Band:	Swallow The Sun
Album:	New Moon
Style:	Melodic death metal, Melodic doom metal
Release date:	November 04, 2009
A review by:	KwonVerge

01. These Woods Breathe Evil
02. Falling World
03. Sleepless Swans
04. And Heavens Cried Blood
05. Lights On The Lake (Horror Pt. III)
06. New Moon
07. Servant Of Sorrow
08. Weight Of The Dead

If three words were to describe one of my favorite bands from Finland then this specific act has done it before in a far better way, it's all about "Gloom, Beauty And Despair". I'm referring to Swallow The Sun and I never thought they would ever surpass themselves after The Morning Never Came, well, to tell the truth I liked their course so far, yet I've always concidered their debut album to be their most expressive work. And then came New Moon, no, I don't think it's better than their first work in terms of atmosphere, but it justifies its existence as their most important work since then, bringing the band in the game once again, stronger and more mature.

Yes, Swallow The Sun have their influences, one of the major ones being Katatonia, yet in my humble opinion the overall ambiance and song structure with this friendly bittersweet guitar sound and the vocals of Mikko Kotamäki tend to forge a distinctive character. There's something that makes their sound recognisable from the very first spin of a single song, you know you're listening to Swallow The Sun and this is what New Moon breathes, everything this band has been after their slower and gloomiest work to date at its finest.

New Moon shines brighter than the sun and the cover artwork is utterly expressive, being an alternate moon-driven version of the monicer of the band. The album serves a warm sense of melancholy that surrounds gently the listener. "These Woods Breathe Evil" and "Falling Worlds" are enough to overwhelm you and from that moment and on you lose yourself deeper in the well-crafted melodic doom/death metal of the band, with huge amounts of caressing melody, heavier moments, outbursts in rage and slow-paced atmospheric passages, all of them blending together in utter harmony. The keyboard lines float in a devout or threatening way overshadowing the sun while the guitars paint the soundscape with scarlet and grey colours with their acoustic, melodic or heavier dance. The rhythm section pulsates the universe with the bass lines actually being there as Mikko entrances the night with his charismatic multi-expressive voice, ranging from hallucinating deep grunts to unearthly shrieks and from full of soul recites to beautiful melodic lines. In the end, you feel overburdened by the "Weight Of The Dead".

Every single composition holds a beauty of its own and Swallow The Sun prove once again that their albums work in unity, captivating both mind and soul with their fragile yet powerful aesthetic, leaning towards melody without forgetting the more dynamic essence of the band. Once again the Finnish climate did its wonder for a band that never dissapointed me, all followers of the band may proceed.