SHINING BLACK FT. BOALS & THORSON – Shining Black

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.

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