We’re celebrating the new year by letting you all know that the legendary Iggy & The Stooges are coming to the Øya Festival this summer. Wednesday August 11 they’ll be on stage in the Medieval Park. Iggy is now reunited with James Williamson, who played guitar on one of our favorite albums, Raw Power. In addition to these renowned gentlemen, we now also have in place Obliteration, one of Norway’s most promising metal acts. In addition we have Invasion from the UK, who deliver one of the coolest genre mixes we’ve heard in a long time, and who have a front woman who just might become the Beth Ditto (Gossip) or Lisa Kekaula (BellRays) of heavy metal. In other words, we’re serving up a wicked rock package that points both forward and backward in rock history.

Day passes for the Øya Festival 2010 will be made available on Thursday January 14 from 09.00 in the morning at Ticketmaster.no

There will be more hot artist releases, both Norwegian and international, in the weeks to come. Stay tuned!

IGGY & THE STOOGES (US)
A few years ago, Iggy Pop and The Stooges reunited, and all lovers of rock rejoiced. Their live performances primarily revolved around the first two albums, The Stooges (1969) and Funhouse (1970), and so many missed the highlights from the classic Raw Power (1973) during the band’s first visit to Norway. When guitarist Ron Asheton died one year ago, many were grief-stricken. The guitarist on Raw Power, James Williamson, will now take up the torch. From April this year, the line-up will consist of Iggy Pop (vocals), James Williamson (guitar), Scott Asheton (drums), Steve MacKay (the saxophone player on Funhouse) and Mike Watt from Firehose/Minutemen (bass). Together they will show us all how genuine, raw and primitive rock should be played. In August they’ll be on stage in the Medieval Park during Øya.

The Stooges were formed in Ann Arbour, Michigan, in 1967. Their first two albums contained reckless and intense rock, with an aggression that shocked the flower power generation of the day. The band and their music constituted a starting point for the genres we know today as punk, metal, indie and pedal-to-the-metal rock’n’roll. After a short break in the early 70s, they got to know David Bowie, and were also joined by guitarist James Williamson. The result was the final and, according to many, best of their three original studio albums. Raw Power was mixed by Bowie, and it was their first under the name Iggy & The Stooges. It didn’t sell very well at the time of its release, but today it is recognized as one of the greatest albums in rock history by critics, fans and not least the thousands of musicians who have drawn inspiration from it.

On Wednesday August 11, Iggy & The Stooges will be visiting Oslo for the first time ever. At this point, taking a guess at which songs they will perform would be just that – guesswork. Still, right at the top of our wish list are “Search & Destroy”, “Shake Appeal” and “Gimme Danger”, together with “I Wanna Be Your Dog”, “1969”, “No Fun”, “TV Eye”, “I Got a Right” and “I’m Sick of You”.

MYSPACE

OBLITERATION (NO)
Obliteration were formed a few years back by four young lads from Kolbotn, Norway. In 2010, the expectations surrounding this metal act are great. We noted that there was a lot of chatter and buzz three years ago when their debut album, Perpetual Decay, was released on Tyrant Syndicate, which is also home to the notorious black metal act Darkthrone. Obliteration recently released the album Nekropsalms on the ever-exciting label Fysisk Format. The album sounds gloriously raw and primitive, and the band shows just the right amount of respect for the history of extreme metal. In other words, the ear drums are subjected to a rather intense and brutal treatment – in a good way, of course. There are also a few hints of punk and doom on the album. The lads draw their inspiration from the great names of death metal, but also from acts from other metal genres, such as Napalm Death, Slayer and Voivod, as well as Norwegian metal acts like Cadaver, Aura Noir and Darkthrone. If there is a band ready to pick up the torch after the latter, we believe it is Obliteration. Several international metal mags and webzines have already noticed these four Norwegian boys, so the international metal underground should prepare for a Norse invasion.

Obliteration have already toured in Great Britain, and in May they are going to the US. You see, the band has been invited to perform at Maryland Deathfest, which is one of the most important American metal festivals and has an international dream compilation of extreme bands on the bill. Here, Obliteration will demonstrate what filthy Norwegian aggression sounds like in 2010. In august they will perform at the Øya Festival for the first time.

MYSPACE

INVASION (UK)
Mixing genres can be fun, and Invasion from Britain are behind some of the most spirited stuff we’ve heard in a good while. Metal, soul and acid rock rendezvous in a rough-sounding flirtation, and the result is an explosive-sounding bastard genre. The music ends up sounding not quite like neither metal nor soul when mixed together in this manner. The trio makes raw, sweaty and efficient rock that is groovier than most other new British acts can ever dream of becoming. After a few EPs and vinyl singles they released their debut album, The Master Alchemist, in the fall of 2009. It was recorded during only five days at Toe Rag and contains twelve songs, with a total running time of a little under 21 minutes. You’ll be playing this record many times over before you grow tired of it. Live, Invasion mix their heavy and swaying music with the appropriate mystique. Drummer Zel and guitarist Marek make a solid effort, but what really separates this act from other similar bands is lead singer Chan and her powerful voice. She is quite simply the Beth Ditto (Gossip), or Lisa Kekaula (BellRays), of heavy rock.

NME, who usually do not wish to be affiliated with anything resembling metal and the likes of it, stated that “Invasion are pretty much the most exciting thing happening in UK metal right now.” It wouldn’t surprise us if it actually is possible for the hipsters to dance to Invasion if they try.

In conclusion, we have two recommendations for you:
1. Buy The Master Alchemist.
2. Be there for the Invasion gig at Øya.

MYSPACE