VI - KLAGOPSALMER

The most interesting years of most bands are the years in which they try to find and define their own sound. Once they got that nailed the best is usually over, even though their most successful years might just be starting. This especially strikes me in metal and Shining doesn't escape the omen. VI. Klagopsalmer doesn't deviate an inch from V Halmstad, but it misses the superior songwriting and the creative excitement of a band finding their own voice.

I'm pretty sure most fans and Metal e-zines have this ticked as one of the 2009 favourites. But I couldn't disagree more. This is the sound of a band at a creative dead-end. Content with what they achieved after years of hard work trying to find the essence of their style. My most pessimistic forecast is that from now on we're only going to get more clone-albums like this one. I grant Shining all the success they gain from it but for me it ends here. Just plain good.

"VI: Klagopsalmer" is the 6th full-length studio album by Swedish black metal act Shining. The album was released in june 2009 by Osmose Productions. The band's last album, the critically acclaimed "V - Halmstad (2007)", saw the culmination of Shining's slow but steady progress from raw suicide black metal towards extreme metal with a progressive edge. "VI: Klagopsalmer" more or less follows in the footprints of "V - Halmstad" but ultimately with a less progressive edge.

Niklas "Kvarforth" Olsson's lyrical universe still evolves around suicide, self- mutilation, depression and hatred and like on the last album all lyrics are in the Swedish language (except the on the Seigmen cover track "Ohm (Sommar med Siv)", where the lyrics are performed in the Norwegian language). Song-titles like "Fullst'ndigt J'vla D'd Inuti" ("Completely Fucking Dead Inside") and "Krossade Dr'mmar och Brutna L'ften" ("Broken Dreams og Broken Promises") are a testament to that misantrophic and bleak world view. The music mostly consists of heavy mid-paced riffing, occasional haunting lead melody lines, an acoustic break here and there and Niklas "Kvarforth" Olsson's aggressive raspy/ raw vocals. He also sings clean vocal sections on the album. Most notably on "Ohm (Sommar med Siv)". The atmosphere on the album is generally thick with hatred and reeks depression and resignation. There's no hope, just the prospect of eternal darkness and suffering. Yet the soaring melodic guitar solos on the album do provide just a slight bit of light IMO, but that's my personal interpretation.

The songwriting on the album is pretty much top notch, but I do feel that sections of the 16:46 minute long closing track "Total Utfrysning" are a bit too longdrawn to my ears and compositionally the track is rather fragmented. The 5th track on the album "Krossade Dr'mmar och Brutna L'ften" is not that interesting either as it primarily consists of an acoustic guitar playing one riff over and over again. Yes it's dark and depressive, but it's too long and repetitive. So the last 20 minutes of the 50:32 don't quite meassure up to the first 30 minutes of high quality material but we're still talking Shining and even their weaker material is usually rather strong.

The production is powerful and all instruments are well defined in the mix. Actually the sound is pretty similar to the sound on "V - Halmstad".

"VI: Klagopsalmer" is not exactly the revelation that I think "V - Halmstad" was. It's a bit more simple and direct and the songs are generally just sligthly less interesting than the material on "V - Halmstad" is. When that is said "VI: Klagopsalmer" is still a very good and powerful extreme metal album that I greatly enjoy. A 3.5 - 4 star rating is warranted.

'VI: Klagopsalmer' - Shining (9/10)

2007's 'V: Halmstad' was a landmark album for the Swedish 'suicidal black metal' act Shining. To date, it was their boldest departure from the raw black metal sound the band first played. As many bands do when following up a defining record, Shining builds upon the ideas and sound of 'Halmstad' with their sixth album, 'VI: Klagopsalmer'. Although not quite as warmly received as the modern classic 'Halmstad' by many, 'Klagopsalmer' further refines the sound of Shining, tuning out some of the excesses that their fifth album was rife with. 'Klagopsalmer' is not as much of a jump for Shining, but musically speaking, it may be their most underrated and tasteful record to date.

Without a doubt, 'Klagopsomer' seems to suffer from the younger child syndrome. In retrospect, it is seen as something of an extension of what Shining struck home with on 'Halmstad'. To a degree, this is true, but 'Klagopsalmer' takes the Opethian light/heavy dynamic they were working with and makes it more melodic, and more subdued, rather than the progressive onslaught that largely defined its predecessor. Several listens into 'VI', I was surprised that I was actually enjoying it more than 'V', seeing as Shining's classic had long been one of my favourite black metal records. On its own, 'VI: Klagopsalmer' is a beautiful work that sparks comparisons of some of my other favourite metal artists, including Opeth, Katatonia, and Blut Aus Nord.

For those who have not heard the band before, Shining has a unique sound of their own; one that is rooted in black metal, but strikes with a beefier guitar tone and vocal delivery. At this point in Shining's musical development, they have become very good at incorporating beautiful melodies into the guitars. Shining is also distinct for their use of some incredibly soft and tender passages. Contrary to the acoustic worship that Opeth employs, Shining will more often take to the piano and cello, as is best demonstrated on the album's epic final track, 'Total Utfrysning'. Anyone who can read Swedish will know by this point that while Shining's music can be sweet and soft at times, their lyrical themes rarely stray out of the darkness. In short, Shining are not called a suicidal black metal band for nothing, and even sparing the band's twisted and controversial history, the music here can feel incredibly dark.

Shining's grasp of atmosphere on 'VI: Klagopsalmer' is impeccable. They are able to pull off soft and heavy sections incredibly here, while on 'Halmstad,' I felt that their strength lay largely in the lighter passages. One of the most noticeable improvements here is the vocal performance of Niklas 'Kvarforth' Olsson. On the previous album, it was clear that he had a hell of a voice when it came to screams, but his distinctive delivery was often taken far overboard, often to the point where I would show friends the band, and they would smirk whenever it came time for Kvarforth to belt out. Kvarforth has a slightly more black metal approach to his vocals here, while maintaining his unique vocal style. The compromise has led to a more listenable performance.

'VI: Klagopsalmer' may be doomed to slumber underneath the shadow of 'V: Halmstad', but for me, this may be the best thing to ever come out of Kvarforth's head. The music is intense, but not so much that it becomes a mockery of itself. The overwhelming negativity of past releases gives way- albeit only slightly- to more conventionally melancholic sounds. Make no mistake though, this is still a very dark, disturbing brand of metal that should only be experienced and appreciated by those mature enough to handle the emotions, and don't be surprised if the sky outside looks a little grayer than usual.

Klagopsalmer finds Shining persisting with the musical approach they'd adopted on Halmstad, and whilst it doesn't quite feel as fresh as it did on that album, it's still nice to hear them really going to town on embellishing the quieter sections of their loud/quiet blueprint. Shining could probably be accused of sticking to their basic formula once again, but the additions to the formula attained during the Halmstad era have clearly stuck, and consequently their sound still feels moderately refreshed here. I don't think this album is the equal of Halmstad, and even Halmstad (which might be their best album) is ultimately just the most polished iteration of a fairly samey formula, but if you were very into that you'll be quite into this too.