Shining (Swedish band)

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Shining
Shining KOBM Alsfeld 21 04 2012 04.jpg
Shining performing in 2012
Background information
Origin Halmstad, Sweden
Genres Black metal
Years active1996–present
Labels Spinefarm, [1] Osmose, Dark Essence, Season of Mist, Napalm
Members Niklas Kvarforth
Peter Huss
Charles Hedger
Past members(see below)
Website shiningasylum.com

Shining is a Swedish black metal band formed by Niklas Kvarforth in Halmstad in 1996. The band's music contains depressive undertones, which include personal and suicide-themed lyrics. Thought of as the pioneers of depressive suicidal black metal, they have released 11 studio albums to date, their latest being the self-titled "Shining".

Contents

The band's name does not refer to the book The Shining or the film based on it, but rather it means "the path to enlightenment", according to Kvarforth. [2]

History

Kvarforth is the main composer and vocalist of the band and started the band when he was twelve. By the time Kvarforth was fourteen, Shining had released their first EP Submit to Selfdestruction (1998) on which he played guitars and bass. It was not until the band released their first album, Within Deep Dark Chambers (2000), that Kvarforth became the band's vocalist.

The band released two more albums Livets ändhållplats (2001) and Angst, Självdestruktivitetens Emissarie (2002), before splitting up in August 2004. Their fourth album, The Eerie Cold (2005), was supposed to be their last, but the band reformed later the same year with a new line-up capable of live shows.

Kvarforth disappeared in July 2006 and a rumor was spread he was presumed to have committed suicide. On 23 August 2006 the band posted a statement on their website declaring Kvarforth had disappeared. The band was said to continue with a new singer named "Ghoul," as one of the wishes from Kvarforth. [3]

Lead vocalist Kvarforth in 2007 Kvarforth in Vienna, Austria (2007).jpg
Lead vocalist Kvarforth in 2007

At a concert that took place on 3 February 2007, at Diezel in Halmstad, Sweden, "Ghoul" was revealed to be Kvarforth. The concert was violent in nature, with Kvarforth occasionally fighting the audience and the guest vocalists (Attila Csihar, Maniac and Nattefrost). [4] [5]

The band released their fifth album in 2007, Halmstad (Niklas angående Niklas) , a reference to Kvarforth's hometown.

A compilation album entitled, 8½ – Feberdrömmar I Vaket Tillstånd (2013), was released that featured re-recorded songs from 2001–2002 and different vocalists for 5/6 tracks.

The band's ninth album entitled, IX – Everyone, Everything, Everywhere, Ends, was released on 21 April 2015.

The band's tenth album, X – Varg Utan Flock, was released on 5 January 2018.

Music

Of course we support suicide, Shining support all that is negative in this bastard world of ours. We have had a couple of cases in the past with people whom have ended their lives under the influence or partially under the influence of our work and of course this is a true blessing indeed, yet we pray for increased numbers of fatalities.

Niklas Kvarforth [2]

Musically, Shining went from black metal with doom influences on their earlier work to a more progressive extreme metal sound with extensive use of clean guitars, pentatonic scales, guitar solos, different vocal styles and often tempo shifts and odd time signatures. Shining's music also contains several movie samples from films such as Prozac Nation , She's So Lovely , and American Psycho .

Shining openly promotes suicide and self-harm in all its forms (e.g. drugs) in their lyrics. The founder of the band, Niklas Kvarforth, has claimed, with contentment, there have been some cases of people committing suicide at least partially under the influence of Shining's music. [2]

Vocalist Niklas Kvarforth wanted to "force feed" his listeners "with self-destructive and suicidal imagery and lyrics". [6] In the beginning he used the term "suicidal black metal" for his music [6] [7] to separate himself from the "mediocre worms". [7] However, he stopped using the term in 2001 because it had begun to be used by a slew of other bands, who he felt had misinterpreted his vision [6] [7] and were using the music as a kind of therapy [6] [7] rather than a weapon against the listener as Kvarforth intended. [7] He said that he "wouldn't call Shining a black metal band" and called the "suicidal black metal" term a "foolish idea". [6]

In a 2014 interview, Kvarforth insisted that "metal is bullshit" and insisted that Shining's music is accurately described as "evil fucking music." [8]

Members

Current members

Former members

Vocalists
Guitarists
Bassists
Drummers

Timeline

Shining (Swedish band)

Discography

Studio albums

EPs and compilations

Singles

Music videos

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References

  1. ↑ "Shining Quits Indie And Signs With Spinefarm – Album Release Date Set". Facebook. 2 April 2011. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 "Webzine interview with Kvarforth". Black Terror Webzine. Retrieved 26 October 2008.
  3. ↑ "Comment On Rumors Of Singer's Suicide". Shiningangst.se. Retrieved 26 October 2008.
  4. ↑ Satanen Perkele (1 November 2013), Shining scandal, archived from the original on 22 December 2021, retrieved 11 November 2018
  5. ↑ "Skandalkonsert i Halmstad". Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Black Metal Satanica, 2008.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Metal1.info (20 June 2014). "Shining | Interviews". Metal1.info. Retrieved 2 December 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  8. ↑ "Shining (Niklas Kvarforth) interview @ Hellfest (21.06.2014)". Archived from the original on 22 December 2021 – via www.youtube.com.
  9. ↑ "Shining biography". MusicMight. Archived from the original on 18 September 2012. Retrieved 26 October 2008.
  10. ↑ "Shining - Metal Storm". Metal Storm. Retrieved 26 October 2008.
  11. ↑ "Shining Parts Ways With Bassist - in Metal News". Metal Underground.com. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  12. ↑ "Shining - Reveal New EP Details". Metal Storm. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
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