"Shining" CD de Shining (SWE)

Coming in a Digipak.

The Swedish powerhouse SHINING will release their self-titled 11th studio album on September 15, 2023. Formed in 1996, the band is considered one of the most controversial and musically brilliant acts in the black metal scene. On their eleventh work, they present themselves even darker and more brutal than ever before. According to their own statement, Shining will be 'a downward journey in stereo, painting the world in an entrancing and inescapable darkness.'

Although their main musical influences lie in black metal, the band led by mastermind Niklas Kvarforth cannot be confined to a single genre. SHINING combine influences from various styles such as classical, jazz, and progressive rock in an unparalleled way to represent a dark atmosphere, agonizing wounds, and profound emptiness through sound. Themes of self-destruction, suicide, and violence play an important role in the band's music. Over the course of ten studio albums, including masterpieces like the legendary V. Halmstad and Redefining Darkness, SHINING have built a large fan base who have been captivated by the musical genius and eccentricity of Niklas Kvarforth.

With the dark album opener 'Avsändare Okänd,' SHINING present one of the most brutal songs in the band's history. 'Snart Är Dem Alla Borta' starts with a haunting, gentle intro before the unrestrained aggression breaks through on this track as well. The first single and homage to death, 'Allt För Döden,' is a haunting nightmare of Shining's pitch-black terror, unleashing the band's characteristic sound that has been perfected over the last three decades and has become their trademark. The fourth track, 'Fidelis Ad Mortem,' shows influences from progressive rock, while the instrumental piano piece 'Åttahundratjugo' creates a soothing atmosphere before the closing track, 'Den Permanenta Sömnen Kallar,' shakes the listeners to the core with raw black metal.

Shining is a haunting and captivating album that once again demonstrates Kvarforth's musical skill and offers the distinctive, unique SHINING sound that creatively combines black metal with other influences. A merciless masterpiece that will exceed all expectations!