Review: Shining - Grindstone (or) faraway lands and dangerous journeys

Posted on 6 April 2007 | No Comments

Filed Under: Album Reviews, Jazz, Noise, Post Rock

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Way back in 2005, the Norwegian group Shining put out an incredible record called In The Kingdom Of Kitsch You Will Be A Monster that was (IMHO) among the best records released that year. The band’s fourth album Grindstone finds them sounding nothing like the post-bop jazz quartet they started out as. Instead, the band delivers a dizzying frenzy of genre-bending combinations of jazz breaks and metal riffage. It is a dense, relentless, and (seemingly) confrontational album that will have your head spinning (in a good way) before the end of the first song which is confusingly titled “In The Kingdom Of Kitsch You Will Be A Monster” just like their last album.

On Grindstone Shining sounds like they are intentionally messing with their listeners. An unholy amalgamation of fuzzed-out bass, horns, shredding metal guitar, glitchy electronics, flute, and cinematic synths spews forth. Two words: pretentious as shit. Its almost too bad that Shining is so good that they can get away with it. Its not just noise, but rather perfectly executed glorious noise. For comparison’s sake Grindstone is equal parts avant-bop jazz noise, Refused-eqse hardcore jams, and Cirque du Soleil’s cinematic swells.

All this from a group made up of two members of Jaga Jazzist and two guys that make film scores and movie music. Grindstone is an exciting and invigorating (even if an uneven and exhausting) listen. The fractured melodies and grooves that rear their nightmarishly ugly heads are here and gone so quickly that it can be hard to keep up. Only towards the album’s second half is the listener (thankfully) given a chance to catch their breath.

If you are willing to take a chance and brave the fantastical and horrific sonic landscape that Shining creates on Grindstone you will certainly be rewarded. But like Frodo’s journey to Mt. Doom, it won’t be easy. It is a (sometimes) challenging, jarring, and abrasive ride that may leave you spinning and sucking your thumb. Grindstone is out now on Rune Grammofon.

MP3 | Shining – In The Kingdom Of Kitsch You Will Be A Monster Grindstone
MP3 | Shining – The Red Room Grindstone