10 tracks of raw (fucking) death metal, committed to cassette tape, the flimsiest of formats and the perfect medium to showcase the New Wave of Old Swedish Death (NWOSD??). Just as it should be, because fidelity is far from the point in this horrorshow. Of the 10 acts featured on the tracklist, Vanhelgd was the only name I immediately recognized, though Gravehammer does (justifiably) seem to be making waves of their own with their recently released 7" on . Somewhat unsurprisingly, those two are also two of the immediate standouts, but that doesn't mean the rest of the acts are slackers; far from it in fact, all are solid, satisfying listens, from the German thrash-influenced battery of Decapitation to the rawer, more Repulsion-ified attack of both Zombiefied and Reincarnage. However, my favorite discovery of this collection has got to be "Funeral plague" by Abduction, the heaviest cut of the lot by far and a song that would not be at all out of place on ' seminal "Grindcrusher" compilation from 1989. Växjö's Eviscerated rank #2 with an epic number, full of twisted riffs and a well-developed sense of Melody. Definitely looking forward to hearing more from both those guys, definitely keeping a close eye on . - Avi Roig
Two new Underachiever demo tracks were just posted for free download. The first one "Triumph of emptiness" takes a different path than before, showing a new, more melodic side of the band. More syncopation too, taking them more towards the offset rat-tatat of, say, Helmet as opposed to the steady 4/4 caveman drubbing they excelled at on demo #1. Not that I want to be one to discourage growth and progress, but I miss the ready steady lunkheaded singlemindedness of their eighth note pulse and furthermore, I am not feeling the Melody, not at all. Vocally, they can't match it either, nor would I want them too. There's certainly something to be said for keeping it simple.
I really wanted to like the new Familjen album "Mänskligheten", but it is tragically marred by gratuitous neo-soul diva vocals. Not that the debut "Det snurrar i min skalle" was wholly immune, but one track ("Kom säger dom") and a b-side ("Feber") make it the exception, not the rule. It's not all bad for the new one though, lead single "När planeterna stannat" is a solid dancefloor stomper and the instrumental "Viggo" would fit right in on Håkan Lidbo's interesting "Musiken från framtiden" comp. My favorite track though, would have to be "Det var jag", which sounds like a combination of those two tracks into something greater. It's got the driving beat and bassline of the former as well as the Eastern Melody of the latter and is supremely catchy in the way I expect from Familjen. And no damn distracting vox. Thank god.
Nybakat!'s new album "Happy land" is no grand departure from the first one, but it's not as if that's a problem. More folk-influenced Swedish jazz? Yes, please! Pianist Ira Mogilevsky does let her bandmates get in on a bit more the action this time 'round though, so I suppose that does diversify the repertoire. As before, Ira's own pieces definitely reflect her Russian/Israeli background and on this particular record her tracks seem to lean more towards the slow and moody (despite the title, not that I'm complaining), but they are also balanced out by songs such as "Music box", a boppier number penned by drummer Vlad Nedelin with an odd time signature and a tense Melody that seems to favor chromatic movement. As someone who doesn't necessarily seek out that much jazz these days, I really am glad that this record found its way to me. It's already received considerable playtime in my house and will continue to get much more in the future. Very recommended.
Originalljudet means "original sound" which could mean all sorts of things, depending on how you want to interpret it. It is brand new or is it going back to the source? Or perhaps a little of both, as you'll hear on "Jennys polska". It's got the lilting Melody of classic Jan Johansson, but the feel is more stiff-legged and monotonous, giving the piece a darker undercurrent. I can picture creepy, withered old dudes playing this sort of stuff on a cobblestone street corner or in some olde world European café, but it's nice to know that it's actually being made by fresh-faced young folks, young folks who are eager to twist old sounds and exploit them into something new.
Norwegian label is my favorite new label. Not my new favorite label, but you get the idea. Conceived as the sister label to to concentrate on new up-and-coming acts, they've got a surprisingly strong and diverse roster. I told you about Far From Tellusthe other day, now here's a track from Kobert, the first act on the label to release an album. The two couldn't be more different -- whereas the former is folksy, upbeat pop, Kobert makes low-key, jazzy electronica. Inorganic sounds with an organic vibe; just listen to the way vocalist/sample-manipulator Ingrid Lode deftly navigates the narrow Melody. What sounds simple is anything but. Sometimes the group does veer off towards trip-hop/adult contemporary territory at times, but the more I listen, the more I find them to be on the right side of tasteful/whitewashed. Still, would not be surprised to hear them in a Euro-style elixir bar, all white and metal and right-angles. I'd be okay with that.
Two great poets from Lom: Tor Jonsson (1916–1951) and Olav Aukrust (1883–1929). Though their views of rural life were far apart, it held a great influence on them both. Tor Jonsson faced much hardship in his youth and came to be critical of the closely-knit rural society, while Olav Aukrust, a champion of religious and national causes, held a more positive view of rural communities, people and lifestyles. Differences notwithstanding, it is obvious from the titles and form of their poems that both drew inspiration from traditional music. We have set some of their poems to traditional tunes both old and recent, and included a few songs they might have heard at home.
Another dose of Norwegian folk to close out the week (this is "Listen to Norway" #6). Same label as last time (), but with a far more robust lineup of musicians: Camilla Granlien Band features the namesake vocalist flanked by full band, though in this example, "I Hellarskogen", it's a more subdued arrangement of guitar, contrabass and organ. Of the course the main attraction is Camilla's expert vocals and she is marvelous at putting Olav Aukrust's words to a Melody of her own creation. Just as naturally, I am drawn to the tune's melancholy qualities which made it stand out among its album-mates. Maybe not the most appropriate selection for what has turned out to be a sunny, spring day, but beautiful nonetheless. Enjoy!
It's a safe bet that if you were to check a thesaurus entry for the word "furious" one of the synonyms you'd find would be Eskatol. This Oslo six-piece is one of the few bands out there who have successfully managed to marry all-out hardcore aggression with metal technicality and Melody to create an astounding body of work that sounds as if the two subgenres were made for each other. It's not often that this works but, by hell, it does this time! Best examples are evident on the likes of "Feierferd", "Med knyttet hånd", and "Hellig system" with their pure metal melodies and leads, touching on a math metal complexity in places and, above all, encrusted in an extreme hardcore angst that furnishes the album with integrity and passion. It's clear that Eskatol are a genuine band far from the confines of pandering to an audience or contriving a unique sound. Yes, their sound is unique, but the fact that it plays out so naturally shows just how authentic these guys are. There's an unbridled intensity on display here and, with only three of the fourteen songs clocking in at the 3:00+ mark, it's clear that there's a heck of a lot going on within each tune. It must be said that, as with most hardcore-based albums, "Blodørn" does have a few moments where there's repetition in the air. Thankfully, these moments are very few and far between on this. Crust, hardcore, death metal, melodic metal: Eskatol have all corners of the extreme covered. And for those of you who like your music extreme, Eskatol have you covered! - John Norby
Millencolin have written some very catchy skate punk songs during the 16 years they've been around, but unlike some of their contemporaries (e.g. NOFX) you can't give them any credit for much lyrical flare. Back in the day when CDs were all the rage it happened to me more than once that I bought a new Millencolin CD and reading the lyrics in the booklet on my way home totally killed all the excitement I'd built up in shop when buying the album. Usually I tried to ignore the lyrics when listening to the CD and most of the time it still sounded alright, but I couldn't completely ignore their crassness. This problem has only increased with the years and it really came to show when in 2004 Nikola Sarcevic released his first solo album "Lock-sport-krock" (with English lyrics, it very much sounded like an acoustic version of Millencolin). I liked a couple of songs on it, but the cheesy lyrics make it quite a hard listen. "Roll roll and flee" that was released two years later and was an improvement, so I'm a bit disappointed that Sarcevic now has decided to sing in Swedish on this, his third solo album ("Nikola & Fattiglapparna"). By having Swedish lyrics Sarcevic really puts them in the spotlight (if you're Swedish that is; if you're not, it probably has the opposite effect). Even though there are one or two good moments to be had on the album, most of it sounds like a poor man's Kristofer Åström with kindergarten-like lyrics and some terrible rhymes. I heard in an interview that Sarcevic wrote the lyrics first in English then translated them to Swedish which, to be honest, doesn't sound like such a great idea. It's a bit of a shame that the album is so dire, since Sarcevic's got a bit of knack for a melody and I kind of like his voice. - Stefan Nilsson
I've long regarded Meleeh as a decent band, still their new album "To live and die alone" took some time to grow on me. I think it's because it confounded expectations; I thought I'd hear more post-Refused style Swedish hardcore, but what I got was something far looser, darker, rawer and way more in line with 90s screamo, in the best possible way. I should've been tipped off by the song title -- "What I carry with every heartbeat" screams HeartattaCk, bikes, patches, vegan potlucks -- yet, it wasn't until this past weekend that I had my a-ha! moment. Aside from the vocals, which are still the weakest link, the music isn't too far off from Modern Life is War, albeit more burly and driven. Add a few extra bursts of Melody and some subtle syncopation and we've got a band doing their best to push their sound forward. And it gets better and better with every listen too.
"Follow the herd" is the 2nd single from Boy Omega's album "The ghost that broke in half", his fifth album overall and one that took a full two years to come to fruition. For all the pieces that were assembled to make that work possible, there were many left behind, hence this EP. Some have appeared in other locations in past and some never before, but now they all come together for you in this 6-song EP. A pair of instrumentals, a pair of covers, a Christmas carol that remains evocative even when the season has passed, and the title track, an orchestral pop tune with dizzying twists and an aching Melody.
Tell me about "Follow the herd" -- what's the song about?
It touches upon a few different subjects, but mainly it's about being true to yourself. It's also about the too-early and unexpected death of my uncle.
The track almost feels schizophrenic with the way it splits between the fuzz/Arp-heavy part and the quieter bits with the horns (and strings?)... what's the thought process behind that? How did you end up at that arrangement?
When I'm working on a song in the studio, I basically just try different things until I feel happy with the result. I like surprises and I like when unexpected things happen, so that might have been what I was aiming for.
So how much of that was done at home and how much necessitated the involvement of other musicians/studios? Did you have it all mapped out in your head before you decide it to the next level?
Most of it was done at home. On the songs "Follow the herd" and "Dinosaur drugs", me and Calle Fredrikson (from Alarma Man) ended up finishing the songs in his home studio. We rearranged and rerecorded some parts. Calle also recorded the live drums on "Follow the herd" with Alarma Man drummer Andreas Litfeldt at the La Blaza studio in Göteborg. I usually have a pretty good idea of how I want the song to end up, but as I said before, I like surprises, so it's also nice when you end up with something you didn't expect to end up with.
And how do you know when it's done?
I guess you never know.
What's next for you then? Tour and then fatherhood and then what? Do you have any goals or expectations?
Yes, a tour in a couple of weeks from now. I'm really looking forward to that. I'm also really looking forward to being a dad. I think it will be amazing.
When it comes to music, I've already started recording songs for the next Boy Omega album. I've chosen about 50 songs to work with, and I guess 10-15 will end up on the album. I'll be recording in both my home studio and in the Kepner Treg studio with my good friend (and part-time Boy Omega live member) Per-Ola Eriksson. We'll see when we can finish that one. I'm in no real hurry at the moment, and I think "The ghost that broke in half" deserves some more time in the spotlight before I give birth to yet another album. There are also plans to release three more singles from the ghost album ("Black metal fairies", "Roll the dice" and "No light in the lantern"). All of which will have exclusive b-sides.
What else... I'll be doing a UK radio session in April with exclusive recordings. I'm also working on a new instrumental solo project (www.myspace.com/mountgolden) and a brand new project with my best friend Martin Bergström. Me and Martin B will also try to finish and release our second album as Kubot.
When it comes to touring, I just got an offer to do some Boy Omega shows in France next year, so I might say yes to that.
Last, but not least, I plan to spend as much time as possible with my girlfriend and the baby, make some more music videos, take long walks with the dog and bake lots of bread.
Download the full 6-song EP here. You can also go here to download previous single "Dinosaur drugs" along with the exclusive b-side "Our secret".
Got the new Regulations LP "To be me" in the mail yesterday and it's pretty sweet, just like I expected. The bonus "Live radio EP" 7" that I picked up along with it is pretty damn good too, perhaps even a bit moreso than I anticipated. Regulations continue to deliver solid, tightly wound punk rock as always and once again they pull off the magic trick of sounding timeless. Classic sounds made fresh; it's a rare feat, especially when talking about a blueprint that was more or less codified and set in stone back in 80s. Whatever, here we are decades later and these dudes are nailing it. Witness "Baghdad beach party" with its ringing two-note Melody and sardonic lyrics -- that's all you need.
Electronic music site Resident Advisor has posted their top 100 albums of the 00s and the various Scandinavian entries on the list include Røyksopp - Melody A.M. (#83), Vladislav Delay - Multila (#70), Studio - West coast (#67), Björk - Vespertine (#54), The Field - From here we go sublime (#29), Trentemøller - The last resort (#28), Fever Ray - s/t (#24), Luomo - Vocalcity (#13) and The Knife - Silent shout (#9). Read more: http://www.residentadvisor.net/feature.aspx?1144
Various Artists
Eskatol
Nikola Sarcevic
