The new single from Norwegian dark rock artist CHRIS WICKED entitled “Når Allting Svartner”(When everything turns black) will officially be released on August 17. However the song that features Shining‘s NIKLAS KVARFORTH on guest vocals and Taake‘s frontman HOEST, on bass guitar can now be streamed here:
Chris Wicked is best known for his work with Malice In Wonderland, were he released several albums, EP’s and singles and toured the world. Now, Chris is reinventing himself, composing dark atmospheric songs and singing in Norwegian and “Når Allting Svartner” is the second single from the Bergen based artist. The first single “Bare deg og meg og natten” was released earlier this year.
“When I wrote “Når Allting Svartner” I immediately wanted to have Niklas Kvarforth sing on it. I’m really fond of his voice and thought it would fit perfectly with him singing in Swedish. Luckily he was up for it and I’m really pleased with the result. When it comes to Hoest, he is a longtime friend and we always wanted to collaborate, and with this project it felt really natural to do so. He truly understands my vision and contribute on several of the songs” says Chris Wicked
Credits:
Vocals: Chris Wicked & Niklas Kvarforth (Shining)
Bass: Hoest (Taake/Gorgoroth)
Guitars: Rune Nordahl-Pedersen
Drums: Eskil Sæter
Engineered by: Anders Vaage (Bismarck)
Drums engineered by: Bjørnar E. Nilsen (Vulture Industries)
Mixed by Simen Andreas Knudsen
Mastered by Iver Sandøy (Enslaved)
To paraphrase Ray Bradbury “something old and wicked this way comes” in the shape of the long-deleted SHINING album “Oppression”. Set for release in September, “Oppression” will be available in Digipack format, as well as limited edition gatefold vinyl versions in different colours.
“Oppression” will be released on the newly-formed Black Metal label Colourless Art and SHINING founder and frontmam Niklas Kvarforth had this to say about the release:
“For too long, some of my work has been in limbo due to idiotic decisions and the worthless people that proliferate throughout the music industry. And this needs to end here and now. We want our jewels of perdition and the attendant horrific sound to reach all of those who, without SHINING’s merchandising arm, Legions, cannot get their hands on these without being fobbed off with soulless products of inferior quality, that some outsider has had the nerve to spread without a single thought for our artistic vision”.
For those who are not aware of the original album, “Oppression” is a collection of rare recordings and out-takes, mainly from the early days of SHINING’s twenty two year career. Included are the debut 7″, some pre-production songs, weird electronica by Kvarforth. And, most intriguing for any SHINING fan out there, the cream of the crop is the inclusion of the celebrated but obscure studio track “Through Corridors Of Oppression”.
Legions will also be issuing their own white vinyl edition of “Oppression” which will include a special poster. Bundles are now available to pre-order from the Legions Webshop at http://www.shininglegions.com
As to what the future holds in store for both SHINING and himself, Kvarforth explained that: “there is a lot happening right now. We are currently setting up upcoming tours for SHINING, working with all sorts of crazy shit, while I myself will be recording with a very big Death Metal band, publishing the German edition of “When Prozac No Longer Helps” at long last, and getting myself into shape for the shooting of a feature horror movie this summer. But stay tuned, all will be revealed in time”.
SHINING releases and merchandise, including exclusive limited edition items not available elsewhere, can be found at http://www.shininglegions.com
The official video for the track “Vilja & Drömfrom” SHINING’s album “IX – Everyone, Everything, Everywhere, Ends” can be seen at http://www.shiningasylum.com/media.php
SHINING are unleashing the first track taken from their forthcoming album, ‘X – Varg Utan Flock’, which is scheduled for release on January 5th.
The song “Jag Är Din Fiende” (which translates as “I Am Your Enemy”) will also be released on the A-side of a 10″ vinyl single that is entitled ‘Fiende’ and slated to hit the shops on November 24th, via Seasons of Mist. The B-side contains a largely acoustic cover version of “No Rest For The Wicked”, originally from Swedish rockabilly act THE COFFINSHAKERS.
“Jag Är Din Fiende” is now exclusively being streamed by the official media partners listed below.
SHINING mastermind Niklas Kvarforth comments on the new song: “The third track, ‘Jag Är Din Fiende’, from our upcoming tenth album embodies everything that SHINING represents on a musical level. An uncompromising mix of high and low tainted with a sinister atmosphere of horrible unease. Lyrically, this track speaks of the need and means for retribution, making not only this, but the album overall, infused with a nightmarish maliciousness and a pitch-black hatred that hasn’t been as prominent on our earlier albums. There is a war coming and this is our statement on what we have in store for you!“
SHINING are furthermore releasing the artwork of the ‘Fiende’ 10″ single, which has been created by Bo Mi Kim.
Track-list
1. Jag Är Din Fiende (7:05)
2. No Rest For The Wicked (3:37) – The Coffinshakers cover version
The 10″ vinyl single ‘Fiende’, slated for release on the 24th of November is the first excerpt from the forthcoming SHINING album, ‘X – Varg Utan Flock’, which will be released on January 5th 2018.
The A-side features the album track “Jag Är Din Fiende”, which translates as “I Am Your Enemy” and delivers a raw and brutal sound contrasting with a surprisingly progressive guitar solo. The B-side contains a largely acoustic cover version of “No Rest For The Wicked”, originally from Swedish rockabilly act THE COFFINSHAKERS.
Niklas Kvarforth is not the first artist struggling with mental illness and related issues. The erratic Swede is also not the first musician, whose inner demons are part of his creative genius. Yet in the world of metal, his band SHINING remains as a unique and outstanding act in terms of talent and musical excellence.
Founded in 1996 by Kvarforth, SHINING self-released ‘Submit to Self-Destruction’ in 1998 and spawned the term “suicidal black metal” with this debut 7″. A couple years after first full-length, ‘I – Within Deep Dark Chambers’ (2000) and sophomore album, ‘II – Livets Ändhållplats’ (2001) had cut deep marks into the underground scene, Niklas replaced his whole crew, which started a continuous cycle of line-up changes. With MAYHEM drummer Hellhammer on board, ‘III – Angst’ (2003) and ‘IV – The Eerie Cold’ (2005) began to gather major press attention. Art the ame time, SHINING focused on bringing their vision and often controversially received live performances to Europe. Yet Kvarforth’s mental health led to cancellations, physical and psychological fights within the band, and finally a break-up. Not content to let things rest after his breakdown, the restless singer returned with new members and the acclaimed masterpiece, ‘V – Halmstad’ (2007). SHINING had reached headliner status and toured with other great acts such as SATYRICON and MAYHEM. Several line-up changes later, the Swede once again entered studio and recorded two albums in one session. ‘VI – Klagopsalmer’ was released in 2009 and two years later ‘VII – Född Förlorare’ appeared. The band also received their first gold disc for the single ‘Förtvivlan, Min Arvedel’ in Sweden. After rotating more musicians in and out, SHINING returned with ‘Redefining Darkness’ (2012) and a less aggressive, yet more sinister sound. Before signing to Season of Mist, the band released the project ‘8 ½ – Feberdrömmar I Vaket Tillstånd’, which featured six of Kvarforth’s favourite vocalists. In August 2014, SHINING entered Andy LaRocque’s Sonic Train Studios to record their ninth album. ‘IX – Everyone, Everything, Everywhere, Ends’ as the sum of Niklas Kvarforth’s musical evolution and experience. More line-up changes and breakdowns followed. Now the Swedes are preparing to release ‘X – Varg Utan Flock’ in 2018.
Recording line-up
Niklas Kvarforth: vocals
Marcus Hammarström: bass
Peter Huss: guitar
Euge Valovirta: guitar
Jarle Byberg: drums
Current line-up
Niklas Kvarforth: vocals
Marcus Hammarström: bass
Peter Huss: guitar
Guest musician
Andy La Rocque: guitar solo on “Jag Är Din Fiende”
The controversial Swedish metal band SHINING have announced the completion of their tenth studio album. The album, titled ‘X – Varg Utan Flock’ (“Wolf without a Pack”), will be released worldwide by Season of Mist.
Regarding the new album, SHINING mastermind Niklas Kvarforth comments: “It has been an ordeal of gigantic proportions, but I am pleased to announce that the recording of our tenth album have now come to an end, and I am currently working on the final visual details before this aural nightmare can be sent off to our label and fuck up your lives.
‘X – Varg Utan Flock’ is the direct follow up to our fifth album, but, as usual it does contain a few unexpected twists and turns that will send cold shivers down your spines. It was an honour to serve for two decades as the grand puppet-master and bringer of chaos.
Let there be Blood!”
Previously, SHINING was featured as the focal point of a new documentary produced by Art House Films. Titled “Cold Void”, the documentary is a personal portrait of Kvarforth, the man behind headlines that have included suicide and self-destruction, addiction, bipolar disorder, passion and schizophrenia. The documentary was filmed by Art House documentary producer Claudio Marino and his film production company Artax Film.
“Cold Void” is set for release in the fall. “Cold Void” will also be available world-wide in DVD format directly from Artax Film and SHINING themselves, as well as via VOD. A video teaser for “Cold Void” can be seen below. More information about Artax Film can be found here.
Marino states that “Cold Void” is a film for anyone interested in life stories, and was not made with the intention of pandering to SHINING’s fans. It is very much a personal journey, bringing a much-needed clarity and lack of sensationalism to the subject of Niklas Kvarforth.
He also comments: “I’ve known about Niklas and his music for a long time. His story interested me and I wanted to know more about him as a person. I did some research and we got in contact. I showed him my documentary trilogy ‘Blood and Spirit’ and he was interested in working with me. We got along from the start and he proved to be very cooperative. He was brutally honest, and never left any of my questions unanswered”.
Marino is known for his documentary “Blood and Spirit”, a trilogy about three different artists who live for their art, and who include a Tattoo Artist, an MMA fighter, and a Satanist, in the form of Erik Danielsson from WATAIN, a well known figure in the world of Black Metal. It is therefore understandable why he has chosen Kvarforth as his next subject.
SHINING is one of Sweden’s leading black metal bands, and founder/vocalist Niklas Kvarforth continues to be one of heavy metal’s most notorious Agent Provocateurs. Kvarforth incites as much consternation among the “true” as he does fanaticism among the soon-to-be soiled minds of his growing legions of devotees. His antics, opinions, and sometimes mere presence is accompanied by the gnashing teeth and wailing, tone-deaf opinions of the self-proclaimed genre “elite”.
SHINING last released ‘IX – Everyone, Everything, Everywhere, Ends’. An epic, unmissable beast of an album, ‘IX – Everyone, Everything, Everywhere, Ends’ delivers nothing less than a lethal dose of perception-shattering madness from one of black metal’s most polarizing bands. Stream the album here.
For more SHINING news and tour updates, visit the Season of Mist website.
NIKLAS KVARFORTH, the founder and frontman of Sweden’s SHINING, has never hidden the fact that he has suffered from severe mental problems all his life, something that has impacted his private and public life, both positively and negatively. His is a struggle with mental illness that affects many individuals on a day to day basis, and it is this that attracted the interest of Art House documentary producer Claudio Marino and his film production company Artax Film.
This interest has resulted in a short documentary about mental illness as seen through the eyes of Niklas Kvarforth. Titled “Cold Void”, the documentary is a personal portrait of the man behind headlines that have included suicide and self-destruction, addiction, bipolar disorder, passion and schizophrenia. Headlines that have sometimes been true, and sometimes the result of the media’s desire for sensationalism over truth. And sometimes even the result of detractors who have, often intentionally, misunderstood SHINING’s ethos and that of its volatile creator.
Marino is quick to point out that “Cold Void” is a film for anyone interested in life stories, and was not made with the intention of pandering to SHINING’s fans. It is, rather, very much a personal journey, bringing a much-needed clarity and lack of sensationalism to the subject of Niklas Kvarforth.
Working in the fields of music video and graphic design, Marino is known for his documentary “Blood and Spirit”, a trilogy about three different artists who live for their art, and who include a Tattoo Artist, an MMA fighter, and a Satanist, in the form of E from WATAIN, a well known figure in the worLd of Black Metal. It is therefore understandable why he should have chosen Kvarforth as his next subject:
“I’ve known about Niklas and his music for a long time”, commented Marino. ” His story interested me and I wanted to know more about him as a person. I did some research and we got in contact. I showed him my documentary trilogy ‘Blood and Spirit’ and he was interested in working with me. We got along from the start and he proved to be very cooperative. He was brutally honest, and never left any of my questions unanswered”.
“Cold Void” is set for release in the autumn of 2017 in Swedish with English sub-titles, and with music by TREHA SEKTORI. It will be available world-wide in DVD format directly from Artax Film and SHINING themselves, as well as via VOD.
A video teaser for “Cold Void” can be seen here:
More information about Artax Film can be found at http://www.artaxfilm.com. Anyone interested in endorsement or sponsorship opportunities related to “Cold Void”, or would like to work on translations into other languages, please contact info@artaxfilm.com
SHINING will head to North America for a headlining 18-date tour starting on the 5th May, supported by REVENGE and WOLVHAMMER. Routing as follows:
May 05: Sparta Inn, Baltimore, MD
May 06: Championship Bar, Trenton, NJ
May 07: L’Anti Bar & Spectacles, Quebec City, QC
May 08: Theatre Fairmount, Montreal, QC
May 09: The Garrison, Toronto, ON
May 10: Harpos Detroit, MI
May 11: Reggies, Chicago, IL
May 12: The Riot Room, Kansas City, MI
May 14: The Shredder, Boise, ID
May 15: The Red Room Ultra Bar, Vancouver (without Revenge)
May 16: Studio Seven, Seattle, WA
May 17: Tonic Lounge, Portland, OR
May 18: Oakland Metro Opera House, Oakland, CA
May 19: Adrenaline Sports Bar and Grill, Las Vegas, NV
May 20: Complex, Los Angeles, CA
May 21: Joe’s Grotto, Phoenix, AZ
May 23: Grizzly Hall, Austin, TX
May 24: The Rail Club, Fort Worth, TX
The final routing for the joint SHINING/TAAKE European tour set to take place this winter has been confirmed, with four additional dates being added. The tour is part of a series of live appearances to mark the 20th Anniversary of NIKLAS KVARFORTH‘s SHINING. Joining these two titans of the stage on the tour will be TAAKE‘s Dark Essence Records label-mates SLEGEST.
Routing as follows:
02 Dec: NUKE, Berlin, DE
03 Dec: Into Darkness Festival, Neushoom, Leeuwarden, NL
04 Dec: Underworld, London, UK
05 Dec: Boule Noir, Paris, FR
06 Dec: UBU, Rennes, FR
07 Dec: De verlichte Geest, Goeselare, BE
08 Dec: Kulturfabrik, Esch – sur -Alzette, LU
09 Dec: Matrix, Bochum, DE
10 Dec: Backstage, Munich, DE
11 Dec: Circolo Colony, Brescia, IT
The pairing of two such iconic bands will provide an interesting mix for fans, with SHINING’s DSBM roots matched with TAAKE’s Norwegian Black Metal roots. Over the years both bands have taken the basic premises of their respective genres, and, whilst remaining true to them, have consistently kept them fresh by expanded and experimenting, sometimes taking them in directions that have surprised fans, but always maintaining the highest quality in terms of writing and musicianship. Both Kvarforth and Hoest are, in fact, acknowledged to be two of the most dynamic live performers today.
Whilst the name SLEGEST is perhaps not as familiar to fans as SHINING and TAAKE, the band has been earning rave reviews both for their studio output and for their live performances, earning them an ever-increasing fan base. In the wake of his departure from VREID, where he played guitar on four of the iconic band’s albums, Ese formed SLEGEST in 2010, and the band has since then perfected a special blend of classic heavy rock and old-school black metal that is both dark and sinister, whilst being propelled along by a down and dirty groove that is immediate and catchy. The band’s second full-length album will be released in November on Dark Essence Records.
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