Finnish death/doom sensations Swallow The Sun are an unlikely success story, in that they’ve managed to break free of their chosen genre and make a real name for themselves outside of doom circles. That’s because they’ve been a fiercely innovative band from the off; early records like ‘The Morning Never Came’ and ‘Ghosts Of Loss’ were pure death/doom, but as they broke into 2009’s ‘New Moon’ and especially 2015’s ‘Songs From The North I, II, & III’, they’ve morphed into a melancholic titan that is more about icy melody and forlorn gothic tropes than anything else.
After eight albums, the last being 2021’s ‘Moonflowers’, Swallow The Sun have got a new single for us in ‘Innocence Was Long Forgotten’, a majestic track where broken sapphires shine from fallen eyes, reminding us of the eden we left behind. Produced and mixed by Dan Lancaster (Bring Me the Horizon, Muse, Enter Shikari, etc.), mastered by Tony Lindgren (Fascination Street Studios) and recorded by Juho Räihä at SoundSpiral Audio, it adds a new sonic perspective to their growing progressive sound.
About the new single, the band had this to say:“All the new Swallow The Sun music felt like an ice dagger through a sleeping heart. So we wanted to work with a powerful producer, Dan Lancaster, to push this dagger even deeper into this heart of ours.”
More than two decades of despair, beauty, and heartache have not only shaped but fueled the Finnish melancholy torchbearers; the chart-topping and two-time Finnish Grammy nominated group are on the forefront of melodic misery, and there’s no backing down in sight. Formed in Jyväskylä in 2000, the quintet has enjoyed numerous fan-lauded music videos (10+ million YouTube views) and streaming dominance (50+ million Spotify plays), while also embarking on a four-continent, 900-show run over the course of their 20-year career. Their new music, however, is the group’s first step on the new path to the unknown.
Remember to catch Swallow The Sun on a special festival show this year on August 9th at Helsinki Metal Festival. When will the new album drop? You’ll have to stay tuned to FOM.FM to find out…
Photo by Jussi Ratilainen
Watch the new video here: