Panopticum

The sessions to the new Helge Lien Trio album were not supposed to be special. And yet, they could never be business as usual. After the departure of founding member Frode Berg, the group were ''at a crossroads,'' says Lien, and in need of a fresh start. They found it by leaving their comfort zone: For the first time in 15 years, they did not record at the Rainbow studio in Oslo. The change of location turned out to be productive. In the end, the musicians had two full records' worth of material - and none of it fit the glove of a conventional trio recording.

German death metallers DEAD EYED SLEEPER released their third album, "Observing Oblivion". According to a press release, the CD "contains eight tracks with a clear focus on emotional brutality, massive grooves and aggressive intensity."