Shining – Shining (Self-Titled)
Shining – Shining (Self-Titled)
Nuclear Blast
Release Date: 15/09/23
Running Time: 46:47
Review by Oli Gonzalez
9/10
“This is everything I look for in a band!”. My initial thoughts as my ears were smashed by the visceral guitar leads pouring out of ‘Snart Är Dom Alla Borta’, perhaps the crown jewel on this absolute pearl of an album! The self-titled release for Shining is the band’s first record on the heavyweight label Nuclear Blast, and as we know, they certainly do not sign duds.
The band’s origins can be traced back to the mid-nineties, starting as somewhat of a passion project for a then teenage Niklas Kvarforth. Since then, the band have carved a reputation for being one of the more experimental and unique bands on the black metal circuit. A band not content with being boxed into one genre, and have played by their own rules. Their lyrical themes centre on some of the darker topics, such as depression, suicide, and nihilism. After all, it is black metal; they’re not going to sing about sunshine and rainbows. Shining could not be any further from sunshine and rainbows. Instead, this is a visceral journey into the deepest confines of the human mind and the darkest of human emotion… and I’d like to be your guide!
Although I sadly don’t speak Niklas’s native tongue, his tortured screams and howls are dripping with raw human emotion, capable of transcending any language barrier! He can also change tone and provide a deeper, more gothic-like tone, or the kind of raspy grit you’d hear in a folk song. His versatility is astounding. Looking at the band’s back catalogue, I have seen some songs sung in English, and it was much easier to connect to the lyrical content there. Maybe he can express himself much better in his mother tongue?
Languages aside, the band certainly do the talking with their instruments, with a vast array of textures and dynamics.
The album’s only instrumental track ‘Åttahundratjugo’ honestly sounds like something carved from a horror movie soundtrack. Every dissonant note from the piano is composed to send you into a state of tension, unease, and constant anxiousness! There’s absolutely nothing pretty about this… and that’s why I love it! ‘Fidelis Ad Mortem’ features a more soothing and calming ambient quality earlier in the track. At this stage of the album, it’s a pleasant respite from the absolute balls-to-the-wall intensity from the other tracks. The all-out black metal assault in the mid-stages of ‘Avsändare Okänd’ is just… Well, I wasn’t ready for that kind of ferocity. Not that I’m complaining. It just demonstrates how Shining can do intensity and do it very well! I alluded to the guitar work in my opening sentence. Seriously, check out pretty much any song and I can guarantee you’ll admire any one of the soaring guitar leads piercing through the mix. Overall, there’s a special blackened-doom metal underpinning the whole of the album, creating that atmospheric vibe that’s going to make me keep a very close eye on the band’s socials, because I must see the band live at the earliest opportunity. While blackened-doom metal songs sung in Swedish and hovering mostly around the 10-minute mark aren’t going to gain the band mainstream popularity, Shining certainly have won me over! If you’re looking for something new that smashes and defies song writing conventions whilst offering a unique insight into the darker aspects of human experience, look no further than Shining.
TRACKLISTING:
01. Avsändare Okänd
02. Snart Är Dom Alla Borta
03. Allt För Döden
04. Fidelis Ad Mortem (feat. Andy La Rocque)
05. Åttahundratjugo
07. Den Permanenta Sömnen Kallar
LINE-UP:
Niklas Kvarforth – Vocals, Guitars, Keyboards
Peter Huss – Guitar
A. Impaler – Bass
Nicholas Barker – Drums
Charles Hedger – Guitar
LINKS:
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