Shining

Biography

There are multiple artists under the name of Shining: 1) A Swedish extreme metal / black metal band. 2) A Norwegian progressive metal / avant-garde jazz group. 3) Julian Beeston, an electronic musician. 4) Early noise recordings from Illinois, USA. 5) A Polish experimental death metal band. 6) An 80s German synthpop band. 7) A French hip hop artist. 1) Shining is a Swedish extreme metal / black metal band formed in 1996 by Niklas Kvarforth in Halmstad, Sweden. The band's music contains de...

There are multiple artists under the name of Shining:
1) A Swedish extreme metal / black metal band.
2) A Norwegian progressive metal / avant-garde jazz group.
3) Julian Beeston, an electronic musician.
4) Early noise recordings from Illinois, USA.
5) A Polish experimental death metal band.
6) An 80s German synthpop band.
7) A French hip hop artist.

1) 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. 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'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."

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

In the past, Kvarforth said that he wanted to force feed his listeners with self-destructive and suicidal imagery and lyrics. In the beginning he used the term "suicidal black metal" for his music to separate himself from other groups. 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 and were using the music as a kind of therapy rather than a weapon against the listener as Kvarforth intended. He later said that he wouldn't call Shining a black metal band and called the "suicidal black metal" term a foolish idea.

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.

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. The tenth album, X - Varg utan flock (Wolf Without a Pack), was released on January 5, 2018.

Current Members:
Niklas Kvarforth (a.k.a. "Ghoul") – lead vocals, guitars, keyboards (1996–present)
Peter Huss – lead and rhythm guitar (2005–present)
Marcus Hammarström - bass guitar (2016-present)
Jarle "Uruz" Byberg - drums (2016-present)

Previous Members:
Singers:
Andreas Classen (2000, vocals on Within Deep Dark Chambers)
Robert (1998, vocals on Submit to Selfdestruction)

Guitarists:
Håkan "Inisis" Ollars (2002)
John Doe (2005–2006)
Casado (2005–2006)
Fredric "Wredhe" Gråby - rhythm and lead guitar (2006–2011)
Euge Valovirta – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2012–2017)

Bass guitarists:
Tusk (2000–2001)
Johan Hallander (2005–2007)
Phil A. Cirone (2001–2005, 2007–2008)
Andreas Larssen (2008–2010)
Christian Larsson – bass guitar (2010–2016)

Drummers:
Ted "Impaler" Wedebrand (1998–2001)
Jan Axel "Hellhammer" Blomberg (2001–2004)
Jarle "Uruz" Byberg (2007–2008)
Rickard "Rille" Schill (2008–2010)
Ludwig Witt - drums (2005–2007, 2011-2012)
Rainer Tuomikanto – drums (2012–2016)

Keyboards
Lars Fredrik Frøislie (2009-2013)

Discography:
Studio Albums:
2000 - I: Within Deep Dark Chambers
2001 - II: Livets ändhållplats (Life's Ending-Place)
2002 - III: Angst, självdestruktivitetens emissarie (Anxiety, Self-Destruction's Emissary)
2005 - IV: The Eerie Cold
2007 - V: Halmstad (Niklas angående Niklas) (the title is Kvarforth's hometown, and the subtitle means "Niklas Regarding Niklas")
2009 - VI: Klagopsalmer (Hymns of Lament)
2011 - VII: Född förlorare (Born Loser)
2012 - Redefining Darkness
2015 - IX - Everyone, Everything, Everywhere, Ends
2018 - X - Varg utan flock (Wolf Without a Pack)

EPs and Compilations
1998 - Submit to Selfdestruction (EP)
2004 - Dolorian/Shining (split with Dolorian)
2004 - Through Years of Oppression (compilation)
2004 - The Darkroom Sessions (compilation)
2008 - Shining/Den Saakaldte (split with Den Saakaldte)
2012 - Lots of Girls Gonna Get Hurt (EP)
2013 - 8 ½ – Feberdrömmar i vaket tillstånd (compilation) (Fever Dreams in a Waking State)
2013 - In the Eerie Cold Where All the Witches Dance (split with Mortuary Drape)
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2) Shining is a Norwegian band that started out as an experimental jazz group in 1998, and has since evolved into playing their own avant-garde brand of progressive metal. Winner of the Alarm Award in both 2006 (for In The Kingdom of Kitsch You Will Be a Monster) and 2007 (for Grindstone).

Shining's fifth album Blackjazz was released 18 January 2010 on Indie Recordings. The album's title is meant to describe Shining's sound, which on Blackjazz became even harder and more intense than ever before. New Shining sounds like experimental metal with huge jazz influence.

Current members are:
Jørgen Munkeby - sax, guitar, Akai EWI and vocals
Torstein Lofthus - drums
Bernt Moen - synths and keyboards
Tor Egil Kreken - bass
Håkon Sagen - guitars

Core discography:

2001 - Where the Ragged People Go
2003 - Sweet Shanghai Devil
2005 - In the Kingdom of Kitsch You Will Be a Monster
2007 - Grindstone
2010 - Blackjazz
2011 - Live Blackjazz
2013 - One One One
2015 - International Blackjazz Society
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3) The name Shining was used sometimes by Julian Beeston of Nitzer Ebb for a small amount of solo work, mostly remixes. He only released a full-length album in 1995 titled "Din" on Synthetic Symphony Records.
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4) Several EPs and random songs have been recorded under the name Shining by an artist who now goes by tents.
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5) Shining was an experimental death metal band which has only released a demo "Convicted by Sin" in 2003 and changed name to Shining of....
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6) Shining was a German synthpop band; they released a maxi-single "Stairway to Heaven" in 1985 on Metronome Records.
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7) French hip-hop artist. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.