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Swallow The Sun - Shining



7.2 | 133 votes |
Release date: 18 October 2024
Style: Melodic death metal, Melodic doom metal

Owners:

44 have it
21 want it


01. Innocence Was Long Forgotten
02. What I Have Become
03. MelancHoly
04. Under The Moon And The Sun
05. Kold
06. November Dust
07. Velvet Chains
08. Tonight Pain Believes
09. Charcoal Sky
10. Shining

Line-up
Mikko Kotamäki - vocals
Juho Räihä - guitars, keyboards
Juha Raivio - guitars
Juuso Raatikainen - drums
Matti Honkonen - bass

Staff review by
omne metallum
Rating:
8.5
Is the sun shining after I swallow it?

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published 14.10.2024 | Comments (12)

Found in 14 lists
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Comments

Comments: 27   Visited by: 378 users
12.08.2024 - 23:09
hellsmiles
First released tracks are promising! If these guys are anything, they're consistent.
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12.09.2024 - 14:40
Rating: 7
miekka18
Definitely one of the most anticipated album of the year for me right after Wintersun Time II and Ensiferum Winter Storm Vigilantes.
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Album Release day (October 18, 2024)
18.10.2024 - 08:23
Rating: 8
Never thought I'd enjoy Swallow the Sun for their vocal melodies. This might sound pop-ish to some people, but I like it.

Highlights for me are Under the Moon & Sun, November Dust and Shining so far. They've progressively been adding more guitar solos to their songs in the past few albums, this one has them in abundance and I like all of them.

Since 2015's Songs of the North, Swallow the Sun have been giving us a new vibe for each album, yet still full of beauty, gloom and despair. That's peak creativity
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18.10.2024 - 09:28
Gungniru
It's not all bad but the production is killing some of the songs.
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18.10.2024 - 10:17
Rating: 8
Viniercarp
Innocence was long forgotten kinda sucked for me, but everything else was pretty good. Kold is my favorite so far. They did a good job at making it very accessible while maintaining heavier elements.
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18.10.2024 - 12:41
Rating: 6
AndyMetalFreak
A Nice Guy
Contributor
It's an ok album but certainly not one of their best, it's quite light and at times reasonably catchy, but for me there's too many uninspiring and dull moments, and so it just lacks that overall consistency. However, some songs kinda struck a chord with me, "Kold" and "November Dust" particularly.

Edit: Upon further listening the songs which stuck out for me most aren't nearly as memorable as I originally hope they'd be. I might come back to this album at a later date, but for now I'm really not digging it unfortunately.
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18.10.2024 - 13:07
Rating: 6
Pop metal.
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18.10.2024 - 16:29
Rating: 6
musclassia
Staff
The vocals are reminding me a lot more of Neurotech than I expected. I liked their last album couple of albums quite a bit, and I appreciate the direction they're going in here in taking the gothic direction of their last album further in a more accessible, alternative direction, but it's unfortunately not working for me - I don't mind the tone of his voice, but I'm not clicking with the vibe of the choruses. The closing song is a reasonably good album ending tho
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18.10.2024 - 18:54
Rating: 4
Shmelevod
Incredibly bad, starting from awful snare sound to lame vocals and to overall lack of ideas
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18.10.2024 - 19:52
Rating: 4
RoyBoy432
Dr. Quark
So whiny.
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18.10.2024 - 20:08
Rating: 8
Written by Shmelevod on 18.10.2024 at 18:54

lack of ideas

of all the criticism a "lack of ideas" would be the least true. there's plenty of stuff going on and the each track stands out from the other
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18.10.2024 - 20:11
Rating: 4
RoyBoy432
Dr. Quark
I'm not sure what emotion the music is intending to convey but it's not resonating with me at all yet and I don't want to listen to it.
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18.10.2024 - 23:00
Rating: 8
Construct
Unfortunately, the first time I'm disappointed by a STS album.
I think "Innocence Was Long Forgotten" is the worst song they've ever made. The album has some okay and original moments, but right now I'm not feeling it at all.

Edit: It's better than my initial listen. I like the second half more than the first.
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19.10.2024 - 04:10
Rating: 7
MetalSpider
It's a different album for StS for sure. A lot lighter overall. I've listened to it twice so far. I think it's a good album but so far not as good as previous efforts but there are some nice melodies in my opinion.
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Thanks to Corrupt for these banners!
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19.10.2024 - 08:17
Cynic Metalhead
Ambrish Saxena
Written by The Melting Snow on 18.10.2024 at 20:08

Written by Shmelevod on 18.10.2024 at 18:54

lack of ideas

of all the criticism a "lack of ideas" would be the least true.

No, he's right. It's Korpiklaani of melodic doom.
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19.10.2024 - 10:10
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
Well band was OK in a beginning then it became sloppy , I would say OK album, but nothing I die or recoment to doom newbies
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I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens.

Stormtroopers of Death - "Speak English or Die"

I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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19.10.2024 - 18:45
Rating: 6
LeKiwi
High Fist Prog
Oh… how these legends have fallen. I knew they’d never top their first 5 releases (minus Ghosts)), but they’ve been rather consistent over the years. This is quite the drop in quality. I don’t think poppy is the right word - it’s mostly lazy and cheesy writing.

Tracks 2, 5, 9, and 10 are quite enjoyable tho. A bit more “classic” StS so to speak.
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21.10.2024 - 14:40
24emd
Theory Snob
Nice to have a featured review which is pretty far off the average rating. Very interesting reading through all the opinions here. I've never gotten into this band before, I'll probably listen in the next week or so when I have time.
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"I am too stupid to be human, and I lack common sense." - Proverbs 30:2
"Music? Well, it's just entertainment, folks!" - Devin Townsend

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21.10.2024 - 15:15
Rating: 6
musclassia
Staff
Written by 24emd on 21.10.2024 at 14:40

I've never gotten into this band before, I'll probably listen in the next week or so when I have time.

I don't think a whole-discog dive is necessarily required for this band unless you really dig what you hear initially, but I'd recommend at least giving The Morning Never Came a listen as well when checking out this album, both because it's a genre classic and because it'll show how far they've travelled in the intervening couple of decades, for better or worse
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21.10.2024 - 17:56
Rating: 6
RaduP
CertifiedHipster
Staff
This ain't it, chief
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Do you think if the heart keeps on shrinking
One day there will be no heart at all?
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22.10.2024 - 05:34
Rating: 6
Boxcar Willy
yr a kook
This reminds me of Sleep Token. It’s not that offensive though.
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14:22 - Marcel Hubregtse
I do your mum

DESTROY DRUM TRIGGERS
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22.10.2024 - 08:33
24emd
Theory Snob
Written by musclassia on 21.10.2024 at 15:15

Written by 24emd on 21.10.2024 at 14:40

I've never gotten into this band before, I'll probably listen in the next week or so when I have time.

I don't think a whole-discog dive is necessarily required for this band unless you really dig what you hear initially, but I'd recommend at least giving The Morning Never Came a listen as well when checking out this album, both because it's a genre classic and because it'll show how far they've travelled in the intervening couple of decades, for better or worse

I listened to Songs of the North and one other album, it might've been that one. I just know I couldn't finish any of the discs of the latter album, so I wasn't exactly jumping at the chance to listen any more of their stuff. This album intrigues me though, for better or worse.
----
"I am too stupid to be human, and I lack common sense." - Proverbs 30:2
"Music? Well, it's just entertainment, folks!" - Devin Townsend

Best 2024 Albums
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23.10.2024 - 13:32
Rating: 8
After repeated listens, I don't really like the album any less... but I do understand what ticked off many people. More than the style change, it's the production. Even songs like Charcoal Sky that have a very Songs-of-the-North-ish structure, the feeling a little hollow and less Doomy than usual. It's the sound of the drums, and the diminished guitars... and absence of keyboard?

A review on metallum also mentioned how the songs always sounded grand, but now they're thin and lifeless.

It's sad that an album could have top performances by band members, yet still seem flat overall due to the production choices. I guess hiring the guy from Bring Me the Horizon wasn't the right choice?

Having said that, I do have a hope that the songs will sound good live when the instruments breath better.
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25.10.2024 - 03:42
Rating: 5
Zyk
I didn't really like this at all.

They tried something a little different and I don't have anything against that. It's not bad but it's really bland and nothing stands out for me. At times the production is too annoying to enjoy the atmosphere and other times the writing is too boring for it to matter how overblown everything is. I also prefer when their lyrics describe relatable feelings and ideas rather than try to be so artsy-fartsy. If I'm focusing on their lyrics this much while I listen that's the biggest indication that the music isn't interesting. I kind of liked the last couple songs but I'll forget them as soon as I listen to anything else. I'll give it a few more tries but don't expect to feel any different. A damn shame.
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28.10.2024 - 16:35
Rating: 5
lansmetal
I fall into sleep, that's it
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29.10.2024 - 10:48
Rating: 7
miekka18
This album to me sounds a little bit uninspired or flat. Still there are parts that are beautiful as always
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30.10.2024 - 14:40
Rating: 7
IronArkadius666
Definitely more mainstream and alternative sounding than Moonflowers, but to be completely honest by the time Moonflowers came out I was getting a bit bored with their post-Emerald Forest sound, so I don't mind them trying a new-ish, if softer, direction.

Would definitely have liked more of Mikko's legendary growls though. I know he's always had lots of clean vocals since their debut, but they get especially tiresome here. Some songs sounds exactly like modern Katatonia (which I like), but others are just too sugary for me.

Also, does anyone else find the bass drum a bit too punchy and upbeat (for lack of a better term)? Very noticeable on songs like What I Have Become. Definitely part of what makes the album sound 'poppy' for me.
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