SHINING BLACK FT. BOALS & THORSON – Shining Black

SHINING BLACK FT. BOALS & THORSON - Shining Black
  • 9/10
    SHINING BLACK FT. BOALS & THORSON - Shining Black - 9/10
9/10

Summary

Frontiers Records
Release date: July 10, 2020

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Shining Black is the debut album from Shining Black, a new project featuring vocalist Mark Boals (Yngwie Malmsteen, Ring Of Fire, Royal Hunt) and guitarist Olaf Thorson (Labyrinth, Vision Divine). With the departure of Labyrinth vocalist Roberto Tiranti, the band sought out a new vocalist, and Mark Boals was chosen. Schedule conflicts prohibited the band from moving forward, and after a brief hiatus, Tiranti returned. The chemistry of Boals and Thorson prompted them to form Shining Black, along with Oleg Smirnoff on keyboards, Nik Mazzucconi on bass, and Matt Peruzzi on drums.

Each track has something to offer, with no filler material or skip tracks. The record kicks off with “The House Of Fallen Souls”, a very strong track with a big hook chorus. “Where Are Your Gods” has some Dio flavor to it. “The Carousel” has a distinctive Dream Theater vibe.

Shining Black is a really good sounding record. The production, engineering, and arrangement are very well done. The musicianship is exceptional. The music is Melodic Metal, with some Power Metal and a touch of Progressive Metal elements. Musically, the influences seem to be primarily late 70s early 80s metal, with a splash of NWOBHM thrown in, making for a tasty mix of classic and modern flavors. Boals has a palette of vocal flavors that bring a nice variation to each song without losing stylistic cohesiveness. Fans of Melodic Metal, Power, and Epic Metal and Boals and Thorson’s previous works will want to check this out.

TUNE INTO METALEXPRESSRADIO.COM at NOON & MIDNIGHT (EST) / 6:00 & 18:00 (CET) TO HEAR THE BEST TRACKS FROM THIS UPCOMING RELEASE!!!

Author

  • Stevie Shred

    Stevie was a reviewer here at Metal Express Radio. He is currently the lead guitarist for Melodic Rock band Red Reign, based in Richmond, Virginia, USA. Red Reign toured with Tesla in 2017, and shared the stage with Dokken, FireHouse, Lita Ford, Kix, Quiet Riot, and others at various dates around the US in 2018. Stevie heard his first KISS record at the age of 6 and was immediately hooked on Rock and Roll guitar. Over the course of years his tastes evolved, graduating from KISS to Ozzy and Van Halen; and then into Hair Metal. Over time, harder and faster music drew him. Bands like Metallica, Pantera, and Anthrax led the way, and Killswitch Engage took him over the top. Stevie has a deep passion for the guitar, not only playing them, but building them as well.

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