UMUR "Submit to Selfdestruction" is a 7" EP release by Swedish black metal act Shining. The EP was originally released through Selbstmord Services and limited to 300 hand-numbered vinyl copies but the material from the EP have since been released as part of the "Through Years of Oppression (2004)" compilation album which is easier to find. Needless to say that the original version is a rare collector´s item. The two tracks on the EP were recorded in 1996 by the trio of Wraith aka Niklas Kvarforth (guitars, bass), Robert Ayddan (vocals), and Impaler aka Ted Wedebrand (drums). The former (who was born in 1983), was only 13 years old at the time of recording the material...

...which is not audible when listening to the music, as both tracks are very well developed and cleverly composed. It´s a heavy and predominantly mid-paced (although occasionally a little faster-paced, but there are no blast beats or anything like that here) atmospheric type of black metal. The mood is bleak and depressing as are the lyrics. The vocals are screaming and desperate. The sound production is raw and primitive yet still effectful and powerful. While it´s not the most clear sounding production job, you still get a good idea of the band´s vision, and it´s not one of those lo-fi "recorded in the bedroom" type black metal productions, where the artist have made every effort to make it sound as noisy, murky, and raw as possible. On the other hand it´s not a production I´d call professional either, but it suits the music well, and that´s the important part.

Shining weren´t the most technically skilled musicians at this point, and considering their age, that´s not really a surprise, but the music is generally well performed and upon conclusion "Submit To Selfdestruction" is a promising first release by Shining. Featuring a playing time of 13:32 minutes the EP also allows the listener to get aquainted with the sound of Shining and in that respect it´s certainly a successful release. A 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating is warranted.

Conor Fynes 'Submit To Self-Destruction' - Shining (5/10)

Recorded and released while Niklas Kvarforth was still making his way through the angsty teenage years, 'Submit To Self-Destruction' opens the journey of Shining on an exceptionally lo-fi note. As a self-produced, adolescent demo, this is a far cry from the professional, progressive act that the band would evolve into less than a decade later. As a thirteen minute sample of Shining's music, there is not much to write about here. 'Endless Solitude' takes a more emotional approach when compared to the more riff-oriented title track. The musicianship is fairly amateurish, but not sloppy. The production of 'Submit To Self- Destruction' is incredibly muffled as one would expect from a black metal band at this stage, and in order to listen to it properly, I found it necessary to turn the volume knob far past what I'm used to. It is a quiet, unclear wave of sound, but the songwriting on Shining's demo makes this a small slice of the band's work that deserves to be checked out by the band's fans. Kvarforth's vocal delivery is tortured and impressive, especially considering he was in his teens when this was released. It won't inspire a great deal of admiration outside of Shining's fanbase, but as early demos go, I've been pleasantly surprised by Shining.