SHINING (NOR)
THE PHYSICS HOUSE BAND/THIS BE THE VERSE
UNDERWORLD, LONDON
Norway’s blackjazz piledrivers tear a new wormhole
an eclectic line-up, and packing a heaviness that belies their unassuming image, London’s THIS BE THE VERSE [7] have got grooves that shake the whole venue and a drummer who attacks his kit with impeccable precision and furious energy throughout their set. It’s just a shame that there aren’t more people around early on to witness it. Next up, and serving as an instrumental palate-cleanser of sorts, are the megatalented and unusually named THE PHYSICS HOUSE BAND [7], whose short-but-sweet set sprawls out so that songs from this year’s Mercury Fountain all seem to bleed into one long jam session. However, they always skilfully pull it back from the brink of being too masturbatory by leaping to a different tempo at just the right moment.
The strains of Zager & Evans’ kooky dystopian hit, In The Year 2525, signal that it’s time for Norway’s SHINING [9]. They inject their set with a healthy dose of brand new material, kicking off with latest single Everything Dies and showcasing a beautiful new song, Hole In The Sky, alongside old favourites from 2010’s Blackjazz full-length. Tonight’s show is a masterclass in taking one of the most technical art forms and making it crushingly heavy and exciting – not least due to hyperactive band leader, Jørgen Munkeby, whose saxophone-shredding on Healter Skelter and Fisheye will never not be insanely cool. Tonight leaves no doubt that Shining are one of the most unique metal bands in the world right now.