Sweden's Shining are one of a handful of Black Metal acts getting a lot of press coverage, and deservedly so. They manage to meld the beautiful and disturbing fuzz of the second wave with post-rock and at times progressive elements without pretension, something they continue to do on album number seven, Fodd Forlorare, roughly translated as Born Loser.
With a production that is extremely accessible, Niklas Kvarforth takes us back to their Halmstad opus with more of a metal bent, eschewing past experimental dalliances. There are a glut of guest stars, including members of Arcana, Watain, and Arch Enemy, but there's enough here to attract even the most casual Black Metal listener, as the riffs are top quality, the melodies memorable, and the atmosphere incredibly oppressive. All the components that make Black Metal such an interesting genre are here in abundance, sitting alongside surprises that keep you going back. Melodic, evil, and often affecting, Shining have produced another winner.
