History & Biography Four school friends founded the thrash metal act Blackshine in August of 1988 in Stockholm, Sweden. The band was initially called Hetshead and played death metal. Dissatisfied with the sound the band's name was changed. Nevertheless, an album called We Hail The Possessed appeared in 1995 on Repulse Records, which comprised most of the band's demo material. Our Pain Is Your Pleasure followed in September, 1997. The band toured as openers for UDO in Europe and even managed to get the opening slot for Bruce Dickinson in Scandinavia.
Due to an evolving sound, Blackshine then split with its record company and its drummer. Hakan Erikson (ex-Goldblender, ex-Face Down) was drafted and the group signed a new contract with Steamhammer/SPV. Soulless And Proud was the name of the new album. Producer Putzweck recorded it at Dog Pound Audio. By this time the band is calling its sound goth'n'roll. The band was announced as the openers for In Flames in the autumn of 2002, but Soilwork eventually filled the slot. Blackshine, instead, became the opener for Lacuna Coil and Sentenced. The band played sporadic club shows in 2003. Later on, the band was dropped by SPV and instead signed with NMS/Escapi. A new album called Lifeblood was announced for January of 2005. The album appeared in 2006 on new label Dockyard1. Stipen who soon moved on to Harm’s Way and rejoined Merciless played drums on the album. Barkensjö soon took his spot. Soul Confusion was a 2012 demo. The band’s drummer was Martin Karlsson as of 2009. That was the end.
Necrophobic was rejoined by singer Anders Strokirk of Blackshine in 2014 who was also with the band for its debut album, The Nocturnal Silence.
Reviews BLACKSHINE - SOULLESS AND PROUD - SPV
Blackshine's label promotes the band as goth 'n' roll, a style it claims the Swedes have invented. Regrettable, that tag may give potential buyers undue reason to pause. For, in reality, Blackshine is heavier than that description would allow. The band certainly has gothic inclinations, as heard on song number four Choked With Feathers. The act though is closer to Motorhead than anything else. Although a good few traces of Sentenced can also be detected here. The vocalist comes across like a less exaggerated James Hetfield. In fact, Blackheart Brain has a riff lifted out of Metallica's Kill 'Em All! Another good song is Servants Of The harvest where the band just jams without hurry. The effect is, well, effective! Ignore the goth 'n' roll description and give this bunch a chance. - Ali "The Metallian"
BLACKSHINE - LIFEBLOOD - DOCKYARD 1 
The new album by Swedish band Blackshine has an album artwork as misleading as they come. Looking at the skeletal headbanger on the cover one gets the impression that Lifeblood is a hyperspeedy death metal excursion. This is metal for sure, but of a slightly tamer variety. The band does have a habit of putting good-looking people on its covers. Check out the cover for the band’s last album, Soulless & Proud, for another instance.
The group combines words in its name and titles and does the same in its music. Lifeblood is a mixture of heavy and thrash metal with some rockier moments. This is nothing new for Sweden where half a dozen bands have copied Entombed’s path to wimpdom and oblivion, but truth be said Lifeblood is not exactly an Entombed clone. A better example is Sweden’s own Mustasch, although that band’s impact outside Sweden has been minimal. The group is more like a cross between Motörhead and Monster Magnet, which means catchy ideas, faster moments and the odd rhythmic thrash attack. Anders Strokirk has a serious voice with a menace, while the music is tight and edgy. Still, the band’s music barely touches any musical trends ending up not attracting too many fans either way. As for the fabled goth influences and sound, well, they are nowhere to be found. - Anna Tergel
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