Shining - 'Blackjazz'

A strange release that will probably not appeal to most metal fans.

To be clear: this is not the well established black metal band from Sweden of the same name. This band is fronted by Jorgen Mukenby, who recently appeared as the saxophonist on After, the latest full-length release from Ihsahn. Shining are from Norway and are releasing their fifth full-length Blackjazz.

Blackjazz is a bizarre amalgamation of many different musical genres, with only slight nods to black metal. What metal exists on the album shows in a certain nihilistic, dark texture with a few traditional elements such as rasped vocals and low-fi, heavily distorted, and murky guitars. The main focus of the album, however, is a dissonant combination of techno/ electronica and kaleidoscopic, all over the map jazz. Percussion throughout has a definite, mechanized quality with lots of dance heavy, syncopated beats.

The music is loud, boisterous, definitely danceable, and seethes with a punk nihilism. Distorted guitars make appearances, but very loud, synthesized rhythms are prevalent throughout most of the songs. Highlights of this style include “Exit Sun” (Parts I and II), and the album’s definite focal point, the sprawling “Blackjazz Deathtrance”. In short, the album’s focus on techno/ electronica will probably dissuade most metal fans, but the songs are certainly of a dark quality. The last few tracks of Blackjazz shift gears somewhat, with an interesting exercise in near drone with “Omen”, and an out of control cover of “21st Century Schizoid Man”.

The overall result of Blackjazz is one of a challenging listen, to say the least, but one that will probably not appeal very much to the average fan of metal, let alone black metal. If anything, the album is an interesting look into other musical genres touched by black metal, but is not worth much beyond an initial listen.