The word Shining has such wonderfully barbaric connotations that it is understandable that not one, but two Scandinavian Black Metal acts have chosen to adopt the moniker.

The Shining, a Norwegian Black Jazz ensemble are no strangers to this very list. However, this is the other Shining. The Swedish one, fronted by controversial motormouth Niklas Kvarforth. Like a Black Metal Mark E Smith, he has been known to start fights with band members and to sabotage their equipment. As you can expect they have had a whole barrel load of members since their inception in 1996 (there are 23 former incumbents by my reckoning and of the current line up all but Peter Huss are class of 2022).

This is album number 11 and they have decided to go old school with an eponymous title. It is certainly the best thing I have heard them do and it's a wonderfully emotive take on melodic Black Metal. It avoids the insular and instead is packed full of big wide-screen moments that feel particularly cinematic. It feels ambitious in scope and adheres to production values usually absent in Black Metal.