Band:	Shining (NOR)
Album:	One One One
Style:	Experimental Jazz, Alternative metal
Release date:	April 2013

01. I Won't Forget
02. The One Inside
03. My Dying Drive
04. Off The Hook
05. Blackjazz Rebels
06. How Your Story Ends
07. The Hurting Game
08. Walk Away
09. Paint The Sky Black

Good grief, Shining (NOR)! What is this nonsense with suddenly sounding all so logical and normal? What gives, men?

Now, raise your hands if your initial reaction to One One One was something along those lines. Right. Let's see now. For most, the primary point of reference for what Shining (NOR) stands for is likely the hyped Blackjazz, an album whose most modest track is a cover of King Crimson's "Schizoid." That really makes it a true avantgarde release fit for a straight-jacket and an insanity asylum.

In view of Blackjazz, One One One falls flat. Utterly, and completely. That is, it falls flat if it is more of the same that you are looking for. However, Shining (NOR) are not what I'd call a particularly reliable bunch in this sense. To evolve from jazz into Blackjazz is a huge stretch of the imagination. To move beyond... Eventually, the question arises: what is out there beyond Blackjazz?

I have a feeling the band saw their previous album as a sort of a terminus in that direction. They reached the apex and swung around for another destination. Frankly, Blackjazz never became an album of constant joy for me. I never understood the hype around it. It was, however, a companion for a rare schizophrenic mood. One One One on the other hand... Damn, this is an album I actually can and want to listen to again and again.

One One One is straightforward. It is the first step away from the avantgarde that Shining (NOR) had become. This album makes sense. It feels logical and properly structured. And it is catchy. Huh? I know, right! The thing that might be throwing you all off is that it retains a lot of signature sounds from the previous album. It might be exactly why you feel cheated and dissatisfied: same tools are serving a different purpose.

One One One is an excellent album for what it is. It just feels like a short fit of rage thrown at you. Short? Much too short. The moment it ends, you're going to want to have another go. It seems it's best served in double doses. In the end, if we take King Crimson's "Schizoid" as a dividing line, One One One is on the opposite, sane side from Blackjazz. And I love it.