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swallowthesun 20yearsofgloom
Artist: Swallow The Sun
Title: 20 Years of Gloom, Beauty and Despair - Live in Helsinki
Genre: Melodic Doom
Release Date: 30th July 2021
Label: Century Media Records


Album Review

Ah, I love the smell of Doom in the morning! Isn’t it crazy? 20 years already? These guys formed SWALLOW THE SUN in 2000 and released seven full-length records to this day, ‘20 Years of Gloom, Beauty and Despair - Live in Helsinki’ is the band’s first live album and a very good one if I shall spoil that for you. Mikko’s vocals are mostly very fragile and intimate, leading you through the stories the songs tell while also playing a big part in setting the mood. Speaking of narrative and mood, the whole band sounds rather impressing no matter if listening to the bass lines or the lead and rhythm guitar (not to forget the keyboard involved) everything builds upon another, creating intertwined structures of profoundly deep atmosphere. These Fins know what they are doing, that much is sure.

The Doom Metal played by SWALLOW THE SUN has a Folk vibe to it, a closeness to nature and myth and it feasts on these aspects. This is not the typically depressive Doom Metal that feels like having a bad hangover, waking up on the wet concrete, tasting your own blood and prying for life to end. This feels beautiful but heartbroken nonetheless, sad but not this hopeless ten-ton stone chained around your neck. This sadness and vibe are more of the feeling you feel when partying until sunrise and feeling lost while watching the sun slowly climbing to the top stealing the night away. It is hard or impossible to highlight one song on this output, just tune in and let yourself get carried someplace else...


Tracklist

CD1
01. The Womb Of Winter
02. The Heart Of A Cold White Land
03. Away
04. Pray For The Winds To Come
05. Songs From The North
06. 66°50′N, 28°40′E
07. Autumn Fire
08. Before the Summer Dies

CD2
01. Lost and Catatonic
02. Empires of Loneliness
03. Falling World
04. Cathedral Walls
05. Plaque of Butterflies
06. Don’t Fall Asleep
07. Stone Wings
08. The Giant
09. Swallow
10. Here on the Black Earth


Line-up

Juha Raivio – Guitars
Matti Honkonen – Bass
Mikko Kotamäki – Vocals
Juuso Raatikainen – Drums
Juho Räihä – Guitars
Jaani Peuhu – Keyboards / Backing Vocals


Website

http://www.swallowthesun.net / https://www.facebook.com/swallowthesun


Cover Picture

swallowthesun 20yearsofgloom


Rating

Music: 9
Sound: 9
Total: 9 / 10




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