Why do I put myself in these situations? I knew what I was asking for when I requested to be able to review the new SHINING album. By the way, this is the Black Metal band from Sweden, who never go straight for the BM, but diversify into shoegazing, doom, Heavy and Thrash metal where they see fit. And did I say new album? Well, that’s not exactly true either, as the original version of this album, called “8½: Feberdrömmar I Vaket Tillstånd” is from 2013. It was an in-betweener for the band between albums. Apparently a good one, as it is being rereleased. The current version “Feberdrömmar” includes a brand-new intro before a variety of both old and new songs performed in nightmarish fashion by Maniac of SKITLIV, Pehr Sjöldhammar of ALFAHANNE, Attila Csihar of MAYHEM, Famine of PESTE NOIRE and Gaahl of TRELLDOM! This updated and improved version of will be released on beautiful DIGIPACK, LP and CASSETTE options. The VINYL colours include WHITE, SILVER, CLASSIC BLACK and GOLD. Each VINYL will be accompanied by a free and exclusive A3 POSTER. All are limited to 100 copies worldwide but the BLACK, which will be restricted to 200 copies. Similarly, only 100 CASSETTES will be produced, ensuring their value for collectors.

So, for the real collector of everything SHINING, this is like a brand-new exercise. And, as usual, the band is using all the elements they have available to the max. It makes “Feberdrömmar” into another one of those that will have you on the edge all the time (which is 49 minutes), without respite. This will cut straight through you, that is how intense it is. As an example, the constant repetitions will be a feast for some, but can also be a punishment for others. For me it is just another part of what makes SHINING into the band they have always been. What did surprise me is the almost funky soul driven bass line that is used in the last song on the album, “Black Industrial Misery”. But whatever I may write, it is very plain that the hefty Black Metal rhythms and guitar parts do take up most of the time on “Feberdrömmar”. The vocals that are being sung/shouted/screamed are in Swedish, English, but also in French, as far as I can tell. I can say that as a whole “Feberdrömmar” is another notch on the quality of SHINING.