SWALLOW THE SUN: Shining (DOOM): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

“Moonflowers was so hard, physically and mentally, to write and play on tour that an inner voice told me: 'If you want to keep going, you're going to have to take it easy, or you'll kill yourself. “This is how Juha Raivio introduces “Shining”, the new Swallow The Sun album following two opuses engraved with the pain of the loss of a loved one. This psychological state of the main composer of the now Finnish quintet is essential if we are to understand this new album. Indeed, “When A Shadow Is Forced Into The Light” and its successor had drawn their fans into an abyss as captivating as it was heart-rending, leaving traces deep in the soul and flesh.

With “Shining”, the Jyväskylä-based band finally let in some dim light, allowing melancholy to gently replace despair. Of course, this is not festive music, and Swallow The Sun continue to develop their dark art, but they do so by recovering from the abysses of extreme distress. To rise to the surface, Juha Raivio has shared production duties with Dan Lancaster (Bring Me The Horizon, Muse...), the latter bringing gothic nuances to the doom-death of the band who have lost Jaani Peulu since their last record. The singles 'Innocence Was Long Forgotten' and 'MelancHoly' surprise us with their unusual, but particularly successful, catchy refrains.

Although the clear voice increasingly dominates the vocal lines, Mikko Kotamäki doesn't hesitate to switch to growls or howls that convey suffering rather than anger, reinforcing contrasts that sometimes add a progressive element. Pieces such as 'Under The Moon & Sun', 'November Dust' or 'Shining' are all the more captivating, playing on changes of atmosphere and intensity. A few heavy parts us from time to time that, while the pain may have subsided, it has not disappeared ('Kold', 'Charcoal Sky'), providing a counterweight to other, more atmospheric tracks ('Velvet Chains' and its spectral piano).

A true mirror copy of its two discographic predecessors, “Shining” surprises as much as it captivates, a work that remains obscure but through which a few rays of pale, fascinating light shine. Alternating graceful, fragile poetry with howls of grief, this new melancholy journey sees its principal author learn to forgive himself and accept the absence of a loved one too soon gone. Once again, Swallow The Sun leaves a deep and indelible mark, reminding us that they are a unique band whose talent and creativity seem unalterable. - Official website

SWALLOW THE SUN

SHINING

CENTURY MEDIA RECORDS

DOOM