SHINING “Shining” /2LP/

Embroidered bordered woven patch.

120x55mm 

First compilation album by Swedish Black Metal band.
From the very beginning of this album, the listener is plunged into a deep abyss of godforsaken darkness from the moment that the first track starts. The guitars are down-tuned and contribute to a general atmosphere of depression. There is a constant shift between slow guitar-riffs and much faster pieces. Vocals are nothing but genuine cries for help and also an intense mixture of hopelessness and raw pain. It is certainly not melodramatic, but rather very honest.
The album as a whole gets interrupted in the middle with a spoken piece in which the band lays out their philosophical ideology of self-destruction and suicide. This might sound like a call-for-attention to some, but once you listen to this you will realize that it is a very scary work of art drenched in a slow river of pain. What make it even scarier is the psychotic cries and the obsessive repeating of the words “do me a favor and kill yourself”. Every single part of this album is a climax, but this part is certainly the ultimate climax that might finally convince you to lose all hope.
The rest of the album is a cacophonous symphony in which various influences from Raw Black Metal, Doom Metal and Depressive Black Metal can be heard. Instead of playing shrieking guitar-solo’s that sound like the more traditional stuff, the band plays a mixture between slow guitar-solos and slow guitar-picking. This might be boring to those who wish to focus more on the technical aspects, but it actually fits in very well with the aesthetic atmosphere in which Shining cloaks their music. They have a very unique way in which they take the macabre elements of self-destruction and suicide and bastardize it with elements of beauty.
Overall, this album is a suicidal masterpiece that blows every bit of entertainment-value into pieces. In some sense, it is a challenging work of art that is very powerfully formulated!
Tracks 1-2 are from "Submit To Selfdestruction" 7" EP.
Track 3 is an unreleased song from "Livets Ändhållplats" session.
Track 4 is a demo version of the song from "III - Angst - Självdestruktivitetens Emissarie". It's a reworking of "Halloween Main Theme" by John Carpenter.
Track 5 is a reworking of Chopin's "Marche Funèbre" and it's taken from the split EP with Dolorian.
Track 6 is previously unreleased. Another version of this track later appeared on "IV - The Eerie Cold".
Unexploded Records, 2004 (UER002). Made in Sweden. Pressed in Austria. First press.


Tracklist:
1. Endless Solitude 6:32 
2. Submit To Self-Destruction 7:01 
3. Manipulation Session 5:22 
4. Black Industrial Misery 8:59 
5. Through Corridors Of Oppression 4:07 
6. The Claws Of Perdition 6:30
Total playing time: 38:31


Samples: http://www.last.fm

Third re-release of the debut full-length studio album by cult Swedish Depressive Black Metal band.
A fantastic album, that creates depressing, morbid atmospheres, for one to familiarize themselves with the absolute chaos that is Shining with.
This is a solid release and a good entry point for those unaware of the Black Metal scene as well.
Osmose Productions, 2000/2013 (OPCD168). Made in France. Pressed in Czech.


Tracklist:
1. Reflecting In Solitude 8:43 
2. Stonelands 8:56 
3. Vita Detestabilis 7:35 
4. Ren Djaval Angest 6:46 
5. Inisis 8:10 
6. And Only Silence Remains 10:52 
Total playing time: 51:02 min.

The eleventh full-length studio album by cult Swedish Black Metal band.
Depressive and suicidal – these attributes are highly connected with the sinister Black Metal tunes by Shining. The band went through various incarnations, but mastermind Niklas Kvarforth always pulled the strings as a main composer and lyricist.
Formed in 1996 and known as one of the most controversial and musically brilliant bands in the Black Metal scene and beyond, Shining presents their eleventh offering that proves even darker and more brutal than ever before. These tunes are like a downward spiral into the abyss. According to the band themselves, "Shining" will be a downward journey in stereo that will drown the world in a mesmerizing, inescapable darkness.
The unit, centred around mastermind Niklas Kvarforth, roots their main musical influences in black metal, but does not fit into a single genre alone. Shining incomparably combines influences from various far-reaching genres such as classical music, Jazz and Progressive Rock, conjuring grim moods, aching wounds and deep emptiness. Themes such as self-destruction, suicide, and violence play an important role in the band’s music. Over the course of ten studio albums, including masterpieces such as the acclaimed "V. Halmstad and Redefining Darkness", Shining has garnered a large and loyal following who adore the musical genius and eccentric nature of Niklas Kvarforth.                                     
"Shining" is a hauntingly captivating and skilful album that features a unique Metal sound in true Shining manner, serving the very best of Black Metal creatively, combined with several other influences. The band has sparked a fiery interest with all their previous offerings, and it is certain that their ruthless upcoming album will exceed all expectations!
The CD comes with a surprise – an original photo of Niklas Kvarforth, signed directly by himself, exclusively for Total Metal Shop customers!
The Sinister Initiative/Napalm Records Handels GmbH, 2023 (KINSKI 008 | NPR1189DP). Made in Austria. Pressed in Germany. First press.


Tracklist:
1. Avsändare okänd 08:27
2. Snart är dom alla borta 09:50
3. Allt för döden 11:17
4. Fidelis ad Mortem 06:36
5. Åttahundratjugo (Erik Satie cover) 03:21
6. Den permanenta sömnen kallar 10:34
Total playing time: 50:05 min.


Samples: https://shininghatesyou.bandcamp.com

The eleventh full-length studio album by cult Swedish Black Metal band.
Depressive and suicidal – these attributes are highly connected with the sinister Black Metal tunes by Shining. The band went through various incarnations, but mastermind Niklas Kvarforth always pulled the strings as a main composer and lyricist.
Formed in 1996 and known as one of the most controversial and musically brilliant bands in the Black Metal scene and beyond, Shining presents their eleventh offering that proves even darker and more brutal than ever before. These tunes are like a downward spiral into the abyss. According to the band themselves, "Shining" will be a downward journey in stereo that will drown the world in a mesmerizing, inescapable darkness.
The unit, centred around mastermind Niklas Kvarforth, roots their main musical influences in black metal, but does not fit into a single genre alone. Shining incomparably combines influences from various far-reaching genres such as classical music, Jazz and Progressive Rock, conjuring grim moods, aching wounds and deep emptiness. Themes such as self-destruction, suicide, and violence play an important role in the band’s music. Over the course of ten studio albums, including masterpieces such as the acclaimed "V. Halmstad and Redefining Darkness", Shining has garnered a large and loyal following who adore the musical genius and eccentric nature of Niklas Kvarforth.                                     
"Shining" is a hauntingly captivating and skilful album that features a unique Metal sound in true Shining manner, serving the very best of Black Metal creatively, combined with several other influences. The band has sparked a fiery interest with all their previous offerings, and it is certain that their ruthless upcoming album will exceed all expectations!
Limited Edition double Red Vinyl in gatefold cover includes extra poster, card with album art and picture of Niklas Kvarforth originally signed personally by himself!
The Sinister Initiative/Napalm Records Handels GmbH, 2023 (KINSKI 008 | NPR1189VINYL). Made in Austria. First press.


Tracklist:

Side A
1. Avsändare okänd 08:27
2. Snart är dom alla borta 09:50
Side B
3. Allt för döden 11:17
Running time: 29:34 min.

Side C
1. Fidelis ad Mortem 06:36
2. Åttahundratjugo (Erik Satie cover) 03:21
Side D
3. Den permanenta sömnen kallar 10:34
 Running time: 20:31 min.

Total playing time: 50:05 min.



Samples: https://shininghatesyou.bandcamp.com

Expanded Edition re-release of the second EP by cult Swedish Depressive Black Metal band.
Originally, "Lots of Girls Gonna Get Hurt" was a short cover songs EP and break filler before the release of the emotionally stunning and musically diversified main release, "Redefining Darkness". The short release presented Shining in a new light, as the controversial Swedish band chose to cover more or less popular tracks from bands that rather belong to the Alternative or Folk Rock genre than to the Metal scene. Instead of adapting the four tracks to the harsher and progressive sounds of the band, Shining decided to perform four songs that are quite close and almost similar to the original songs. The instruments are more laid back, while the vocals are clean and very melodic. This proves that the band has multiple influences and has no boundaries for their inspirations, which is a quite positive sign. The enchanting clean vocals prove that Niklas Kvarforth is one of the most variable Extreme Metal performers around, and he does a very decent job on here.
The 2023 re-edition remake this EP to full-length album, doubling the quantity of the tracks! Even more, nine cover songs instead of four!! Enjoy!!!
Remastered by Andy La Rocque in December 2022, re-edition includes five extra tracks and new cover art by Tuomas Tahvanainen and Nucleart Design. Track 5 is not listed anywhere on the release.
The CD comes with a surprise – an original photo of Niklas Kvarforth, signed directly by himself, exclusively for Total Metal Shop customers!
The Sinister Initiative, 2012/2023 (KINSKI 005). Made in Finland.


Tracklist:
1. For My Demons (Katatonia cover) 06:03
2. Utan Dina Andetag (Kent cover) 04:30
3. Kung Av Jidder (Imperiet cover) 04:53
4. Carnival of Rust (Poets Of The Fall cover) 04:41
Bonus Tracks:
5. Pale Colours (Bay Laurel cover)  03:53
6. In the Cold Light of Morning (Placebo cover)  03:42
7. No Rest for the Wicked (The Coffinshakers cover) 03:36
8. Cry Little Sister (Gerhard McMahon cover) 04:04
9. Ohne Dich (Rammstein cover) 05:22
Total playing time: 40:44 min.



Samples: https://shininghatesyou.bandcamp.com

The first re-release of the seventh full-length studio album by cult Swedish Depressive Black Metal band.
This album is done with the classic Shining recipe, although it gets slightly experimental. With a troubled past and some incredibly disturbing subject under their belts, Swedish 'Suicidal Black Metal' act Shining created a few of the best Dark Metal albums of all time. Although their sound may be given the half-baked comparison to Opeth or Enslaved, in the sense that they meld Extreme Metal with clean dynamics and moderate hints at vintage Progressive Rock. What makes Shining such a different act than the other two aforementioned acts is the sheer darkness that Shining takes their music (and listeners) into. Even the most melancholic Metal acts usually give some small glimmer of hope amidst the despair, but in the eyes, the only true escape of suicide. Kindly enough, Shining has composed another soundtrack to suicide for anyone that may opt to check out early, creating a Black Metal soundscape that is sometimes beautiful, often aggressive, but constant in its dark atmosphere. And Shining's seventh studio effort is a fitting addition to the band's saga.
Much like Opeth, Shining's sense of songwriting is geared greatly around the dynamic between anguish-ridden extreme metal, and introspective acoustic segments. For the majority of "VII: Född Förlorare" though, the listener will be exposed to Kvarforth's abrasive growls and mid-tempo, almost Bluesy guitar riffs. Shining's magic with guitars is found tough in the added textures over the rhythms, as well as the guitar solos. As for the texturing, Shining makes their roots in Depressive Black Metal very clear, managing to sneak some beautiful harmonies and resolutions into the mix that, in most of the sections they are present, are incredibly beautiful. The guitar solos, on the other hand, tend not to tug on the heartstrings nearly as much, but they are executed brilliantly, with plenty of bluesy grit flooding through.
While there are a couple of guest vocalists here, Kvarforth is the main vocalist. Both, his clean singing and growls, give off a feeling, and neither is a sound that is often heard in much Black Metal.
"Tillsammans Är Vi Allt" includes Håkan Hemlin of Nordman on clean vocals, while Erik Danielsson of Watain appears on "Tiden Läker Inga Sår". "I Nattens Timma" is a cover version of a song written by the Swedish Progressive Rock gband Landberk, released on their 1992 album "Riktigt Äkta". The track "FFF" is dedicated to Kvarforth's mother, Susanne, who died from a heart attack at the beginning of 2010.
Remastered by Andy La Rocque and with refined visuals by Nucleart Design.
The CD comes with a surprise – an original photo of Niklas Kvarforth, signed directly by himself, exclusively for Total Metal Shop customers!
The Sinister Initiative, 2011/2023 (KINSKI 004). Made in Finland.


Tracklist:
1. Förtvivlan, Min Arvedel 6:29
2. Tiden Läker Inga Sår 8:10
3. Människa o'Avskyvärda Människa 6:42
4. Tillsammans Är Vi Allt 9:23
5. I Nattens Timma 4:05
6. FFF 7:01
Total playing time: 41:47 min.



Samples: https://shininghatesyou.bandcamp.com