Прослушал таки полностью. Отличный изи-листенинг, очень красивый альбом. Люстру напомнил, кстати. Меня вообще очень радуют его отклонения от блэка, как 2009-ый альбом, например. Обычный блэк у него, всё же, очень говнистен и однообразен. И поэтому радует его заявление, мол, "every album will be different".
Ну а пока, жду качество, и бонусные треки с винила.

Новая песня Alcest
[youtube]N_nU6D1BZws[/youtube]

Раз уж затронули зефирную тему, то можете здесь заценить семплики выходящего 25 мая переиздания Le Secret Альцеста.
Disc 1:
1. Le Secret (Rerecorded) 13:34
2. Elйvation (Rerecorded) 13:26
Disc 2:
1. Le Secret 14:33
2. Elйvation 12:46
Total Length: 54:19

Кстати, похоже название Old Silver Key именно с этой обложки позаимствовано

Обложки новых Морбидяшек:
Полноформат:

Семёрочка:

NIKLAS KVARFORTH покидает остальные проекты, чтобы сконцентрироваться на работе с SHINING

Основатель и фронтмен группы SHINING Niklas Kvarforth опубликовал сегодня следующее заявление:

«За последнее время произошло много событий, связанных с SHINING. Быстрый рост популярности группы и те обязанности, которые она на меня налагает, означают, что для меня стало невозможным продолжать работу в качестве вокалиста с другими командами. Это касается моей работы с BETHLEHEM, которые сами понимают, что не смогут в дальнейшем со мной сотрудничать. BETHLEHEM остаются моей самой любимой группой, и в будущем я желаю им самого лучшего. Также я покину DEN SAAKALDTE.

Таким образом, с этого момента я буду лишь иногда принимать гостевое участие на альбомах других команд, главным для меня будет SHINING. Это, тем не менее, не коснется моего сотрудничества с SKITLIV, поскольку их фронтмен Maniac выполняет большую часть творческой работы.
Как всегда, я и остальные участники группы ценим поддержку, оказываемую фанатами SHINING, а также то терпение, с которым они ждут выхода нового альбома 'VII'. В скором времени появятся хорошие новости по этому поводу».

Печально, что уходит из Bethlehem, на последней эпишке очень уж круто он спел.

Обложка нового Autopsy:

Можно предзаказать здесь.

*Year: 2011
*Genre: Apocalyptic Neofolk
*Country: United Kingdom
*Format: mp3@VBR220kbps
*Size: 60MB

Tracklist:
01. Kingdom 0:41
02. Moon 5:02
03. Persimmon 4:07
04. Cuckoo 4:06
05. Jasmine 3:48
06. Lily 4:37
07. Pomegranate 6:01
08. Honeysuckle 3:04
09. Sunflower 3:39
10. Planet 1:48
11. Queendom 0:44
******************************
Total playing time: 37:37

Какая разница, что там лежит в теме, тот релиз изначально был лоу-битрейтный. А вообще, наверно было бы логичней, если бы в шапку той темы засунули качество, и перенесли в обычные релизы, но чо теперь поделать-то, если правила такие.

Ulver, всё же, удивительная группа. Это уже их четвёртый полноформатный альбом подряд, в котором каждая секунда наполнена неповторимой магией и красотой. Ещё до прослушивания можно было сразу понять, что здесь слабых мест не будет. Потрясающе.
Если кто не знает, кстати, в Providence, помимо великолепной Сири Стрэнджер, подпевает Аттила Чихар.
[more="Полный список гостей."]
ATTILA CSIHAR: Voice on III.
EMIL HUEMER: Guitar on IV.
TROND MJШEN: Acoustic & lap steel guitar on VI. Electric guitar on I & IV. Electric bass guitar on III & IV.
ANDERS MШLLER: Percussion on VI.
STEVE NOBLE: Drums & percussion on II & VII.
DANIEL QUILL: Violin on II, III & V.
SIRI STRANGER: Voice on III.
STEPHEN THROWER: Clarinet on VII.
ALEX WARD: Clarinet on II & III.
STIAN WESTERHUS: Electric guitar on VI. Bowed electric guitar on II, III & VII.[/more]

Я не прошаренный в стоунере, но релиз этот очень клёвый. Расслабляющая стоунеро-спейсовая смесь с ленивыми соляками неторопливо льётся в уши. Кстати, концовка Hammer Boogie очень напомнила концовку 21'st Century Schizoid Man от сами знаете кого.

Да кстати, тоже напомнило.

Раньше их не слышал, решил вот послушать чо это за The Haunted такой. Прогрессива нету, трэша тоже не увидел.
Модная унылость какая-то. Зачастую в подобных релизах можно встретить какой-нибудь цепляющий хит, тут же тотальная безхитярность.
Ну, не знаю, может они такими и были раньше, свой стиль, все дела, но слушать предыдущие релизы не хочется уже.

Печальненько. Ну ничо, поди соберутся таки и запишут второй Darkness Descends.

Снежок-то уже новый альбом записывает.

News from the recording studio!
Neige: "We are in Markus Stock's Studio E since one week now to record the next Alcest album. I worked a lot on composing new material last year, the result is really epic and otherworldly. It gather all the aspects I liked from each Alcest release until now, ideologically and musically. It's a synthesis work. This record will containing eight songs and I am sure it will be an important step in Alcest's discography."

Ну а чо, неплохой релиз, хорошая тупая гриндуха.

Впечатляющее превью нового альбома Nargaroth.
[youtube]QgRdiPgzBnk[/youtube]
На этот раз Канвульф угорает по эмбиентным делам
Напомню, что альбом выходит 22-го апреля.
http://metal-archives.com/release.php?id=300194

Скачал вот, послушал, это ваще.
Каждая песня - хитяра.

[more=Lifelover(Kim Karlsson) for mortemzine.net - February 2011 (ENG)]

1. Hi there, Kim, I wish you good evening. If I am not mistaken, this is your first interview with the Czech readers ever. Here it is snowing again and the mist is squandered all over the hillsides. In what mood did this interview nip round your weather?

It’s an frost-covered afternoon in Belgium for me accompanied by a bottle of wine for breakfast. In Sweden it’s still snowing from time to time depending on location.

2. The release of your new album "Sjukdom" is drawing near with no restrain and I can already say that it will be one of the main topics of this interview. Not too long ago you even released two tracks ("Expandera" and "Totus Anctus") for a free listen; these might show the listener a bit of your evolving vision. What was the main impulse for composing the new album after the previous "Dekadens" and how does in your eyes "Sjukdom" fit into the mosaic that is Lifelover? What does this album mean to you personally?

With our new album we’re showing more of our agressive side while our previous works were led more by the melancholy which is more of an underlying tone on the new album. We are always interested in adding something new to Lifelover and as all members come from different backgrounds but share common views there will always be something new for us to expand upon with each new album with Lifelover.

3. Before we start with the more concrete questions about music itself, let's talk a bit about the visual side of Lifelover. The booklet graphics of your records have always been original mixtures of irony and painfulness in a nice technical jacket. I still remember the photographies and pictures connected with the lyrics that jumped at me after opening the booklet, which always was a good experience (for example the photographies to Besatt, Nackskott and Medicinmannen). What would you say about the graphic side of Sjukdom, its symbols and the author?

We always want a connection and contrast in each visual representation of our works and this is something that always has been present in Lifelover and always will. For difference there is much more of a entirety both outside and within the visual aspects of Sjukdom, all that is beautiful is made into filth and all that is dirty is depicted with beauty.

4. Well, now to the music. The record is dominated by a well-balanced sound, but also a drum machine. I have to admit that I did not expect this, especially after "Dekadens" which works very well with the live production. What exactly lead you to this return to the "roots" of Lifelover? If it is possible to judge, what suits you more?

We will never use either a real drummer or machine just for the sake of it, but for Sjukdom we only went accordingly to what fit with the music.

5. When Lifelover first appeared on the musical horizon, you and B were the ones firmly holding the composing reins. As time passed, two drummers appeared in the line-up and it has grown up to two guitarists (we will talk about the poets and lyricists later) - this usually tends to change the overall face of the music. Today, when listening to "Sjukdom", I feel that a lot has changed since the times of "Pulver". And as a lot is hidden under the veil of obscurity, I would like to ask you about the composing process - how did it work, how was it with the ideas and creative influences of all of the participating members?

It’s the same now as in the past, only our knowledge and perspectives are wider now but the way we work remains the same.

6. Lifelover always seemed to me more like a group of friends (fill in any more appropriate description) than a regular band. This is also supported by the fact that you again have a support in the lyrical and vocal duties in your core (especially the return of 1853 made my day, hehe). What fruits does this shared vision seen by different eyes bring to the band itself? I am one of those people who need the lyrical side to be in symbiosis with the musical one.

We all come from different backgrounds but we all share many views upon life and the world we live in and compliment each other in the institution that is Lifelover.


7. When I think about each of your albums and place "Sjukdom" on the peak of this record pyramid, I can not look through the progression from the gentle and sorrowful melodies inoculated by aggression and noise towards the present result; the strong rock roots and the melancholic piano parts have kept their strength, yet the music in general seems rawer, harsher and faster. Hints of this were already to be felt on "Konkurs", "Dekadens" does not need to be mentioned. In what waters are you planning to plunge into in your further evolution?

Anything can, might and will happen, we have no limitations or set goals with Lifelover, we will simply do what feels natural to us.

8. Music magazines and the listeners have tagged you as gloomy rock/black metal band. When I recall the many debates about what black metal as a genre should and should not be, I also will ask you about this trifle. Vast part of the black metal community sees depressions, powerlessness and these certain kinds of inner inhibition in general as weaknesses that do not belong to the genre. How would you yourself define and identify your music and the genres you draw from, or are you free of these "studies"?

We refrain from being generalized into any set genres besides our own domain of Narcotic Metal. It is very different to talk about depression and what it implies than letting it be what defines you, this is something very different from the majority of people and the individuals within Lifelover. I would with uttermost certitude say that we are free. We are doing what comes natural to us and have only done exactly what we want and feel like without caring what anyone might think about it. Besides that we have never clamied to be any part of any blackmetal movement, so why should be judged by the rules of this movement?

9. Few days ago, when I was looking through the internet to collect some information about your album or a possibility of ordering it, I came across an unusual "megapack" containing not just the record itself but also a lot of "funny stuff" - things like a razor, a syringe or a piece of cloth with your logo. I was kind of shocked, hehe. Is it meant to be more of a bonus and diversification for the connoisseurs and the die-hards fans or a kind of a sarcastic joke and provocation?

I don’t really care what anyone thinks about it or how you may react. No matter what you get there will always be something useful that can be done with it and the only limitations is the associations followed by each item you may encounter. You may call it whatever you want, but in the end it’s not more than what you make of it.

10. I see the lyrical side as a completely necessary part of Lifelover. It is mostly in your mother tongue which means quite a few problems for a Czech listener. Be it the old school sitting in a darkened room with the booklet, a dictionary and a glass of wine or a more practical using of digital sources, my fellow countrymen just need to translate. Imagine that you speak with a reader that has not quite got to your lyrical side yet or does not know how to do that exactly. How would you introduce your collective art to him? One more question I would like to ask you - have you ever thought about releasing a book of poems or your lyrics or any other form of literary expression?

We don’t have any strict guidelines how to interpret our music or words, there is always something for anyone to find between the lines we’ve written and a special meaning to each lyric for each individual that reads in no matter what language it will be in. To anyone that isn’t blind it should be obvious what it’s about combining the visual and lyrical aspects, if that person needs an introduction besides that it needs to search further, it can’t be more clear than that. Something visual and/or lyrical may happen in the future, time will tell.

11. Lifelover is music combining a lot of different feelings. In addition to your characteristic "bittersweetness" which has become quite a trademark of yours, there is a lot of different emotions and feelings roaming through you music, often these are contrasting. Here and there, everything feels really bizzare and maybe even sarcastic. What could you say about your life attitudes and philosophies that influence you not only when composing music? And, how has your lives been shaped by the existence of such project as Lifelover is?

Lifelover has always been used to show what is natural to each member of the band so it’s only only the existence of Lifelover that shapes us but our existences that shapes Lifelover, the difference lies of course in that Lifelover will never be what defines us as persons while what we experience personally definitely defines Lifelover.


12. These days, the liking to various collaborations and split albums is apparent. Yet Lifelover do not have any such album. Could you nowadays imagine any collaboration with a musically close artist or a friend or is this vision completely out of the question even for the future? I also would like to ask you what your opinion about the issues of such collaboration is, in case this is not somehow clear from your previous answer...

So far there have not been any clear purpose in anything like that while we might consider it if the people involved in it have the right attitude and the results of this may be a big surprise for many people. We have some ideas and options but nothing is ever set in stone. An issue would clearly be that many individuals rather change than evolve during the course of time and that is definitely an issue with things such as collaborations or splits, it would be very necessary to share a very strong bond on many different aspects for us to do something like this and obviously it has proven to not exist at the current period of time.

13. You have performed live a few times in you career. I would like to ask you what this experience with Lifelover brought or took away? Your music carries a certain sense of intimacy and I personally would recommend it more for a private listening. Did the live performance bring desired fruits? If yes, will we ever see you on stage in the Czech Republic?

Performing lives at a whole different dimension to our music and the atmosphere that it contains, so it’s definitely crucial to do so from time to time, and we will definitely try to come to your country at some period of time. It’s all up to the promotors and organizers. We are up for suggestions...

14. Now maybe a bit tricky question. The music you create in addition to satisfying and filling (or destroying) your very core also influences the listeners. What are your personal thoughts of the people that listen to Lifelover or are influenced by it? And let's be even a bit more bizzare - please, try to describe what would the ideal listener getting his hands on "Sjukdom" would be.

There is no ideal listener and personally I really couldn’t care less about what kind of person that comes in contact with anything that I do is. The only thing that would be of interest would be that the individuals exposed to our music creates their own vision of it and think more as this is something I find too uncommon in people.

15. Well, that is probably everything I wanted to ask you today, for which I would really like to thank you, Kim (or someone else?). As is a good habit here on Mortem Zine, I also would like to ask you for a few final words, a conclusion, completion or anything I forgot to ask...So, now it is really everything from me, be well and a wish Lifelover good luck and a lot of energy for future works.

HUGS AND DRUGS. [/more]

Печально осознавать, что группа с которой я начинал слушать митал, скатилась в такое говно.
Единственное, что хорошо сделано на альбоме, это солячки, в этом плане у них всегда было всё чотко.

Да пускай хоть раком встаёт там на сцене, для меня главное, чтобы Шайнинг дальше выпускали такие же хорошие релизы как три последних альбома. Согласен, он алкаш, провокатор, и, может быть, действительно педик.
Но вокал у него отличный, и музыку Шайнинг делает высочайшего качества, что надеюсь подтвердит следующий релиз.

Не очень свежее, интересное интервью с Clair Cassis.
[more=Clair Cassis (Josh) for Starlight Temple Society - January 2010 (ENG)]
-Good evening Mr. Josh. As you know, Jon "Thorns", the mouthy illegal alien who runs Full Moon Productions (and a midget escort business on the side) was going to send you an interview but I told him to fuck off because we both know his communication skills are about as dry as a loaf of fruitcake. What an idiot. Anyway, how are you?
Josh: I'm good, sleepy, full on salmon and wine and stoned out of my mind.

-Let's begin with the main subject: Clair Cassis. Can you give a brief synopsis?
J: As brief as possible: we're a black metal band from Portland involving members who love to create really good songs.

-Why exactly did you end Velvet Cacoon so abruptly to begin Clair Cassis? I think myself and others were quite shocked because the fabulous "P aa opal poere pr.33" was such a step up from "Genevieve" and it had an original style all of it's own which really seemed like it could be developed even further. So what happened? Why did CC supplant VC?
J: Clair Cassis is essentially a "pop" version of Velvet Cacoon. Whereas VC consisted of longer, dense, production-heavy black metal wrapped in a haze of guitar distortions, Clair Cassis is a cleaner, more coherent and compacted version.. the songs are short and sweet, like empty calories. Saccharine metal. We wanted CC stuff to be catchy (by black metal standards) with a strong focus on quality songwriting. All the baggage attached to VC just wasn't fun anymore, so it made sense to go out with a bang (Atropine/33).

-Before we go any further, what are thoughts on "P aa opal poere pr. 33"? Are you happy that this album closes out the tenure of Velvet Cacoon?
J: It took five years to make sure every second of that album was perfect. It was the ultimate VC sound, there was nothing else we could've done with that whole nautical ambient black metal atmosphere. That album is so huge in so many ways, and seeing as Clair Cassis and Atropine are also out there, I think P aa opal will go by under the radar. I doubt I'll ever put that much time into an album again because being a perfectionist to such a degree is really, really, really exhausting, but I think that album in particular will be the one VC is remembered for.
-So in other words you see "P aa opa...." as Velvet Cacoon's magnum opus?
J: I honestly can't even fathom using that term for any VC releases, not because I don't love what I do but because to me there's really only two true Velvet Cacoon black metal full length albums, "Genevieve" and "33", and they are so different that each balances out the other. With that said, as a musician, you always feel closer to what you've most recently created, it's closer to you and what's going on in your mind. The most recent album, "33", was also more perfectly fleshed out. "Genevieve" had some shortcuts that now bother me such as the lack of bass guitar and the fact we never finished Laudanum like it should've been.

-How about "Atropine"? You told me once that this was your favorite Velvet Cacoon material. Does this still hold true? For what reasons?
J: Yeah, "Atropine" is my favorite thing ever, even moreso than Clair Cassis. The music on it just completely soaks into my brain, it's my favorite stuff to have on in the background when I'm doing something. It's so dense and concentrated, it just feels like black vines growing around me when it's playing. I love how cozy and visual it is, especially when listened to under the covers with some quality headphones. I think it, combined with "Genevieve" and "33", create a very strong trilogy of releases.

-Moving on.....Describe the debut of Clair Cassis track by track. How is this album similar or dissimilar to what you were doing with Velvet Cacoon?
J: Track by track, this is about the most accurate breakdown of the album I could give:
Ambercandle: The purpose here was to create a song that absolutely decimated in a live setting. I think it's the perfect song to introduce people to Clair Cassis.
The Feathered Fog: The first song written for the Clair Cassis album after the P aa opal Poere Pr 33 recording was finished. I think it's a really solid track and probably the best representation of our sound.
Kir Royale: An experimental tune, a distorted Gretsch White Penguin guitar being gently tapped with velvet mallets, the tapping leads to hammering, then back to tapping. The first take of this was around 10 minutes, then we did it again and cut it down to a couple of minutes. It's got a good atmosphere.
Our Overwintering in the Ivories: "The black metal song". The second half is an old Pumkiva song.
Pearls & Pinesmoke: This one has a bit of groove to break up the faster parts before the second part kicks in. Angela's bass lines on this song are my favorite part of the album.
Noctilucent Petrichor: We wanted to do a "Genevieve" kind of song for the album and this was it.
Hazelhearted in the Seaparlour: At least once a summer I sail from Miami to the Bahamas. This is a tune about those trips. The refrain repeats "Under the sea is the sea is a lighthouse a lighthouse a lighthouse". It's the zone-out track.

-Although you describe Clair Cassis as being "less atmospheric" than Velvet Cacoon, there's still a prevailing moody undercurrent that conjures the spirit of "Dextronaut" and even "P aa....". I think we can both agree on that?
J: Yeah there's definitely a little atmosphere to add in some color.. it's not a bone dry and raw black metal sound. We wanted to keep the album short and to the point, like the older pop records from the 60's. With VC we tried to make the albums flow together so much that it was one big hazy blur. With Clair Cassis there is more of an emphasis on each song being it's own little thing, each song has its own personality, each one its own atmospheric style.

-Some of the tracks on the CC debut are quite puzzling. "Hazelhearted in the Seaparlour", "Our Overwintering in the Ivories" and "The Feathered Fog" for instance seem to make little sense to us, but maybe they mean something to you?
J: I think it's silly to try to convey any deep message via lyrics in black metal, so I prefer to make everything really pretty. I call it wordpainting, drugs taught me this. I think these colorful wordplays do a good job at describing the music we create, moreso than some bland title like "The Dark Mountain" that's too ambiguous to mean anything at all.

-What so far is your favorite aspect of the album, and Clair Cassis in general?
J: Starting from a clean slate is nice, really refreshing. My favorite thing about the album is probably how enjoyable it is to listen to. VC material took a lot of patience and concentration, you really had to give yourself over to the music to enjoy it. With Clair Cassis, you can sit down, hit play and 3 seconds in you're already into the song; short attention spans, short verses, short bridges, short refrains - repetition and minimalism don't really live here anymore, no more room for noodling around with aimless drones.

-Does LVG, your French dream pop muse, continue to work with you through Clair Cassis? If so, how is she adjusting to the change over to Clair Cassis from Velvet Cacoon?
J: She does, and she is. She writes all the bass lines herself and wrote all of Our Overwintering in the Ivories. I am a control freak and had a tight leash on the VC material, but with Clair Cassis I hold back and let Daniel and Angela write a fair amount and it always sounds good. The three of us have been talking and making music together for almost 10 years now, we are all perfectly aligned when it comes to the sound we've created over the years.

-What other musicians are you working with or plan to work with in the future? Is D.Marvin still keen on contributing his talents?
J: Daniel and I have been more productive musically in the last year than the previous 9 combined. We've got most of the 2nd Clair Cassis album already written, which will likely be out in autumn 2010. I'm not sure if any collaborations will happen with Clair Cassis.. I'm really happy with just the three of us.

-We covered the aesthetic (dis)similarities between CC and VC- now how about the creative and artistic side of this? Is anything different between composing and writing music for Clair Cassis and Velvet Cacoon?
J: It's more of a group effort, and it's not so overthought. With VC there was a tendency to write a song, then practice it over and over, slowly changing parts here and there until it eventually formed an entirely new song, and this would go on and on and on until we recorded it. Wherever the song was at when it was time to record, that's how it was recorded. With Clair Cassis, it's the complete opposite. I just want to make these songs a bunch of little three and four minute morsels of black metal, coherent and really enjoyable to listen to. For us it's all about quality tunes. Obviously we're not trying to impress anyone with trueness or whatever, or being overly serious/silly and pretending we're vampires living in some frostbitten dungeon. The only interest we have is in letting our music do the talking.
-Would you say then that Clair Cassis is easier to create for than Velvet Cacoon?
J: Much easier, and more enjoyable too. It's so simple, we don't overanalyze it so much anymore, the flow is more evident. We smoke pot, dress ourselves silly, douse ourselves in perfume and go to our practice hall.. everything comes out so perfectly now.

-The douchebag who runs Full Moon Productions asked me if the name "Clair Cassis" has something to do with Harry Potter. So I slapped him, told him to shut the fuck up and ignored his question. But that does beg an answer because googling the name provides little to no help in uncovering what a Clair Cassis is or what a Clair Cassis does. If Josh's mighty brain were googleable then what would I discover about this name that I don't already suspect?
J: More wordpainting. Clair is French for 'clear' and Cassis is 'black currant', an ingredient in antique perfumery that I adore. The name Clair Cassis had a unique ring to it so that's what we started calling ourselves. There was no real thought put into it, and the name holds no significance whatsoever.

- There seems to be a ton of rumbling out there in the blogosphere about the arrival of CC. What kinds of comments are you noticing from fans and detractors alike? Have you been surprised by this reaction?
J: I really have no idea. In the first few years of Velvet Cacoon I used to spend time reading everyone's opinion but these days I don't even care. People's opinions are pretty much always going to be the same no matter what it is you're doing. If anything, I kind of hope to avoid some of the fanaticism that hit VC. Eventually people got so into our sound that anything we did that deviated from what was expected was met with really harsh criticism and bewilderment, plus people began wanting information about me personally which I'm not into. I'm a silly, pointless human.. even doing this interview makes me feel silly because nothing I say has any importance.

-This debut Clair Cassis album won't be a one-off thing, I hope? If not, where do we go from here?
J: We're entering the studio again in late Feb and will have our 2nd album out later this year.
-No two Velvet Cacoon albums have ever sounded alike. Will the Clair Cassis follow up be any different?
J: Yeah, the new Clair Cassis stuff is very different.. more structured, not much fast material, lots of hypnotic midpaced stuff with really nice production. The new tunes are real catchy.
-Well, we're done! :-) Feel free to scold me if anything was missed. In the meantime, good night.
J: Sleep tight, don't let the Euronymous-bugs bite! [/more]

[more=Interview with the Guitar Player from Shining(swe) Peter Huss for heavyhardmetalmania.net (ENG)]
A few days of starting the tour "Death Holy Death" we spoke with the guitarist of "Shining" Peter Huss!
The conversation walked around the tour and the next release!

1-A few days of starting this tour "Death Holy Death Europe 2011"with Watain and Aesoth, what to expect from it?


Well, the fans can expect an uncompromising show and probably they will leave totaly drained of energy.

It´s a solid line-up and they can look forward to the best... A good thing is also that we will focus on the west south/west Europe on this tour. We have played so much in countrys like Germany the last few years, and only one time in portugal 2008, that it´s really good with a different route now.



2- Given the growth in all aspects of Watain recently and made thenominations and awards are now a reference in the band BlackMetal, this tour could also serve as a launching pad for theShining?

Yeah! I meen, hopefully we will all benefit from this tour.
But naturaly we will reach out to alot more motherfuckers thanks to watain.


3-The news that have left tell us that the demand for tickets is to be very good in Lisbon they changed the starting location for a bigger /better for logistic reasons. "high demand"?, will it be a good omen for the tour?

Well, I have´nt heard any pre-sales for any of the other shows so I honestly don´t know.
But my guess is that it will be a really good tour when it comes to ticket sales.


4-Some people say the Shining are the Opeth of Black Metal, do you agree? Is this label founded?

I have never really thought about this. If some people think that, well then maybe it is so?
But I think it´s a really flattering comparison, all of us in the band loves opeth.
But we have´nt tryed to be "the black metal opeth" if you now what I meen!?


5-Following the previous question, "Shining" presents us with a very well worked black metal, you as a man of large projects (Apostasy, RuinedSoul, Unlocked, Pantheon I), among others, are a guitarist reference, what do you foresee for your future?

Well, first of all I consider myself "a guitarist" and not the typical black metal guy.
Take Apostasy for example, it might be black metal but it sound more like a mixture of dimmu borgir and symphony x.
I like to do as much different projects as I can, big or small, pop or black metal, it really does´nt matter. What can I say, I just love to play guitar.
And talking about Apostasy, you should really check out the new album "nuclear messiah" when it hits the streets in may. Good shit!


6-Changing the subject slightly, Shining still remains in the producer shelf? How is this possible?

If you refer to the new album and all the delays? Well, it´s a long story... let´s just say that it is now finished and after our label have done the promotion a release date will be official.


7-The Indie Records put money into the production of the album, what are they doing to the same in order to be finalized?

Indie has from day one given us alot of support, more then they really should have. And they have also taken full responsibility
for promoting and puting the album out on the streets as soon as it´s possible.
The delay has not been because of them. But a big part of the delay was that we could´nt get enough time in the studio due to other bookings there.


8- It appeared on the net that this tour would be at risk for Shining because of Shining VII not being ready on time, yet you chose to do it professionally, but the losses are many since the output of one album supported with a tour behind definitely brings more advantages at all levels, are they thinking to take any action against the producer?

It´s not really a risk to do the tour, it will be good anyway. But of course it would be better if the album was out allready.
We will play songs from the new album so it will be like a promotion tour instead.
And for your question the answer is no. No actions are needed, we will leave it all beahind us and move on.


9-The Shining has become one of black metal cult band!
What can fans expect from this new album?

To be honest I don´t have a fucking clue... I think the "usual", some will like it, some will hate it...
But I guess that you want me to describe the music and direction? It´s sort of a mixture of the three latest albums.
The production is more like 'the erie cold' in a way, a little softer then 'klagopsalmer' and more "open" then 'Halmstad' I guess.
When it comes to the songs I can´t really describe it... A couple of the songs are allready on youtube from different live shows, but basicly I think it´s up to the listener to here and judge...


10-Can you comment on the following:
The management and promotion of the band goes by the great lady who is Patricia Thomas, every day I see great praise for her work, I am myself a student and admirer of her work, she is different in some way from all others, she treats each band as they were a child from her own!

Yeah, I totally agree! Patricia has done alot of great work and I really appreciate her dedication to music.
I have of course met her many times and she is just great. She has helped us alot!


11-One last word for fans of the Shining who follow HeavyHardMetalmania!
Thanks Peter and see you at Hard Club Porto

I hope to see alot of you when we bring our show to portugal, and get ready for the real fucking deal!

Thank you![/more]

Неплохой альбом, сочненький такой дэтх. Что ожидал - то и получил.

Тут можно скачать инструментальную песенку Horns Emerging. Ким ищет вокалистку и предлагает любой желающей наложить на песню вокал и прислать ему. В тегах, кстати, указано и название альбома - Spleen.

Дык в сентябре 2011 реюнион концерт же. Правда, похоже без Гармца, но всё же.

Ну, Ulver вполне на уровне. Хотя группы, конечно, совершенно разные.