GRINDSTONE

After the free-for-all progressive jazz of their previous album "In the Kingdom of Kitsch You Will Be a Monster", young Norwegian quartet Shining seem to have gone all-out for operatic metal and ridiculously elaborate instrumental flourishes in the vein of someone like Dream Theater. Initially, it all sounds incredibly, preposterously theatrical. Oh lordy. Or should that be Lordi? 'Wintereisse' is what Slayer would sound like if they got Rick Wakeman in for a session. Next up is 'Stalemate Longa.