“Så skapar jag nu ännu ett mästerverk.” / “So I now create yet another masterpiece.” ~ Niklas Kvarforth
Sir Niklas Kvarforth — your genius infuriates me to the point that I could burn a million structures of worship. In fact, I see no reason not to set the whole world and more ablaze in honor of your divinely destructive agenda. An inspiration to psychopaths everywhere, you define the gold standard in regard to how to constructively, purposefully, and systemically deconstruct. In my humble opinion, you are truly the most talented individual on the surface of this wretched earth. As the Emissary of Death, you must have been truly touched in all the wrong yet most blessed ways by Satan while in the womb; for you have revealed yourself to be His best servant. Now that you and your most venerable label, The Sinister Initiative, are unleashing Shining’s The Helsinki Tapes upon us, we are left with no choice but to hate you even more for exposing us to such eye-opening darkness and blinding flames; damn you for provoking the stream of toxic positivity that will proceed as a consequence of your musical actions in defiance of humanity.
Indeed, The Helsinki Tapes, the demos for Shining’s eighth full-length milestone, 2012’s Redefining Darkness, will officially be unveiled on Friday the 13th of December. Similarly, Friday the 13th of January 2023, saw the release of the debut from Kvarforth’s supergroup with the legendary Cernunnus of Manes, Høstsol’s Länge Leve Döden — an instant classic that belongs beside Filosofem. Länge Leve Döden happened to premiere on the very same day as another devilish scorcher, Neon Noir, the first full-length solo effort by Ville Valo, whose Heartagram logo Kvarforth wore in the video for Benighted’s “Spit” — a strange and seemingly random fact worth noting because, as I’ve said before: Niklas Kvarforth, MetalSucks’ man of 2023 and, as recognized by Loudwire, perhaps black metal’s greatest sex symbol, just might have the sexiest voice in all of music next to Mr. Valo.
However, the ever-charming and princely Sir Kvarforth is a man of many voices, and, on The Helsinki Tapes, this chameleon experimented with new ones for the very first time, blending different types of vocals in ways that he hadn’t done previously. As elsewhere, Sir Kvarforth, an awarded poet, captivates us with his sublime use of both English and Swedish, thus widening the reach of his message without sacrificing his native tongue. Of course, Redefining Darkness is a style of its own, beyond categorization, and 100% the complex entity that is Kvarforth. Yet, it is possible to state that, besides black metal, it contains facets of prog, doom, pop, rock, and more — eternal reverence to the Swedish Music Hall of Famers Kent, whom Kvarforth rightly admires. As the Norwegian artist on The Helsinki Tapes has pointed out, “avant-garde” has become a hollow and abused word. Nevertheless, if reendowed with its meaning, it could certainly be applied to The Helsinki Tapes and Redefining, on which Kvarforth clearly forged something revolutionary, leaving audiences awestruck by his radical ingenuity.
Ultimately, Redefining Darkness would be produced at Vargberg’s Sonic Train Studios by King Diamond’s renowned Andy La Rocque, who doubled as one of the six special guests. Earlier this year and before announcing The Helsinki Tapes, The Sinister Initiative issued the definitive edition of the Redefining Darkness. Know that Kvarforth recorded the beloved cover EP Lots of Girls Gonna Get Hurt during the same period as Redefining. Afterward, Kvarforth experienced the tragic loss of his friend Trond Bråthen, or “Trondr Nefas,” to whom Redefining is dedicated. Bråthen is revered for so many great bands like Urgehal; Vulture Lord; Beastcraft; the genre-defying Angst Skvadron, who bestowed gifts upon us like “The Astroid Haemorhoids and the Drunken Sailor”; etc.
The Helsinki Tapes showcase a magnificent cover by Shining and Cold Prophet’s Tuomas Tahvanainen, one of the holy “Trinity” behind The Sinister Initiative, the third member of which is Mathias Palmroth. If I am to be honest, this morbid yet classically stunning updated design is an improvement. Shining has boldly laid forth the belief that, from a musical perspective, The Helsinki Tapes are “in so many ways far superior to the actual album itself.” I, however, have to respectfully disagree: The studio product cannot be outdone, though The Helsinki Tapes do exceed it in terms of the hypnotic darkness of their otherworldly atmospheres. In other words, the two offerings are different yet equally brilliant masterpieces, the one wielding the scythe of a rawer type of terror, the other being, of course, more polished. A Master of Horror, Sir Niklas Kvarforth is the perfect manifestation of evil. As Nietzsche penned: “The evilest is necessary for the Superman’s best.” And, verily, Kvarforth is the Übermensch.
Accordingly, both The Helsinki Tapes and Redefining Darkness reflect the supremacy of their mastermind. Granted, within the apartment rented in Finland’s capital specifically for the purpose of birthing a sonic plague so pernicious as to cause misery for all eternity, Kvarforth crafted The Helsinki Tapes with the assistance of two accomplices: Dødheimsgard’s Yusaf “Vicotnik” Parvez and Shining’s then bassist, Christian Larsson. Vicotnik’s presence happens to be an incredibly welcome surprise because he, Kvarforth, Cern, and two other fine fellows are, by far and without a contest, the artists whom I respect most due to their authenticity, innovation, and unsurpassed excellence. However, what first might seem like a coincidence is actually proof that great minds find each other.
Opening The Helsinki Tapes, we have “Kanvasduk / Hudkostym,” which later became “Du, Mitt Konstverk” — an invaluable masterwork that defines the height of art and belongs in a museum where it would certainly outshine its surroundings. Kvarforth’s barbaric yet controlled cadence blows the mind with enough force to splatter the wall in Jackson Pollack fashion. As sophistication and its opposite combine to form what feels like the most complete expression of the masculine ideal, Kvarforth projects strength, honor, and vision. His performance here and elsewhere is highly varied, as readers can already assume. For example, he intones the following line with Transylvanian bloodlust: “Med ett rostigt rakblad som pensel.” In a manner that is essentially disturbing enough to make you want to buy a new security system, the polite sadist whispers: “Låt mig få skära dig, jag ber dig, älskling.” As a composer, Kvarforth knows just how to make room for deceptively calmer sections, incorporating dazzling, soaring, and occasionally exotic guitars and so forth. His judgment regarding timing and how to mount tension and suspense, as all else, is impeccable.
Next, we lose ourselves in “The Ghastly Silence,” an orgasmic monolith of greatness in both forms that serves as the optimally fitting soundtrack to the most intolerable hours of suffering, as I can confirm. How enchanting and utterly strange the acoustic intro seems here. The uncanniness awakens new depths of fear within us and also permits the possibility to approach this song as if for the first time, overwhelming all whose ears it touches with renewed appreciation for Kvarforth’s miraculous artistry. Not enough can be expressed about the indescribably gripping majesty of this track. The bass grabs us below the belt, in true presidential fashion, reminding us that Shining is one of the few black metal bands that makes stellar use of this instrument. The nuances and overall character of Kvarforth’s vocal rendition here differ from what we are presented with on Redefining. As on the variant we already know, Kvarforth’s low, harsh vocals are still ridiculously menacing. His clean incantations here are even more ghostly, emanating an impossibly creepy dark magic. Indeed, Kvarforth always puts trained thespians to shame. The demo does not have the saxophone of Andreas Huss, the brother of Shining’s longtime guitar wizard Peter Huss. Although “The Ghastly Silence” demo feels complete as it is, especially, again, seeing as it’s the rawer option, Andreas’ contributions later added wonders.
By virtue of its unnerving power and reasons beyond my comprehension but relating to its merits, the absurdly intense “Misantropen,” the predecessor to “Han Som Hatar Människan,” proves practically unlistenable — in fact, it has the effect of inducing a minor panic attack. It is just too successful, too convincing in its unmixed honesty. Even when Kvarforth releases his little death gasp, a touch that from others would come across as false, I want to smack him for getting himself so damned worked up and consequently scaring us in such a manner. A true rock star, it is Kvarforth, however, who pistol-whips listeners with black n’ roll glory in appropriate measure. Completely within his zone, Kvarforth shreds us to mere fragments with his aggressive energy, more than a thousand men could pack. We feel as if he were right here in the room with us, too close for comfort, bouncing off the walls with rage, and about to extinguish the flame of our all too futile little lives: “Död åt alla — död åt absolut allt.” Again and as always within the context of Shining, the primal and disgustingly gorgeous engage in a seamlessly flowing dance in this impeccably ordered yet chaotic sonic explosion: “Aldrig har du sett något så vackert som när pulsen slutar slå.” During the last verse, Kvarforth delivers every other line in the manner of a demented priest.
On “Hail Darkness Hail,” Kvarforth continues to show his true color: “There is a darkness blacker than anything ever seen by man, so violent, so cruel and pernicious…” Kvarforth robs us of our breath again to the extent to which I personally just want to put a bag over his head and tie a knot due to the painful brilliance he inflicts. As one might assume, this demo recording lacks the sample from the Spanish-language film Hipnos. Before concluding, Kvarforth lets out one final “Urgh” with the assurance of a man whose dressing room door is the object of incessant pounding from admirers hoping to commit acts of blasphemy with a noble and refined gentleman. Please be aware: Vicotnik participated in the songwriting here.
“Det Forna Grå,” which would be rebranded as “Det Stora Grå,” distinguishes itself as such pure art that it convinces us that Kvarforth deserves to be carved in marble and placed on a pedestal outside respected concert halls everywhere. This terribly evocative, cinematic, and haunting opus is, of course, an elegant little piano piece, both a nice change from- and complementary companion to the studio version. It is accented by atmospheric touches: voices, rustles, creaking, ethereal sounds. The subtlety of these components cultivates a hallucinatory aura within this nightmare, a wordless tale that lends the impression of shattered glass gnawing at our wrists. “Det Forna Grå” eventually jolts us with a sudden tumultuous shift, accompanied by strings, though it ends on a soft ambient note, guiding us further into the unknown, the eerie cold. Yes, Shining’s habit of including instrumental tracks within their albums, which always consist of six songs, enhances them infinitely. Thus, as the penultimate composition, “Det Forna Grå” provides the optimal shift of energy, the best bridge possible between what preceded it and the immortal gem that follows.
The hypnotic trance known as “For the God Below” sweeps in next with its intimate and profoundly transportive acoustic intro. Our despicable human feelings and lofty sense of searching build. In the past, Kvarforth commented that he finds the intro a bit long. Therefore, I will say that he is, without a doubt, a crazy man. Here, Kvarforth jumps on vocals later than on the studio product. Hence, he doesn’t sing: “Ever since birth, I’ve been attracted to the sinister.” Instead, we land straight at the first chorus, which he wrote during an argument with his then partner:
“I find comfort in sadness and in grief
Thinking of all those beautiful
Things that could have been
Now put me in a position where
I would have to choose
My devotion to evil will always
Come before you…”
Kvarforth’s voice at this point on The Helsinki Tapes is languorous, bearing something reminiscent of the mood of a bittersweet, drug-dimmed evening. His monstrous vocals, reflecting Herculean strength, then kick in: “For countless days and countless nights, I’ve been wandering these worn-down streets all alone.” Yet again, the contrast between Kvarforth’s bestial voice and his spectral, almost fluttering utterances knock us from the deceptive safety of wherever we may lie resting or be seated. After Kvarforth’s final exhalation, as on Redefining, we are annihilated by an outro to outdo other outros. This one lacks the slight chanting that was added in Vargberg. “For the God Below” is certainly one of the most beautiful and horrible works in existence, a love letter to Satan, which will be recognized as autobiographical by the devil’s other children — priorities.
In conclusion, yes, yet again, Kvarforth’s assaults of musical superiority have injected us with the most wonderful sickness. The Helsinki Tapes represent a masterclass on how to create pure art from the void — art that will then thrust listeners back into the gaping blackness, and Shining seems to be the most lethal band in the world, the muse behind mortal sins all over the globe. The Helsinki Tapes amount to one of the most unshakably and primordially frightening titles I’ve ever heard, making the very act of listening an exercise in Nietzschean courage: “He who sees the abyss, but with eagle’s eyes — he who with eagle’s talons grasps the abyss: he has courage.” However, without music such as this, I quite literally have neither the courage nor the will to continue doing anything: “Without you, there’s no light at the end of the tunnel.” Hail the great Skandinavisk Misantrop, and Death to almost all else!
Rating: 5/5
(Purchase The Helsinki Tapes here.)
