Swallow the Sun

MMXX – Sacred Cargo Review

By Twelve on November 23, 2022 in Reviews, Doom Metal, 21 comments

“MMXX is a very short name for a band, but it still says a lot about its story. During periods of isolation and lockdown in the titular year, Andrea Chiodetti (ex-The Foreshadowing), Jesse Haff (Daylight Dies), and Egan O’Rourke (Daylight Dies) formed something of a doom metal supergroup, based in the United States and Italy, and began writing music inspired by the events happening around them. From there, the project has grown ambitiously—now signed with Candlelight Records, the band brought on guest musician after guest musician to form something of a dark Avantasia-like project.” Sacred cargo or suspicious package?

The Sombre – Monuments of Grief Review

By Carcharodon on August 23, 2022 in Reviews, Death Doom, 6 comments

“Look, let’s cut to the chase here, Monuments of Grief is, unsurprisingly, bleak as all fuck. With an album title like that, released under the nom de guerre The Sombre and as the followup to Shapeless Misery, there is no levity, no joy and no whimsy to be found here. Monuments of Grief is just that, a towering obelisk of doom that drags the listener down into a hopeless pit of despair, from whence one can look up at the light but with absolutely no hope of reaching it.” Sweet grief.

Horizon Ignited – Towards the Dying Lands Review

By Twelve on July 10, 2022 in Reviews, Melodic Death Metal, 18 comments

“”It’s been a while since I’ve enjoyed some good ol’ melodeath,” so thought I as I opted to review Towards the Dying Lands, the sophomore full-length release from Finland’s Horizon Ignited. And, indeed, it has been—I feel like it’s been forever since I’ve really enjoyed new melodeath. And, of course, my well-meaning colleagues and cellmates here at Angry Metal Guy do tend to descend on all new melodeath entries like vultures, so I often have to rely on their opinions about new releases in the style, which are of dubious quality at best. All of this is to say I was fairly excited to begin listening to Towards the Dying Lands, which, it turns out, is a solid sample of the genre.” Melo bellows.

Conjurer – Páthos Review

By Dear Hollow on July 5, 2022 in Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, Post-Metal, Sludge Metal, 36 comments

“Conjurer purports to simply be “riff music,” but they’ve perhaps unintentionally made some of the most atmospheric music right alongside. Riffs, just as in the case of Mire, feel somewhere between Bolt Thrower and Isis, while passages of doom heft and post-rock clarity grace the negative spaces.” Genre hoarders.

Ianai – Sunir Review

By Dear Hollow on June 21, 2022 in Reviews, Ambient, Dark Neofolk, Folk, Neofolk, 30 comments

“Ianai is a “single-entity” project shrouded in mystery. Its secretive mastermind Trevenial offers twelve tracks influenced by folk music across the globe, equally evocative and primitive. With ties to England (mastered by Orgone Studios’ owner Jaime Gomez Arellano) and Finland (produced by Jaani Peuhu), and featuring a classical orchestra and world music artists, as well as a vast array of guests, from notable acts like HIM, Sisters of Mercy, Swallow the Sun, and The Rasmus, Sunir is a debut loaded with potential and questions in equal measure.” It takes a global village.

Depressed Mode – Decade of Silence Review

By Doom_et_Al on May 4, 2022 in Reviews, Doom Metal, Symphonic Metal, 27 comments

“When I first saw the name, “Depressed Mode,” I assumed it was an homage to synth-rock icons, Depeche Mode. Nope. Turns out, these Fins are being literal. That’s their thing. Even their album names are literal. Decade of Silence is the third album after 2009’s For Death and follows a decade(ish) of… er… silence. Depressed Mode plays symphonic doom in the vein of… well… it’s complicated.” Silence is deadening.

Kuolemanlaakso – Kuusumu Review

By Steel Druhm on March 5, 2022 in Reviews, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 23 comments

“Kuolemanlaakso have been a tricky beast to track over their 10-year existence. Featuring Swallow the Sun’s Mikko Kotamäki on vocals and several members of Chaoweaver, they started out as a straightforward doom-death act. They evolved into something stranger and more expansive by their sophomore opus Tulijoutsen, blending several genres together into an intriguing and unique sound. Two years later they befuddled everyone by releasing M. Laakso – Vol I: The Gothic Tapes, which had nothing to do with their prior sound, replacing it with a rocked-out, cheesy goth metal. It was such a startling departure that I wrote the band off entirely. Five years of silence followed, and now they return with Kuusumu and yet another shift in sound and style.” Beast of unknown origin.

Swallow the Sun – Moonflowers Review

By Steel Druhm on November 19, 2021 in Reviews, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 38 comments

“There hasn’t been much positivity coming from the Swallow the Sun camp these last few years. The tragic passing of guitarist Juha Raivio’s partner and Trees of Eternity collaborator Aleah Stanbridge led to a grief-driven release from Raivio’s Hallatar project as well as the unrelentingly depressive When a Shadow is Forced Into the Light from this group. Years pass and pain diminishes, but based on what we get on Moonflowers, it seems Mr. Raivio is still struggling to get back to the light.” Aphotic hypnotic.

Feral Season – Rotting Body in the Range of Light Review

By Twelve on October 18, 2021 in Reviews, Black Metal, 19 comments

“Feral Season is a great band name, and Rotting Body in the Range of Light is an album title I can definitely get behind. It’s nice when a band is able to immediately tell you what you’re going to be in for before you’ve reached the play button, and everything about this package, from the promo text to the “black metal” label to the album art, looked promising.” Angry kitties and suspicious promises.

Chrome Waves – The Rain will Cleanse Review

By Carcharodon on September 9, 2021 in Reviews, Post-Metal, Shoegaze, 19 comments

“Chicago, Illinois’ Chromes Waves have been lapping gently on the post-black metal and shoegaze shores since their formation in 2010. With a line-up featuring members busy with other projects, it seemed outside interests were hampering Chrome Waves’ output, which was limited to a 2012 EP until 2018. At that point, founding member Jeff Wilson departed Wolvhammer and Abigail Williams, turning his full focus to Chrome Waves. Later that year, the debut, A Grief Observed, appeared, garnering a solid review from Mark Z. The same year saw compilation The Cold Light of Despair appear. This creative frenzy continued into 2020 as, apparently unnoticed by this blog, their sophomore LP, Where We Live, appeared. A year on, and further line-up changes behind them, Chrome Waves are back with third full-length effort, The Rain will Cleanse.” Chrome waves of rain.