BLACKJAZZ

I was sceptical at first. Not because of the material on offer here, but because I was mixing up the Swedish black metal band Shining with their Norwegian counterpart. Luckily the Norwegians don't sound a the sleightest bit like the depressing self mutilating metal music the Swedes make.

Shining are looking to define a new genre of music here, called Blackjazz. The first thing that surfaces after listening to this platter, is the mechanical industrial engine that drives it. The engine is almost driven into overload on several occassions resulting into something the finest noise rock band could've have made. Beneath this wall of mechanical noise floats a jazz song structure.

Blackjazz might even have succeeded at defining a new genre by crossing so many genres. From progressive black metal to noise rock and from progressive jazz to industrial metal. This record takes several listening sessions to even hear all the different layers. The first (and maybe biggest) highlight of 2010.

4,8 out of 5.