Swallow the Sun's 'Moonflowers' - Album Review

Whilst I am fairly well-versed in the world of metal, one subgenre that I have never paid a huge amount of attention to is doom. The only doom band that I listen to with any sort of regularity is Paradise Lost, and the slow-paced, murky genre has largely eluded me. I think that this is because, largely, I enjoy my music to be full of soaring melodies. This is why I have never significantly explored death and black metal either, as sometimes songs that are oppressively and relentlessly heavy can be a bit much. I am always willing to try new things, however, and in 2019 I started listening to the Finnish doom band Swallow the Sun. When it was announced that they would appear at the 2019 iteration of Bloodstock Open Air I picked up a copy of 2019's When a Shadow Is Forced into the Light (which I briefly discussed here). It is my understanding that When a Shadow Is Forced into the Light is generally considered to be one of the band's finest works. It was written during a particularly hard time for the band, as main songwriter Juha Raivio's partner Aleah Stanbridge died of cancer in 2016. When a Shadow Is Forced into the Light deals with Stanbridge's passing, so as such it can, at times, be quite a harrowing listen. That being said, however, the album still contained a handful of uplifting moments, which is an allusion to its title, and I found it to be something of a surprisingly melodic listen. Raivio has always been the band's main songwriter, but When a Shadow Is Forced into the Light brought the best out of all six members of Swallow the Sun. Frontman Mikko Kotamäki perfectly conveyed Raivio's sorrow, and occasional hope, thanks to his mix of harsh and clean vocals; while the synths of Jaani Peuhu, on his first album as an official member of the band, added string-fuelled depth. It was an album that touched me on a number of levels, and it is one that I have returned to semi-regularly since. I have also picked up a few of their other albums, but I am yet to really dive into them. My interest really lay in how the band would follow up their 2019 effort, and this question was answered last month with the release of their eighth album Moonflowers. If anything, Moonflowers is even darker than When a Shadow Is Forced into the Light. There is certainly a lot of COVID-19 isolation to be found throughout the album's eight songs - and this is a release that is packed full of uncertainty and self-doubt. The stark album cover was even created by Raivio with his own blood - which should sum up the overall vibe that Moonflowers goes for. All who performed on When a Shadow Is Forced into the Light return here, although Peuhu only contributed backing vocals to the album (which he often did before becoming a member of the band) due to on-going commitment with his other bands. All of the album's keyboards are instead handled by Raivio.

After a brief, cold-sounding synth intro, the album's first track Moonflowers Bloom in Misery opens with a slow-burning guitar melody, which Kotamäki soon starts to croon over. The vibe is instantly very similar to that of the Swallow the Sun's previous album, but the band choose to showcase their more stripped back side early on. Stings, performed by Trio N O X, add depth, but the early portion of the song is all about Kotamäki's voice. His clean vocals are not as deep as is usual for the genre, and instead he often sounds a little like how Vincent Cavanagh used to sing during Anathema's mid-1990s/early-2000s period. There is sorrow in his voice, but the fact that he does not sing in the genre's traditional rich baritone allows the band to stand out. His growls are fierce, however, and the moments when the band launch into a heavier section are really brought to life by the harsh vocals. Moonflowers Bloom in Misery is largely sung clean, however, and the song is melancholic on the whole rather than heavy. Heaviness does punctuate the gloom, but the song is largely one that is packed full of Marillion-esque guitar leads/atmospherics, and the gothic-tinged string backing. In contrast, Enemy is much heavier from the off. Swallow the Sun's version of heavy is rarely fast, as is typical for the doom genre, but their riffing still manages to be crushing. Raivio and fellow guitarist Juho Räihä whip up some strong mid-paced riffs early on, which are growled over by Kotamäki and backed up by the strings and synths. There is a much greater focus on harsh vocals throughout Enemy, but there is still a balance between Kotamäki's two vocal styles. Even when he is singing clean, however, he is largely singing against a much heavier backdrop - which makes the song different from the album's opening number. There are few atmospheric sections this time, although there are a handful of short moments that break up the riffing somewhat. There are more Marillion-esque guitar leads too, and Raivio filling the speakers with aching melodies on occasion - which make so much out of only a handful of notes. Marillion's Steve Rothery actually performed a guitar solo on one of their songs a few years ago - so someone in Swallow the Sun is clearly a Marillion fan. Woven Into Sorrow is similar to Enemy, but the pace is slowed down further - with the classic doom trope of snail's pace songwriting on full display here. Kotamäki actually sings in a slightly lower register than is typical for him here during parts of the song, which give those moments a slight Paradise Lost vibe - but the on the whole he sticks to his usual range. There is a lot going on musically throughout the song too. The general riffing is quite simple, but there are a few melodic motifs that often resurface throughout - and the use of piano to add depth works well. The final part of the song is much heavier too, with Kotamäki's growled section feeling like the moment that the rest of the piece has been building towards.

Keep Your Heart Safe From Me ups the pace, at least early on, and compared to the last couple of tracks parts of the song sound positively fast! Drummer Juuso Raatikainen even manages to throw in some moments of brief double bass drumming, while the riffing of Raivio and Räihä is energetic and accented by the odd pinch harmonic. Despite this injection of pace, the song is still pretty dynamic - and on the whole it remains fairly slow. The intro soon gives way to a slower verse, packed with keyboard depth and Kotamäki's gorgeous vocals, and even the heavier choruses do not quite match the ferocity of the intro - with slower riffing and less of a hard-driving sound. The highlight of the song for me, however, is the two-part guitar solo. Swallow the Sun make use of guitar leads a lot, but full-blown solos are not a given. The one in Keep Your Heart Safe From Me is lengthy, however, with lots of soaring note bends - and is part of a wider instrumental section than includes some great keyboard melodies. All Hallows' Grieve is next, and it is probably my favourite track on the album. It features Cammie Gilbert (Oceans of Slumber) duetting with Kotamäki throughout, and their two voices work well together throughout the slow-burning, atmospheric song. Gilbert is one of the best melancholic singers in metal at the moment, so her inclusion on a Swallow the Sun album should not really come as a surprise. She carries emotion in a similar way to Kotamäki too, which make their harmonies very effective. Piano is again put to good use throughout the song, and Gilbert is actually introduced against a simple piano backing. Heavier moments are kept to a minimum here too, with melancholic guitar arpeggios and the strings creating the vast majority of the song's depth while the rhythm section lay down a sluggish groove. This is a song that is all about the vocal melodies, however, and the melodic chorus is one that is sure to stick in the brain. The Void is pretty similar, but there is also a strong 1980s goth vibe throughout. It is one of the few songs with a prominent bass presence from Matti Honkonen, who's snaking playing is actually the dominant musical feature of the verses. The guitars still do their typical arpeggios and occasional leads, but the bass is left to do the heavy lifting this time - which is partly where the gothic vibes come from. Gothic music often has busy bass playing to create grooves, which allows The Void to have something of a throwback feel while still fitting in nicely with the album's core sound. There is limited true heaviness here too, with Kotamäki sticking to his clean vocals throughout - even during the choruses which do ramp up somewhat.

The Fight of Your Life opens with some simple acoustic guitar melodies, which Kotamäki soon starts to sing over. It is probably the album's most low key moment, but it is amazing how such a simple arrangement can still carry the full weight of the band's usual emotional range. The acoustic opening is still instantly-recognisable as Swallow the Sun, and other instruments are soon gently added into the mix to add depth. Occasional piano melodies and string swells create Marillion-esque layers throughout, and it is amazing how much of the British progressive rock band can be heard throughout this doom album. Some of the melodies really do recall Marillion's typical style, which makes listening to the song's opening section a real joy. The song does get heavier, however, which is welcome after a couple of tracks that were essentially devoid of real heaviness. Gothic strings and soaring guitar leads herald the transition into heaviness, while Raatikainen ups the pace by laying into his double bass pedals. Kotamäki's growls sound even more powerful following their absence from the last couple of songs, although they are still used relatively sparingly here. The heavy sections contrast really well with the acoustic-led parts, however, and the song has a great dynamic range thanks to this. The album comes to a close with This House Has No Home, which is probably the heaviest thing here. Is certainly has the album's fastest riffing and drumming, with Raatikainen laying down some blast beats during a recurring black metal-esque section. This hits particularly hard following the gentle, plucked string intro, and it is great to hear the band go full-tilt throughout the song - as the overall heaviness has generally been reined in somewhat throughout the album. There is still plenty of heaviness, however, but this is generally more of an atmospheric album. This is what makes This House Has No Home so great though, as it showcases the heavy side of the band in all its glory. The clean vocal-led sections generally act as interludes this time, while the blast beat-driven parts are easily the most memorable. There is still plenty of heaviness away from the bona fide blast beats too, and Kotamäki's screams are equal to that of any black metal vocalist. It is a great way to end an album which largely focuses on atmosphere over heaviness, and it is as if the band wanted to remind everyone what they are capable of after filling the rest of the album with such dense soundscapes and melancholic vibes. It is a testament to the album as a whole that the song does not feel out of pace too, but Moonflowers is another great release from the Finnish doom band. As someone who does not know an awful lot about the genre, I have been enjoying this album a lot over the past month. I am now intending to properly explore the band's back catalogue, and on the strength of this album and the 2019 effort I am expecting to find a lot more to enjoy.

The album was released on 19th November 2021 via Century Media Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Enemy.