Swallow The Sun: When A Shadow Is Forced Into Light (25th January 2019)
First, a little background on the
band. Swallow the Sun are a Finnish
band, and I want to say that their style is melodic doom metal but I can't
vouch for their previous records as I haven't actually heard them. This
album is their seventh studio album since their formation in 2000 and was
released by Century Media Records just over three years after their titanic
triple album ‘Songs from the North I, II,
& III’ (which I do plan to power through at some point). This
is my first experience with Swallow the
Sun as I only really discovered this album after the band were announced
for Bloodstock this year, and I wanted to check them out before going. I have
to say that I made a great decision listening to this. Sadly, three years before this
album's release, guitarist Juha Raivio lost his life partner and Trees of Eternity bandmate Aleah
Starbridge to cancer. In the time after her death, he formed a new band known
as No Stars Upon the Bridge with
lyrics based on poetry she had written. I mention this because it does feel
like the grief that Juha held was poured into practically every song here and
it almost comes across as a tribute to her memory, as well as some catharsis
for the guitarist.
The album kicks off with the title
track which was, in my opinion, the best choice to start things off as it
immediately lets you know what you're in for in the remaining 45 minutes of the
album. The song is 7:27 minutes in total but does not drag at all for a longer
song. It has a nice mix of slow, almost Sabbath-like riffs before seamlessly
shifting to acoustic guitar with clean vocals. It then hits you right in the
chest with a booming chorus and growling vocals that could fit on any black
metal album. Yet it is still completely understandable. Easily one of the best
songs on here and we're just getting started. I also
really like the addition of a background female vocalist as it almost feels
like Aleah is there in spirit and it really complements Mikko's vocals when
appropriately used. It really feels like all the emotions are coming out here
and the 'Shadows' coming into the light represents the grief from Aleah's
passing coming out to us on this record.
Next up is ‘The Crimson Crown’. This is the longest song on the album at 7:57 minutes,
and while I would I would have preferred a shorter song here after the first
one was long, it's still not a bad place to have it on the record. The song
definitely has a more melodic, folky feel to it and the bass gets more of a
chance to shine in the quieter moments. The female vocalist returns as well for
some enchanting duets with Mikko. I was even getting some hints of Iron Maiden with some of the softer
guitar picking before the volume is turned up again. I'm a sucker for a good
guitar solo and there's a spine-tingling one as we near the end. While
I prefer the first song, this is still a song worth checking out, and the nearly
8 minutes of the song passes by in a flash.
Up next is ‘Firelights’, one of the shortest songs on the album at 5:41 minutes
long. This is one of my favourites. It starts with a haunting melody that
sticks with you even after the song is over. It can be quite chilling to listen
to, especially when we reach the backing vocals whispering "The phantoms, the nightmares" before hitting a chorus that may be
destined to be a live favourite, as it's so easy to sing along to. This chorus
will get stuck in your head. It is also the first song that brings up a
constant theme of the album in the form of 'water' or 'drowning' which I do
think ties into the theme of grief, as Juha is being dragged down to the depths
by his emotions. The female vocalist and black metal style of singing are used
sparingly here, to good effect.
Track 4 on the album is ‘Upon the Water’, which seems to be an
album favourite according to the Spotify download numbers. It's not hard to see
why, as this is yet another album highlight for sure. The song starts with a
lovely dual guitar riff before switching to a very melodic verse. Another big
chorus is here and it's one that I'd imagine sounds terrific live, especially
if the harsher vocals are on point. Another one that hits all the emotional
high points as well, with more lyrical choices that seem to point towards the
passing of Aleah such as '"Low tide is
gone forever" and "I want you to bury
me". Strong stuff.
Next up is ‘Stone Wings’, and wouldn't you know it, we have another fantastic
song. You can tell that the band has found a great formula here, as many of the
quieter moments lead to a big loud chorus that really gets your blood pumping.
It's reminiscent of the Blackwater Park days of Opeth. This might be the
best big chorus on the entire record. And that is saying a lot. It
might be the most melodic song here, yet it also still has perhaps the heaviest
moment on the album, with a bridge and lyrics that feel like they came from a
death metal album, while also mixing in the earlier harsher vocals. Best song
on the album for my money, and the one to really check out to see if you like
this band.
Next up is ‘Clouds on your Side’, which is the shortest song on the album at
4:47 minutes long. It might be my least favourite song on the album, but it is
still a good song; showing just how great this record is. While the formula gets
slightly repetitive with the softer verses, the addition of another memorable
chorus is more than enough for me to recommend this.
The penultimate track is ‘Here on the Black Earth’. This is one of the more emotional songs on the album as you really feel Juha's heart breaking here. Some of the lyrics break my own heart listening to it, such as:
"Death tore out the flesh from my bones
Left my soul so pale and hollow.
My hands reach into the void
Where you used to be."
Some very powerful words here that have
stayed with me. I also can't help but fall in love with another great little
guitar solo. Another album highlight after feeling slightly disappointed in the
previous track.
And that leads us to the final gut
punch on this journey, in the form of ‘Never
Left’. Ending where we started off, this is one of the longer songs at 7:50
minutes but it is easily the most powerful song on here. Through the lyrics you
get a sense that Juha is questioning his reason for going on without anything
to fight for. The song ends on the sad note:
"Empty rooms
But you never left.
Empty house
But you never left.
Empty heart
But you never left."
If you've lost someone close to you,
this song is a hard one to get through, never mind the rest of the album. While
the title track was the perfect opener, this is the perfect ending and I
couldn't imagine any other song being placed here. Just pure beauty here. It may seem obvious that I'm in
total love with this album and it's so true. I can see this easily making it to
the top of my 'Best of 2019' list when I eventually get there and I'd recommend
this to anyone looking for something with some real heart to it. It may just
require a couple of listens to really get the full effect of it, however.
While
it's just barely a 'metal' album due to a lot of softer moments, there's enough
here to keep even the most ardent metal fan invested. Hell, I listen to a daily
dose of Cannibal Corpse, Behemoth
and Anaal Nathrakh and I still found
this to be a beautiful album worth listening to over and over again. Give it a
try.
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