape! Stop the tape! (Bad Taste)
This album is so solid, and it should silence all of the naysayers.

Other:

Best 2005 release of 2006:
El Perro Del Mar - El Perro Del Mar (Memphis Industries/The Control Group)
Gorgeous, that is the only way to describe the songwriting of Sarah Assbring, and it's good to see the rest of the world catching on.

Top three non-Scandinavian releases:

Tom Waits - Orphans (Anti)
This is absolutely essential.

Nobody & Mystic Chords Of Memory - Tree colored see (Mush)
Another post-Beachwood Sparks work of excellence, now I'm only wishing for Beachwood Sparks to reunite.

My Morning Jacket - Okonokos (RCA)
America's best current live band, and this is their document.

Top ten songs of 2006*
01. Montt Mardi� - "My girlfriend is in the Grand Prix finals" from "Science" (Hybris)
02. Peter Bjorn and John - "Paris 2004" from "Writers block" (V2)
03. Kristofer �str�m - "So much for staying alive" from "Black Valley" (Startracks)
04. Loney, Dear - "The city, the airport" from "Sologne" (Dear John)
05. Tom Waits - "Bottom of the world" from "Orphans" (Anti)
06. Vapnet - "Thom�egr�nd" from "Jag vet hur man v�ntar" (Hybris)
07. The Velvet Teen - "Gyzmkid" from "Cum laude" (Slowdance)
08. Nicolai Dunger - "Lyckokatt" from "Sjunger Edith S�dergran" (Dolores)
09. Loose Fur - "The ruling class" from "Born again in the USA" (Drag City)
10. Islands - "Don't call me Whitney, Bobby" from "Return to the sea" (Equator)

*These songs, as well as 31 others appear on my "Best of 2006" mix, which I have made 20 copies of as a double-disc set to give away to the readers of It's A Trap! Here's the deal, the first twenty people to email me at matthew dot giordano at macys dot com with their name and postal address will receive a copy (as well as tracklisting) in the mail. Enjoy.

Kevin Renick, in alphabetical order:

01. Ampop - My delusions (Dennis Records)
Balancing the epic and the emotive is an increasingly dicey proposition as more and more groups on both sides of the Atlantic sacrifice one or the other in the process. Iceland's Ampop gets the blend just right with these 11 surgingly powerful, yet fragile tunes. .

02. El Perro Del Mar - s/t (Memphis Industries)
Possibly the most bubbly, infectious, melodically rich, beautifully sung sad album ever made.

03. Sofia Hardig - The need to destroy (Filthy Records)
An adventurous electronica foray in which Sofia makes an art out of distorted vocals that are nonetheless emotionally wrenching. Dark, machine-laden grooves that grip the soul.

04. The Knife - Silent shout (Brille Records)
By any standard, one of the year's boldest and most significant records, especially for a spooked, tech-savvy, mask-wearin', brother-sister dance-tronica act.

05. Lampshade - Let's away (Glitterhouse)
The sophomore release by this fabulous Swedish/Danish group is just as good as the debut; RebekkaMaria and company fuse primal rock and Scandi sensuality together in a thoroughly compelling manner.

06. Mew - And the glass-handed kites (Sony BMG Music)
A continuously flowing, continuously melodic and dazzling production that got many satisfying spins on my car stereo in 2006.

07. Monty's Loco - Man overboard (NONS)
Take a female vocalist who's like a tougher Emiliana Torrini, add equal parts acoustic/electronic instrumentation, throw in a few dollops of inspired weirdness and mix/produce well. Result: a grabber of an album that tickles the sonic taste buds..

08. Britta Persson - Top quality bones and a little terrorist (Amigo)
I like my Scandinavian music to be a little tart. Britta's debut CD is positively lemony from start to finish, a real standout in a year filled with great records by Scandi girls.

09. Patrik Skantze and the Free Souls Society - Fiction at first view (Mimo Sound)
A master class in inspired prog songcraft, superb guitar playing and the art of channeling diverse influences into your own lovingly prepared recipe.

10. Sonores - Elefanten (Structures Sonores)
As a long-time fan of both atmospheric ambient and mournful female vocals, this texturally absorbing disc had me at "eftermiddag".

Best EP: Detektivbyr�n - Hemv�gen (Danarkia)
Best CD to reevaluate your life to: Es - Sateenkkarisuudelma (K-RAA-K)
Best reasons to have faith that the spirit of weirdness lives on in Scandiland: The Bear Quartet, Sir Eric Beyond, and Tar...Feathers

Simon Tagestam:

01. Vapnet � Jag vet hur man v�ntar (album / Hybris)
Vapnet lived up to all my expectations and delivered a fantastic album

02. Moneybrother � De vet ingenting om oss (single / Hacka Skivindustri)
This song came totally unexpected and instantly floored me.

03. Lo-Fi-Fnk � Boylife (album / La Vida Loca)
Very exciting album from Sweden�s new dance kings, now TTA gone all new age.

04. Mattias Alkberg BD - Ditt hj�rta �r en stj�rna (album / A West Side Fabrication)
Third and best album from this Bear Quartet member.

05. Taxi Taxi � Old big trees (song on myspace)
Killer song. Got high hopes for these young twins.

06. I'm From Barcelona - Let me introduce my friends (album / Dolores)
Hate them live, but still love their music.

07. Juni J�rvi - Wherever thou art (album / Everlasting)
The surprise hit of the year, a collection of some magnificent songs.

08. [ingenting] - Mycket v�sen f�r ingenting (album / Labrador)
An album that deserved much more attention and praise than it got.

09. Juvelen � Watch your step (song on myspace)
Sounds exactly like Prince when he was at his best. Pretty damn good that is!

10. Sir Eric Beyond and the Avant-Garde - s/t (album / Flora & Fauna)
Weirdest and most wonderful gig at Emmaboda this year where 'Sir Eric', even though he's Swedish, only talked in English in-between songs. He also released a fine record.

Three amazing songs from albums that I wasn't too keen on:
Fattaru � 100 sp�nn
Hello Saferide � The quiz
Peter Bjorn and John � Young folks

---------------------------

Jonas Appelqvist is in the works of completing the first fullengthrecord with Blinders On, indierock based in Malm�. The band is, as I write this, finished with the mixing and the mastering of the album entitled "Obsolete music", so we should expect a release in January. The 17th, to be precise. More on that after New Year's Eve.

Nancy Baym can be found happily blogging away at Online Fandom and digging music at Last.fm.

Matt Giordano wishes everyone safe, yet wine-filled holidays and New Year's celebrations, and hopes those who'll be getting his "Best of 2006 mix" enjoy them. He also hopes Arsenal can pick up the pace in the premier league and that Scandinavian bands continue to release the world's best music. Here are the new releases he's looking forward to in 2007: two Laakso records, Kristofer �str�m, Shout Out Louds, Via Audio, Christian Kjellvander, Spoon, Tiger Lou (I can hope), My Morning Jacket (I can hope), Nick Cave (I think it's about time for another), Moonbabies, Nicolai Dunger, and all Hyrbis releases.

Kevin Renick is exhausted from trying to pare down the list of favorites from a really great year in music.

Simon Tagestam is a regular contributor to IAT and he doesn't really have any plans for 2007, except some vague ideas concerning a Nintendo Wii, his mother's 60th birthday, more tattoos, and badminton.

Fri, 06 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0400

Blod�rstid on the latest from Darkthrone: http://www.holyterror.com/blod/2006/10/06/darkthrone-the-cult-is-alive-cd/

Thu, 05 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0400

Heavymetal.no has the heads-up on the new Darkthrone "Forebyggende krig" 7": http://www.heavymetal.no/show.article.asp?menuid=&artid=5110

Darkthrone - The cult is alive (Peaceville)

Sun, 18 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0400

I have not been following Darkthrone's career in the past, say, five years, but back in the day they were the sickest, most incredible black metal band along with Abruptum and perhaps Marduk. These dude were seriously evil. I don't know what happened there, but "The cult is alive" is considerably more rock than I ever thought this band capable of. Not just slower, but the whole thing has tinges of grarage rock, Misfits-like punk and a little bit of Samhain thrown in. It might be also the most Venom-inspired black metal album I have heard in quite some time. I guess they wanted to go back to the source. The whole album is seriously awesome as it is so unexpected, and the music ain't crap either, very good stuff. I am totally in awe.
- Simon Thibaudeau
Rating: 0