Webzine Aversionline has finally put up their July issue with a demographic feature on Swedish hardcore band Rentokiller and, as always, tons and tons of reviews. Featured bands include Damn Right, Insula, The Musique Concrete Ensemble, Victims, Inti, Darkthrone, Madder Mortem, Morning After and Opeth.

Some of the bands confirmed for the Rock for Moc festival in Bergslagen, Sweden on September 5-7: Mimikry, Different Kinds, Dog Almighty, System Breakdown, Willowtree, Eskju Divine, LEASH, Splicer, Outbreak, Seventribe, Coastline. More info: www.rockformoc.com

I coulda sworn that I posted something about it ages ago, but I guess I missed it. Anyhow, The Virtues pass along the news that they will be recording two tracks for an upcoming Shawn Smith (Brad, Satchel, Pigeonhead) tribute compilation. "The Day Brings" and "I Don't Know" are the songs they're doing.

Arch Enemy will on radio station WNYU's program "Hellhole" in NYC on June 17 at 9pm and will reportedly be premiering new material from their upcoming album "Anthems of Rebellion". WNYU broadcasts at 89.1 FM and can be streamed online from www.wnyu.org.

Nicolai Dunger is currently finishing up recording of his new album with Mercury Rev in Stockholm and it should be out sometime in early 2004. His fan site also reports that there are rumors concerning a "simulated restaurant gig" called "Dunger at the Diner", whatever that means. There's also word that Nicolai will be providing backing music for an album of Edith Södergrans poems. I'll let you know when I find out more. And lastly, it looks like he'll be heading back over to the States for a couple gigs in August:

08/06 - New York, Mercury Lounge
08/07 - Chicago, Schuba's

Trewetha Records reports that they have signed the new bands Midnight Monkeys and Sister Lightyear. Midnight Monkeys is currently recording a two-song single for an August release and Sister Lightyear will have a 4-song EP coming out this fall.

Coming to Club Debaser in Stockholm on June 21-22 is the 2003 Gearfest/Cearclub 2003, presented by Gearhead Records, featuring The Ricochets, Flaming Sideburns, Sahara Hotnights, The Mutants and more. Go here for the full details.

Unioncarbideproductions.com reports that the new UCP single will be released commercially on June 23. Chances are your favorite online retailer is already taking pre-orders. Also, the box set has now been set for release in November. Read the press release. And lastly, head on over to the UCP site for a full roundup of reviews for the Hultsfred reunion show.

The latest from Darkthrone, as posted by Nocturno Culto:

"Darkthrone had some successful rehearsals a week ago. Three new songs were in our focus, and Fenriz is finished with four lyrics for the album, so we are well prepared. Currently we are working on even more material, so more rehearsals are on the way."

MIC Norway has put up a profile on up-and-coming singer/songwriter St. Thomas.

For more info about the various Kalas demoscene bands reported on yesterday, check this out. (in Swedish)

Seems that planned live Kent DVD from their stadium concert is a no-go.

Per Gessle is indeed hitting the road this summer in support of his new solo album "Mazarin". I haven't seen the full itinerary yet, but the first show will be at Brottet in Halmstad on July 29. His backing band will include Clarence Öfverman, Anders Herrlin, Jonas Isacsson, Helena Josefsson along with Christoffer Lundqvist and Jens Jansson from Brainpool. Read more. (in Swedish)

Using the American Warped Tour as a template, Burning Heart, Luger and Eventum are bringing the "Playstation 2 - Heart Attack Tour 2003" to Sweden. Along with the various extreme sports and video gaming events, you'll also get a chance to see Moneybrother, Looptroop, Fireside, Raised Fist, Mike Vallely & The Rats and Randy all together in concert. More bands are expected to be announced for the individual dates, too. Dates now confirmed:

08/08 - Göteborg, Göteborgskalaset
08/15 - Örebro, Örebromässan
08/29 - Malmö, Kockums
08/31 - Stockholm, Riddarholmen

New bands for Avrika: Liberator, Södra Åkeriet, Sven Andersson, DJ Montagu & Golkonda, Alpine Those Myriads, Flying Edward, Don Juan Dracula, Garbage Angels and The Belacqua Project feat. KOEFF.

"Sweden's finest deathrockers" Helltrain have signed with Nuclear Blast and is already at Dugout Studio in Uppsala, Sweden with producer Daniel Bergstrand working on their forthcoming album. The band's pedigree is quite strong with members coming from other groups such as The Everdawn, Gates of Ishtar, Defleshed, Raised Fist and more. To listen to a couple demos from the band, go here.

In case you missed the reference yesterday, Reverend Moore was the dance-hating preacher in the movie "Footloose" and was played by John Lithgow.

I updated yesterday's post with new info about Nicolai Dunger's backing band and their other music experience. Thanks again Niklas!

Dates are currently being booked for KVLR's West Coast/Southwest tour in early March. If you can help, please let me know.

Stickman Records reports that Motorpsycho has US and Japan tour plans in the works. No dates yet, but I'll keep you posted. The label also has revealed the title for the forthcoming Isolation Years record: "It's Golden". Again, no date yet, but I'll let you know.

Amorphis is working on mixing their new album with producer Hiili Hiilesmaa (HIM, Moonspell, Sentenced) at Finnvox Studios. They expect to finished by the end of the month. No word yet on a new label for the band.

Keep your eyes on Norweigen electronic act Röyksopp as they're touring seven US cities in March. European sales are already climbing and accolades are accumulating, but they've yet to catch on fully over here. Will they break? Hype sure is building.

In a sign of potentially bigger things to come, booking agency Luger has now taken on the band Paris. Is the return of new-wave nigh?

DJ Embee (Loop Troop) is currently finishing up work on his new EP with Organism 12 and PSTQ. Four tracks and instruments, two produced by Embee, two by Breakmecanix. Look for it around late February or early March on JuJu Records.

Also from JuJu is the new Timbuk/Promoe (also Loop Troop) "Blind Justice" 12". It comes out on the 27th.

Here's an interesting short interview with Galder of Old Man's Child and Dimmu Borgir. Now resigned to just being a studio-only project, OMC's new album "In Defiance of Existence" just came out in Europe and will be out in the US on March 25 from Century Media.

Darkthrone will be adding exclusive new film footage to the Peaceville CDrom reissues of four of their old albums. As for what the footage will contain, here's what they had to say:

Fenriz and Nocturno Culto will film many hours at their stronghold somewhere in the wilderness in Norway. Like a reality-Darkthrone documentary. Every of the four album will contain at least 5 minutes of this rare piece of filming. They will drink, drink, listen to music, drink etc.....many things will be revealed. They will also interview eachother about all the Peaceville-albums. They will film that much, so it can edited to be a 30 min. documentary

NorthSide Records has new preview mp3s up on their website for upcoming releases from Värttinä and Mari Boine. Check 'em out. (scroll about 2/3rds of the way down the page)

Classic Swedish deathmetal band Dismember is currently working on their next album. The title is "Where Ironcrosses Grow" and it's due out around September on Hammerheart Records. Produced once again by drummer Fred Estby with help from engineer Olle Sandqvist, the new material is described as "darker, a little less melodic and more aggressive than ever" and lyrically "headed even more in the direction of describing war at its ugliest, stories about sick minds creating sick situations and loads of religious criticism." In other words, business as usual.

BREAKING NEWS: A reformed Union Carbide Productions will be playing the Hultsfred Festival next year. The band broke up many years ago and members went on to form The Soundtrack of Our Lives, but they've decided to come together again in celebration of their upcoming box set release. More news about Hultsfred here. No time has been set yet for the box set's release, but we're hearing that an April or May date is expected.

Speaking of TSOOL, here's some photos from their recent tour with Oasis. (Text in Swedish)

Watch a video of The Ark's performance from Faddergalan over at the Arkfreaks website.

Mustasch is in the studio once again. Jakob Hellner (Rammstein, Clawfinger) is producing and it is expected to be out late 2003.

The Plan are working on their next album. Ronald Bood is producing once again and it should be out by Autumn next year.

Darkthrone managed to record and mix their new album in 26 hours. That's pretty damn fast! Described by singer/guitarist Nocturno Culto as "spontaneous black metal with spirit", it will be released on Moonfog in February.

The tracklist for the upcoming 2xCD Emperor greatest hits and rarities collection "Scattered Ashes - A Decade of Emperial Wrath" has been revealed. Here it is:

Disc One:
01. Curse You All Men
02. The Tongue Of Fire
03. The Majesty Of The Night Sky
04. Cosmic Keys To My Creations & Times
05. Wrath Of The Tyrant
06. The Loss & Curse Of Reverence
07. An Elegy Of Icaros
08. I Am The Black Wizards
09. Thus Spake The Nightspirit (live)
10. Ye Entrancemperium
11. In The Wordless Chamber
12. With Strength I Burn
13. Inno A Satana

Disc Two:
01. A Fine Day To Die
02. Aerie Descent
03. Cromlech
04. Gypsy
05. Funeral Fog
06. I Am
07. Sworn (Ulver remix)
08. Lords Of The Storms
09. My Empire's Doom
10. Moon Over Kara-Shehr
11. Witches Sabbath
12. Ancient Queen
13. In Longing Spirit

Sanctum is scheduled to play the Cornerstone Festival in the US in July. They're also working on booking a west-coast tour to follow. The band is also said to be demoing material for their next album, with the goal of getting started in the studio around February. In related news, the Crescens Collective is doing another collaboration with the dance group Agnes. The topic will be "choices" and they are expected to finish around March.

There's some new tracks in the playlist section. Check it out on the right.

Export Music Sweden (ExMS) recently held a conference in NYC as part of the CMJ festival confirming that Swedish music has never been more popular in the United States. Fred Bronson of Billboard magazine moderated the conference, which included reps from Rollig Stone, ASCAP, BMI, MTV and more.

Your Halo is a Radar just recorded 6 six new tracks. You can download one of them on their website.

Darkthrone has announced the title of their next album will be "Hate Them". The plan is to record in December and then have it released in February on Moonfog records.

Bathory's new album "Nordland I" will be out on November 18. The follow-up companion album "Nordland II" is expected in January. Read a long interview with Mr. Bathory himself, Quorthon, here.