Kalmah "Swamplord"

Kalmah is a melodic death metal band from Oulu, Finland that formed in 1998. In less than a year after its formation, Kalmah was signed by Spinefarm Records. The word "kalmah" is Karelian and could be translated as "to the grave" or "to the death."

Swamplord is the first studio album by the Finnish melodic death metal band, Kalmah.

Pasi Hiltula is credited as a session musician in the liner notes, but is considered a full-time member of the band.

Recording information:

Recorded and mixed in September, 2000 at Tico-Tico Studios in Kemi, Finland.

Mastered at Finnvox by Mika Jussila.

Blue Öyster Cult "Agents of Fortune"

Agents of Fortune is the fourth studio album by American hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult, originally released in a gatefold sleeve LP in 1976 through Columbia Records.

The Platinum-selling album peaked at #29 on the United States Billboard chart, while the cryptic single "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" peaked at #7 in Cash Box magazine and at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, making it Blue Öyster Cult's biggest hit.

The band also became a larger concert attraction at this time—largely based on not only their stageshow, but aided by the airplay of "(Don't Fear) The Reaper", which to this day is a staple of FM rock station playlists. Concert venues became larger, the show became more intricate and BÖC was reaching its commercial peak on the tour circuit.

Track listing
Side one

1. "This Ain't the Summer of Love" Albert Bouchard, Murray Krugman, Don Waller Eric Bloom 2:21
2. "True Confessions" Allen Lanier Lanier 2:57
3. "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" Donald Roeser Roeser 5:08
4. "E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence)" Roeser, Sandy Pearlman Bloom 3:43
5. "The Revenge of Vera Gemini" A. Bouchard, Patti Smith A. Bouchard 3:52

Side two

1. "Sinful Love" A. Bouchard, Helen Wheels A. Bouchard 3:29
2. "Tattoo Vampire" A. Bouchard, Wheels Bloom 2:41
3. "Morning Final" Joe Bouchard J. Bouchard 4:30
4. "Tenderloin" Lanier Bloom 3:40
5. "Debbie Denise" A. Bouchard, Smith A. Bouchard 4:13

King Diamond "Give Me Your Soul...Please"

Give Me Your Soul...Please is a concept album by King Diamond released on June 26, 2007. The album's concept and cover art are both based on a painting titled "My Mother's Eyes." The black cat featured in the album is based on King's own cat, Magic.

In the July/August issue of UK metal magazine Zero Tolerance, King elaborated on the themes of the album, being a story of two dead children, murdered by their father, relating their tale to him. He stated that cases of parents killing their children and then themselves were a large influence, citing such an incident which occurred in Dallas four days before the interview took place. Coincidentally, the music video for: Give Me Your Soul was also released the day after the highly publicized Chris Benoit double murder and suicide.

At the beginning, a sister and brother are waiting in the afterlife. The brother is to go to Hell, so the sister decides to find another soul for him so that he can follow her to Heaven ("The Dead"). She takes off to a house in Neverending Hill, where King Diamond lives with his black cat, Magic ("Never Ending Hill"). The girl tries to contact him for help but she only manages to haunt him ("Is Anybody Here?", "Black Of Night"). As the darkness grows, objects are moving on their own, lights flicker ("Shapes Of Black") and the temperature drops to freezing levels ("Cold As Ice"), and haunted by the body-less ghost with only a head ("The Floating Head"). King uses black magic to contact the girl ("The Cellar", "Pictures In Red"). She reveals that her father chopped up her brother with an axe, splashing her with his blood, then choked her to death before shooting himself in the head. The "Thirteen Judges" mistakenly think that the brother committed suicide, so she needs to find a soul free of sin for him ("Give Me Your Soul"). She wants Diamond's soul but, since she finds him full of sin when she gazes at him, he pleads with her to leave and find another soul before sunrise ("The Girl In The Bloody Dress"). The girl decides to come to 'THIS house' (implying a visit at the listener's home) ("Moving On").

The track "Never Ending Hill", was nominated for a 2008 Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance but lost to Slayer's "Final Six." The album peaked at #174 on the Billboard 200. Also the album charted in the Finnish Charts (peaked at #25) and in the Swedish Charts (peaked at #28).

A music video was filmed for "Give Me Your Soul". Depicting King and his bandmates as ghosts, it tells the story of the girl and her brother being killed by the father. It premiered on MTV's Headbanger's Ball on Wednesday February 27, 2008.

Track listing

All songs written by King Diamond, except where noted.

1. "The Dead" 1:56
2. "Never Ending Hill" Diamond, Andy LaRocque 4:36
3. "Is Anybody Here?" 4:12
4. "Black of Night" Diamond, LaRocque 4:00
5. "Mirror, Mirror" 4:59
6. "The Cellar" Diamond, LaRocque 4:30
7. "Pictures in Red" Diamond, LaRocque 1:27
8. "Give Me Your Soul" Diamond, LaRocque 5:28
9. "The Floating Head" Diamond, LaRocque 4:46
10. "Cold as Ice" 4:29
11. "Shapes of Black" 4:22
12. "The Girl in the Bloody Dress" 5:07
13. "Moving On" 4:06

Recording information:

Recorded at Los Angered Recording, Gothenburg – Sweden, Nomad Recording Studios, Dallas, TX. – USA, Solnasound Recording, Sweden.

Mixed at King's House.

Mike Wead's guitar parts recorded at Solnasound Recording, Sweden.

Mastered at Nomad Recording Studios.