| Blackjazz | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 18 January 2010 | |||
| Genre | Avant-garde metal, extreme metal, alternative metal, industrial metal, progressive metal, experimental rock | |||
| Length | 57:15 | |||
| Label | Indie Recordings | |||
| Producer | Jørgen Munkeby | |||
| Shining chronology | ||||
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Blackjazz is the fifth studio album by the Norwegian band Shining, released through Indie Recordings on 18 January 2010. It marks a shift into the avant-garde metal genre, with extreme metal, industrial and progressive influences.
As on Shining's two previous albums, the music draws elements from many different genres. The album's title, Blackjazz, is meant to describe the band's sound. [1]
The instrumentation is far simpler than on the two previous albums, with Jørgen Munkeby focusing on guitars and saxophone. This has made the album's sound closer to how they sound live, as songs from previous albums needed to be simplified for live performances. [2]
According to Munkeby, a big inspiration in the development of the Blackjazz genre, was his work with In Lingua Mortua in 2006/2007. To quote Munkeby: "Lars' refreshing blend of an impressive intellectual display and direct raw power has been a big inspiration for me. Lars is a true pioneer. He was the first person to invite me to play sax in a black metal setting, and in so doing, contributed strongly to SHINING's later development of the Blackjazz genre." [3]
Another big influence on Blackjazz is Shining's collaboration with Enslaved, [4] with whom they composed and performed a 90-minute ″Armageddon Concerto″, Nine Nights in Nothingness – Glimpses of Downfall, at Moldejazz 2008. In fact, the concerto's second movement is an early version of Blackjazz Deathtrance, the seventh movement is an early version of the song "Fisheye", and a studio version of the first movement, "RMGDN", is a bonus track on the vinyl edition of Blackjazz. The concerto was commissioned by Moldejazz after the programme committee saw a video of the two bands performing a cover of King Crimson's "21st Century Schizoid Man" on their 2007 tour. [5] A new version of the same song forms the final track on Blackjazz, featuring guest vocals by Enslaved's Grutle Kjellson.
The song "Fisheye" features the repeated mention of "1-3-7-5"; Munkeby explained that his inspiration for the song was kabbalah and gematria. [6]
Shining performed the world premiere of the song "Fisheye" live on Store Studio, a culture talk show on NRK, 10 October 2009. Their performance was later released on YouTube, and as a free mp3 download from NRK. [7]
An extended version of "Fisheye" and the single "The Madness and the Damage Done" were released on iTunes prior to Blackjazz release. The Singles were well-received, with "Fisheye" named Best song of 2009 by a critic in NRK's Lydverket, [8] and giving Shining a place on Time Out New York's list the Stars of 2010. [9]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | (83/100) [10] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [11] |
| PopMatters | (8/10) [12] |
| The New York Times | (favorable) [13] |
| Rock Sound | (7/10) [14] |
| The A.V. Club | (favorable) [15] |
| Pitchfork Media | (7.7/10) [16] |
The album was well received by critics. Notably, it was one of the few new releases ever to get a perfect five-star rating in its initial review by Allmusic, although its rating was later downgraded to four and a half stars.[ citation needed ]
All tracks written by Jørgen Munkeby except "21st Century Schizoid Man" written by Greg Lake, Ian McDonald, Michael Giles, Peter Sinfield and Robert Fripp.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Madness and the Damage Done" | 5:20 |
| 2. | "Fisheye" | 5:07 |
| 3. | "Exit Sun" | 8:35 |
| 4. | "Exit Sun" | 0:57 |
| 5. | "Healter Skelter" | 5:34 |
| 6. | "The Madness and the Damage Done" | 3:23 |
| 7. | "Blackjazz Deathtrance" | 10:50 |
| 8. | "Omen" | 8:45 |
| 9. | "21st Century Schizoid Man" (King Crimson cover) | 8:40 |
| Total length: | 57:15 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 10. | "Fisheye" (Extended Version) | 6:59 |
| 11. | "RMGDN" | 12:37 |
| Total length: | 01:16:51 | |
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Norwegian Albums Chart [17] | 9 |
| Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norway | 18 January 2010 | Indie Recordings | CD | INDIE 045 CD |
| double LP | INDIE 045 LP | |||
| Europe | 25 January 2010 | Indie Recordings | CD | |
| United States | 2 February 2010 | The End Records | CD |
Enslaved is a Norwegian extreme metal band formed by Ivar Bjørnson and Grutle Kjellson in Haugesund in 1991. They are currently based in Bergen. The band's lineup has changed many times over the years, and Bjørnson and Kjellson have been the sole constant members. The current lineup also includes lead guitarist Arve Isdal, keyboardist/singer Håkon Vinje, and drummer Iver Sandøy.
Vikingligr Veldi is the debut studio album by Norwegian extreme metal band Enslaved. It was released in 1994, through Deathlike Silence Productions, the record label run by Euronymous, who was murdered before the album's release. The album is dedicated to him.
Eld is the third studio album by Norwegian extreme metal band Enslaved. It was released on 17 March 1997, through Osmose Productions.
Blodhemn is the fourth studio album by Norwegian extreme metal band Enslaved. It was released on 28 October 1998, through Osmose Productions.
Monumension is the sixth studio album by Norwegian extreme metal band Enslaved. It was released on 19 November 2001, through Osmose Productions. It is Enslaved's first album to feature lyrics sung entirely in English, although some versions of the album include the Old Norse track "Sigmundskvadet" as a bonus.
Below the Lights is the seventh studio album by Norwegian extreme metal band Enslaved. It was released on 5 May 2003. Beyond it being their last full-length for production company Osmose, a few lineup changes would take place. This would be the last album Enslaved recorded with Dirge Rep on drums, and the first album featuring Arve Isdal as lead guitarist. They would also enlist a full-time keyboardist in Herbrand Larsen, bringing the band personnel from four to five.
Ruun is the ninth studio album by Norwegian extreme metal band Enslaved. It was released on 2 May 2006 in the US, 8 May 2006 in Norway and 22 May 2006 in Europe. It was given Norway's 2006 Spellemann award for best achievement in the "metal" genre.
Shining (stylized as SHINING) is a Norwegian experimental band from Oslo. Thirteen musicians have been a part of the band's lineup in its history, with singer, guitarist, saxophonist, and songwriter Jørgen Munkeby as its leading force and only constant member. The band is also called SHINING (NOR) to avoid confusion with the Swedish black metal band of the same name.
Where the Ragged People Go is the first album by the Norwegian band Shining. It was released in 2001 on BP Productions.
Kjetil Tvedte Grutle, better known as Grutle Kjellson, is a Norwegian musician, best known as the bassist and vocalist of the Norwegian extreme metal band Enslaved. Kjellson and guitarist Ivar Bjørnson are the founding and only constant members of the band, as well as the main songwriters. He has released sixteen studio albums with Enslaved and won five Norwegian Spellemann Awards with the band.
Apollyon is a black metal/thrash metal multi-instrumentalist, formerly associated with Dødheimsgard, Cadaver and Immortal, now playing in Aura Noir. He has done guest vocals on the Darkthrone albums Plaguewielder and Sardonic Wrath, and also on Audiopain's EP 1986 (2000). He was a live guitarist for Gorgoroth from 2003 to 2004, and performed at Gorgoroth's infamous Kraków show in February 2004 and later released on the video album Black Mass Krakow 2004.
Vertebrae is the tenth studio album by Norwegian extreme metal band Enslaved. It was released on 29 September 2008 by Indie Recordings in Europe and on 28 October 2008 by Nuclear Blast in the US, Enslaved's first album on both labels. It was named as Album of the Year by Terrorizer and was awarded the Norwegian "Spellemannprisen" for best metal album. The album sold approximately 1,100 copies in its first week in the United States, reaching number 49 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart.
In Lingua Mortua is a Norwegian band formed by Lars Fredrik Frøislie in 1999 at Hønefoss, Norway. The music can be described as a mixture of 1970s progressive rock and black metal, and vintage instruments like the Mellotron, Chamberlin, Minimoog, Clavinet and Hammond organ are used frequently, as well as saxophone, bass clarinet, steel guitar, Ludwig drums and Rickenbacker bass.
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Jørgen Munkeby is a Norwegian jazz and heavy metal musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer, known as the frontman in the band Shining and former member of Jaga Jazzist.
Even Helte Hermansen is a Norwegian guitarist, known from several orchestras playing experimental jazz.
One One One is the sixth studio album by the Norwegian band Shining, released through Universal on April 8, 2013, and Indie Recordings on June 7, 2013.
Live Blackjazz is a live album by the Norwegian band Shining, released through Universal/ Indie Recordings on November 11, 2011.
International Blackjazz Society is the seventh studio album by Norwegian avant-garde metal band Shining. It was released on October 23, 2015 through Spinefarm Records.
Utgard is the fifteenth studio album by Norwegian extreme metal band Enslaved, released 2 October 2020 by Nuclear Blast.
Det er klart at samarbeidet med Enslaved har inspirert oss, og det har også påvirket soundet på den nye skiva.
Det var etter at programkomiteen i Moldejazz fikk høre et live-opptak av Shining og Enslaveds felles tolkning av King Crimson-låten "21st Century Schizoid Man" at man bestemte seg for å gi banda utfordringen å lage et bestillingsverk til festivalen.
