Animal Limited Translucent Cyan Vinyl LP

Shining Animal Limited Translucent Cyan Vinyl LP

Overview:

Prodigious, prolific and instinctively rebellious, Jørgen Munkeby is the unique creative force behind Norway’s legendary jazz-metal warriors Shining. Active in the amorphous musical underground since 1999, the band began life as an acoustic jazz ensemble before morphing, repeatedly and wilfully, into a wild variety of new shapes and sounds, always driven by their leader’s restless spirit.

From its retina-frying artwork to its relentless stream of memorable refrains, Animal is simply the ultimate 21st century party metal carnival. Entirely saxophone-free and yet utterly unmistakable as a Shining record, it’s the Norwegians most startling record yet. Comprising ten short, sharp and fervently melodic bursts of meticulous but mad-eyed rock’n’roll, Munkeby’s rejuvenated vision has led to some of the most euphoric moments in recent rock history.

Opener Take Me and the thunderous title track that follows set the scene in a blaze of gleaming hooks and pummelling grooves, while My Church brings some glam-tinged Sabbathian rumble and Queen-like pomp to proceedings. Elsewhere, Fight Song delivers on its title with a pulverising electro-riff assault, the self-explanatory Smash It Up! is a perfectly-pitched call-to-arms with a chorus the size of Jupiter and ultra-dramatic closer Hole In The Sky brings Animal to a close in true, extravagant power ballad fashion, replete with a vocal duet between Munkeby and acclaimed Norwegian pop singer Linnea Dale.

An album of many highs, spine-tingling dynamics and tunes – oh, the tunes! – that will take up residence in your skull for the rest of 2018... Animal is both a massive surprise for Shining fans and an album that promises to send Munkeby’s crew rocketing up the rock’n’roll ladder. Primarily written by Munkeby and new Shining bassist Ole Vistnes, it’s an album that comes direct from the band’s collective beating heart, with lyrics that touch upon their leader’s own personal struggles – not least his father’s recent near-death brush with ill-health – while also offering a hopeful, positive and often inspirational view of the future and its limitless possibilities.

FOR FANS OF: Muse, Nine Inch Nails, Rob Zombie

Featured Tracks:

01. Take Me
02. Animal
03. My Church
04. Fight Song
05. When The Lights Go Out
06. Smash It Up!
07. When I’m Gone
08. Everything Dies
09. End
10. Hole In The Sky (with Linnea Dale)