Shining is not new to extreme metal fans. They have been trying to get lots of attention over the past year. I guess they felt some people just didn’t understand, so they changed the name of their web page from suicidesquadron to shiningangst, and if that wasn’t obvious enough, they sent out fake press release pretending that Kvarforth committed suicide in an effort to attract more teen loser fans… been done before. Then the resurrected Kvarforth fires all band members publicly instead of privately… just reinforcing what people that know him already think. A press release about the upcoming album claims “…although we will certainly loose 95% of old and present fans” That is supposed to get you to take notice of his cult status, so extreme that very few can possible understand…

V – Halmstad is well-crafted, at times beautiful, eloquent music that without the vocals would be readily accessible to a wide number of people. More acoustic and piano interludes, more quiet moments and more angst is what is on display. Get your razor blades ready. Kvarforth claims fans have been so overwhelmed that they have killed themselves. Once again suicidal black metal that does not push me to despair. This is supposed to be the most extreme, intense, over the edge wailing depression ever recorded. Kvarforth is not very successful as a motivational speaker. Speaking of vocals, his vocals range from harsh to pathetic whine/sing, which really sounds pathetic, not in an angst kind of way, just pathetic. The attempt at pain is comical. Maybe we are supposed to believe this is the mythical Ghoul, as replacement, though to me he sounds like Fozzy Bear. The lame female vocals do not help matters either.

It is the music that matters most, right, so what about it? “Låt oss ta allt från varandra” is nice somber music (the crying sound sample adds nothing), his vocals are much more focused here, a more convincing delivery. Nice fast guitar solos, a bit of anger to the vocals, and some distortion to the guitar really help, a fine song. “Attiosextusenfyrahundra” is Shining’s take on Ludwig van Beethoven’s Piano Sonata “Moonlight Sonata”, and is a simplified version of just the famous first movement. If I want to hear it for real I’ll just pop in my cd with Evgeny Kissin on piano and listen to all three movements and get the full intensity of expression. “Neka Morgondagen” features vocals that are not as bad, with some Tom Warrior grunts and some Tom Araya high notes, and some harsher music at about the six and a half minute mark. “Besvikelsens Dystra Monotoni” is closest in style to the previous releases. The intro is building to something, the drums kick in to help, then the voice, still building, waiting for a release of tension, then a sweeping guitar lead, melodious. Bring in some aggression via rhythm guitar, just as it is starting to get repetitive, break to somber guitar with some Fozzy moments, then nice keyboards and acoustic solos, drums kept subtle. By about the eight-minute mark we need a mood change and we get it with a more up tempo chugging guitar and drums to match, finally it drifts off in distortion at 10 minutes. Quite an achievement.

Years ago Shining was interesting but unknown, now they are mildly entertaining but certainly not captivating and everyone is singing their praises, caught up in some spell that I am immune to the effects of, apparently. It won’t last. If we are to believe the hype most of you are going to commit suicide anyway.

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