Swallow The Sun – When A Shadow Is Forced Into The Light

Label: Century Media    release: 1.2.2019

There are bands (and several of those come from Finland), who constantly deliver top quality so that every single one of their releases deserved a 10/10. That’s why it is sometimes a bit difficult to write about them – because I would repeat myself. Or worse, people not so familiar with those bands might think that as a fan I’m blindsided and my rating is not to be trusted.

Well, in this case I don’t need to worry about that, because so many media have praised this album already, and a couple of days ago this release became Nro 1 in the Finnish charts. Yeah, the “normal” ones including all those Pop-, Rap- or Hip-Hop stars too …

It seems that an absolutely authentic Rock Metal album still appeals to a lot of people, even those “outside the scene”. Which is not so surprising: Epic, massive, catchy and melodic songs with a melancholy factor, pointing at a sliver of light at the horizon after a long dark night.

Which means that the overall mood of this album is a bit more cheerful than the 2015 predecessor Songs from the North, or more precisely of 2 albums of this triple release. The nes album rather celebrates the beauty and not the cruelty of nature – after a grim winter there’s the first hint to the blooms of spring. Then there are several links to previous works, an intro that could be form the very first album, a vocals and ballad-esk parts that build a bridge to the legendary “Don’t Fall Asleep”. Swallow The Sun are still STS but a bit more progressive, versatile and mature.

Perhaps another factor is the fresh blood in the band with Juho Räihä (git) and Jaani Peuhu (keyboards, vocals) who replaced Markus Jämsen and Aleksi Munter. Those two have been working often with STS before and therefore fit in nicely, e.g. those harmonic choruses. And there are those fantastic songs including some “radio material” or “almost Pop-songs”. Yeah, well – the Swallow The Sun definition of those….

Summing up – another fantastic 10/10 album of a fantastic band. Buy it and go to their shows – TOURDATES HERE.

PS: “When A Shadow Is Forced Into The Light” was recorded and engineered over a six-month period by band mastermind Juha Raivio, Peuhu ans Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios (Arch Enemy, At the Gates) and then mastered by Tony Lindgren (Orphaned Land, Leprous).