Shining (Swedish band)

This article is about the Swedish band. For the Norwegian avant-garde metal band, see Shining (Norwegian band).
Shining

Kvarforth live on February 3, 2007
Background information
Origin Halmstad, Sweden
Genres Black metal, extreme metal, progressive metal
Years active 1996–2004, 2004–present
Labels Spinefarm,[1] Osmose, Dark Essence Records
Associated acts Skitliv, Ondskapt, Bethlehem, In Lingua Mortua, Mayhem, Den Saakaldte
Website Shining Asylum - Official Website
Members Niklas Kvarforth
Peter Huss
Christian Larsson
Past members (see below)

Shining is a Swedish extreme metal / black metal band formed in 1996 by Niklas Kvarforth in Halmstad, Sweden. The band’s music contains depressive undertones, which include personal and suicide-themed lyrics.

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

History

Kvarforth is the main composer and vocalist of the band. He was only twelve years old when he started Shining. 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 I: Within Deep Dark Chambers (2000) that Kvarforth became the band’s vocalist.

The band released two more albums entitled II: Livets ändhållplats (2001) and III: Angst, Självdestruktivitetens Emissarie (2002) before splitting up in August 2004. Their fourth album IV: 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 August 23, 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]

At a concert that took place on February 3, 2007 at Diezel in Halmstad, Sweden, “Ghoul” was revealed to be Kvarforth. The concert was violent in nature, sparking controversy in the Swedish media, with Kvarforth occasionally fighting the audience and the guest vocalists (Attila Csihar, Maniac and Nattefrost).

Razorblades were handed to a member of the audience, and one person was kicked in the chest after grabbing Kvarforth’s genitals; who was later found to be Maniac posing as a crazed fan. One member of the audience recalls the kicking: “A couple of songs are finished and Kvarforth is standing with zipped up leather pants and some drunk Swede touches his crotch. Kvarforth looks shocked and shouts ‘Don’t touch me,’ before he kicks the fan in the chest.”

The band released their fifth album in 2007, which was at first going to be called V: Besvikelsens Dystra Monotoni but was later changed to V: Halmstad (Niklas angående Niklas), a reference to Kvarforth’s hometown.

That was followed by three more albums: VI: Klagopsalmer (2009), VII: Född förlorare (2011), and Redefining Darkness (2012).

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 vocalists are: Famine (Peste Noire), Attila Csihar (Mayhem), Pehr Larsson (Alfahanne), Gaahl (God Seed, ex-Gorgoroth), and Maniac (Skitliv, ex-Mayhem).

A ninth album entitled IX - Everyone, Everything, Everywhere, Ends was released on April 21, 2015.

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, 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".[4] In the beginning he used the term "suicidal black metal" for his music[4][5] to separate himself from the "mediocre worms".[5] However, he stopped using the term in 2001 because it had begun to be used by a slew of other bands, whom he felt had misinterpreted his vision[4][5] and were using the music as a kind of therapy[4][5] rather than a weapon against the listener as Kvarforth intended.[5] He said that he "wouldn't call Shining a black metal band" and called the "suicidal black metal" term a "foolish idea".[4]

Members

Current members

Former members

Singers
Lead and rhythm guitars
Bass guitar
Drums
Keyboards

Discography

Studio albums

EPs and compilations

Singles

Music videos

References

  1. ↑ "Shining Quits Indie And Signs With Spinefarm – Album Release Date Set". Facebook. 2011-04-02. Retrieved 2015-12-02.
  2. 1 2 3 "Webzine interview with Kvarforth". Black Terror Webzine. Retrieved 2008-10-26.
  3. ↑ "Comment On Rumors Of Singer's Suicide". Shiningangst.se. Retrieved 2008-10-26.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Black Metal Satanica, 2008.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Metal1.info (2014-06-20). "Shining | Interviews". Metal1.info. Retrieved 2015-12-02.
  6. ↑ "Shining biography". MusicMight. Retrieved 26 October 2008.
  7. ↑ "Shining - Metal Storm". Metal Storm. Retrieved 26 October 2008.
  8. ↑ "Shining Parts Ways With Bassist - in Metal News". Metal Underground.com. Retrieved 2015-12-02.
  9. ↑ Archived February 22, 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  10. ↑ "Shining - Reveal New EP Details". Metal Storm. Retrieved 2015-12-02.

External links

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