GRINDSTONE

Shining isn't a new band (they've been doing music since 1999), but this album in particular got more attention than their last releases and it's no surprise considering the great music this album has inside. A bit aggressive at times, but it all comes out not as hard to swallow as it may appear.

These guys are playing progressive rock in a very daring and fun way mixing a wide array of instruments and sounds to create one of this year's high points in prog rock. The band I can think of that has a related sound is Jaga Jazzist with their "A Livingroom Hush" album and it's no surprise given that Jørgen Munkeby is also a member of Jaga Jazzist. Take the spirit of "A Livingroom Hush" and add even more instruments to the mix and put some mean guitars instead of jazz horns (although the horns are still present in many of the songs) and there you have it. It's Quirky, complex, bombastic, fun and accessible (by prog standards).

The songs on the album sound varied between one another, but they don't wander off to a sense of not having any relations with the rest of the album. The album can be seen as a book. The first group of songs and the last group of songs sound more accessible and heavier than the adventurous middle part of the album. The middle part is my personal favorite because it's more childish and playful than the rest of the album. This part also has a more varied instrumentation, but these divisions are only my view on how I see the album although I think they're helpful when describing the album.

This album is a real treat. It's well rounded and complex enough to keep you on the edge of your sit yet accessible enough to be played by many prog fans with a bit more adventurous taste. If you're a fan of the more adventurous side of Art Rock like King Crimson or even The Mars Volta and the easier listening avant-prog bands like Taal then Grindstone is one of the albums missing in your collection.