In every path to enlightenment there is a patch of darkness, it might remain insignificant, yet on the other hand, it might grow, ultimately blocking the path from its existence. Same as their name, which has been in power since 1996, I actually felt the inner struggles within the Swedish SHINING. Following inked deal with Season Of Mist, which actually felt as a rather natural habitat for their special brand of extremity, Niklas Kvarforth and co. unveiled their next offering, "IX - Everyone, Everything, Everywhere, Ends". Remaining true to their mother tongue, SHINING deliver their version of what was proclaimed as Black Metal music but I believe that you will find the true meaning of multidimensional thought patterns regarding the musical concept. If there is one thing that I am certain of, SHINING upscale their talent and virtues towards the extreme and capitalized its merits.

I have been used to listen to Metal albums that aren't expressed in English, it is rather fun I might add, always intriguing to attempt to comprehend the spirit of the lyrics as those are conveyed within the music. I listened to anguish and despair but also several hints of what I could gather to be criticism. Frankly, I didn't bother looking on Google Translate of what the song titles meant, gladly that the album's title is in English. It pretty much told the whole story and it seemed rather intertwined with my perception towards negative impressions. Since the impending doom is upon the world, and the end is near, it would be proper to say goodbye in a blast. And so it was, as the music sailed right across my consciousness, rattling my awareness with triggers of savagery but most of the time engulfing with a mysterious dreary atmosphere that came to be soothing.

Putting my inner perceptions to rest, heading on to the music itself, the important stuff. Listening to SHINING seemed to be quite similar to what I have been tuning in from ENSLAVED and ARCTURUS. There is the same kind of complexion within the song arrangement, swaying from sheer Black Metal heritage, played in a modern form, only to resurface in the vibe of Progressive / Classic Rock augmentations, taking the band into the next level. You might render it as maturity, yet I have to object to that definition. Blockbuster songs like "Människotankens Vägglösa Rum", "Framtidsutsikter", "Besök Från I(ho)nom" and "Vilja & Dröm" display the band's heaviest moments, obliterating the soul the blackened spirit (even if refined a bit in contrast to ENSLAVED). Nevertheless, though this kind of extreme Metal is hellishly heavenly, SHINING's winning ticket is their Rock diversity that triumphed all the set of tracks, especially the ones that I mentioned. It would be easy enough for you to track those enchanting moments of where you might play with the thought that you are listening to a different band totally.

In my view, "IX - Everyone, Everything, Everywhere, Ends" is probably one of the best albums of 2015 that I listened to. This Swedish band taking the Norwegian Black Metal up a notch from the frozen caves and into a newfound veil of darkness. Get it now.