2013 and 1/3: The Best Albums of the 2010s (So Far)

Shining: BlackjazzShining: Blackjazz (Indie Recordings, 2/2/10)

“Fisheye”

Shining: “Fisheye”

Beginning as an experimental acoustic jazz ensemble, Norway’s Shining — the brainchild of saxophonist Jørgen Munkeby — transformed to a progressive jazz-fusion outfit before delving into its darker side for a collaboration with black-metallists Enslaved.

Blackjazz pushes deeper into the band’s dark recesses, forging a progressive industrial sound for the young century. Big, complex rock riffs, twisted through gnarly distortion, form the foundation and support a mass of frantic, whirring synth lines and gut-wrenching black-metal screams. In all, Blackjazz is a new epic — and perhaps the best metal album of 2010.

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