 Formed in the city of Norrköping in 2009, Skraeckoedlan – a reference to ‘Godzilla’ in Swedish – are one of the most ambitious, original and multidimensional bands to emerge from Scandinavia in recent years. Like Galactus-in-reverse, their talent for constructing new worlds from the building blocks of heavy psychedelia and progressive rock is simply awe inspiring, and this February will see the release of their most accomplished vision yet… Eorþe (Translated; ‘Earth’). In collaboration with sci-fi author Nils Håkansson who wrote the story behind the album specifically for Skraeckoedlan, Eorþe is set in the 1920s amid a mystery heavy with Lovecraftian influence and philosophical nuances. As the band explains, “This is by far our most ambitious work of art yet. It’s been a real challenge to do someone else’s story justice whilst making the songs cohesive as well as standing strong on their own. It took a lot of effort, but we’ve done just that.” Having loyally served as heralds to Nordic folklore and science fiction since their inception, following the release of their early EPs in 2010 the band gained the kind of attention that could only lead on to the creation of a much-admired debut album in Äppelträdet (2011, translated; ‘The Apple Tree’) produced by Oskar Cedermalm from the legendary fuzz band Truckfighters. Live shows with the likes of Orange Goblin, Kylesa, Greenleaf and other giants of the genre followed in the wake of Äppelträdet’s success and in 2015, with production underway on their follow-up album Sagor (Translated; ‘Tales’) Skraeckoedlan worked with a number of acclaimed producers including Niklas Berglöf (Ghost, Den Svenska Björnstammen) and Daniel Bergstrand (Meshuggah, In Flames, El Caco). It wasn’t however until they met producer and technician Erik Berglund that they really found what was missing. Lifting the band to entirely new levels of musicianship, under his tutelage the creative process for Sagor not only left the band with an album they were immensely proud of, but one that sat deservedly at number two in the national Swedish vinyl sales chart in August, 2015. Heading into 2019 with the help of Fuzzorama Records, Skraeckoedlan steer a course to Eorþe, their first album in over three years and undoubtedly their most progressive. With the big metal riffs of new single ‘Kung Mammut’ riding shotgun alongside the more introspective and explorative moments of songs like ‘Mammutkungens Barn’ and ‘Angra Mainyu’, the trio have cut a definitive and spellbinding record of light and dark. In addition to the CD and standard vinyl editions, Eorþe will also come in a limited-edition box set which sees the album split across two gatefold vinyl records; Earth: Above and Earth: Below. The set will come packed with pieces of merchandise that revolve around the story and feature alternative artwork. Eorþe by Skraeckoedlan is released this Friday 15th February 2019 on Fuzzorama Records. Stream and share the brand-new single 'Tentakler Betar' via Doomed & Stoned HERE. Pre-order Eorþe HERE.
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 Icelandic post-punk trio KÆLAN MIKLA have debuted the video for their track Draumadís via CVLT Nation, and this week kicked off a month of European shows. Draumadís is taken from their 2018 album, Nótt eftir nótt which was released via Artoffact Records (order here) Last night the critically acclaimed three-piece kicked off a European tour in Berlin which will run through until March 1. Support on all dates comes from Some Ember. Full dates are below.
Nótt eftir nótt is KÆLAN MIKLA at their most confident - and their most deadly. It’s been five years since Margrét Rósa, Laufey Soffia, and Sólveig Matthildur formed the band in Reykjavík, and after several successful tours and having dominated high-profiles stages, as well as releasing two critically-acclaimed albums, KÆLAN MIKLA has truly brought their A-game. Starting off quietly with a creepy, gothed-out and ethereal intro, Nótt eftir nótt erupts with post-punk brilliance and synthlines that harken back to the bad old days of the Batcave, big hair, and Egyptian-inspired eye-liner. Tracks like Hvernig kemst ég upp? fuse melody with melancholy, while the band goes for the big goth dance number on Skuggadans, succeeding with glorious ease. Near the end of Nótt eftir nótt, when you’ve already ingested a healthy dose of Diamanda Galas meets The Birthday Party, the title track, produced by popular Icelandic electronic wizard Bang Gang, is a perfect distillation of KÆLAN MIKLA in 2018. Although their lyrics are written and performed in their native Icelandic, they add a vivid and clear layer to the message of Nótt eftir nótt. Listeners are beckoned into a world of nightmares crossed with fairy tales, moonlit landscapes, and hypnotic shadows. KÆLAN MIKLA are set to take their place amongst the darkest aural poets on the world stage. "After triumphant sets at Roadburn 2018 and at the Robert Smith–curated Meltdown festival, Kælen Mikla are ready to offer up their debut full-length of searing post-punk/darkwave to the world... The Icelandic trio manages to conjure shadowy influences ranging from Clan of Xymox to the Cure to Tubeway Army on their forthcoming Nótt eftir nótt LP. It's a must for fans of dark music." – Revolver "Iceland's Kælan Mikla... Raw punk but with a defining, dark, synth dancefloor vibe." – Scene Point Blank Nótt eftir nótt track list: 1. Gandreið 2. Nornalagið 3. Hvernig kemst ég upp? 4. Skuggadans 5. Draumadís 6. Næturblóm 7. Andvaka 8. Nótt eftir nótt 9. Dáið er allt án drauma KÆLAN MIKLA will be performing at the following dates: EU/UK tour 2019 (with Some Ember):
Toronto-based Artoffact Records released Nótt eftir nótt on CD, vinyl, and digital formats. Order here. MORE INFO: Bandcamp / Facebook ARTOFFACT: Bandcamp / Facebook |