Review Summary: Gloom, Beauty And Despair
Swallow The Sun never fall short of visionary ideas however it’s hard not to gasp at the sheer scale of ambition behind their sixth opus. Wisely, the band splits this languid journey into three distinguishable segments that each has its own conceptual vision. Even as a triple album each part could easily stand alone as an individual LP, “Songs From The North” is a commanding lesson in pace and dynamism.
The first album captures feelings of moroseness and gloom. ‘Heartstrings Shattering’ and the faster ’Silhouettes’ both have bleak and broodingly heavy riffs that ponder along shady roads of solemnity. The only accomplice in these dark times is an even darker voice. Mikko Kotamäki echoes around each chug with a snarling and pitiless attitude which increases a sense of self loathing within the music. However the record has a profound sense of balance whereby miserable doom forms a natural romance with tranquillity with touches of sombre accessibility. Mikko’s clean vocals in ‘Lost And Catatonic’ and additional female singing that could soften a heart of stone on ‘The Memory Of Light’ sound delicate and enchanting that provide a shred of hope to this grave beginning.
When listening to “Songs From The North” in its entirety, the first disc diminishes any fragments of joy however the second disc is a refreshing replenishment of beauty. The majority of the songs are acoustic fashion and therefore require a different sense of power that embody Swallow The Sun. That power is portrayed through scenic and visionary scopes that place you in the band’s environment. Yearning strings and piano are a prominent feature throughout the second part of the triple album which join acoustic guitars to lull you into a dreamlike milieu in songs such as the instrumental “66°50'N, 28°40'E” and ‘The Heart Of A Cold White Land’. A glimpse of the band’s home and landscape is found in this triple album’s chilling title track where the radiant female vocals reappear but in the bands Finnish mother-tongue. It’s a tender song where the echoing instrumentation creates a spacious atmosphere where the music can drift around effortlessly with soothing effect.
Clearly the weight of carrying their sorrows this far is what makes the third part so exhaustingly slow. Swallow The Sun now drag themselves towards drone soundscapes in all songs here. Laboured riffs collide with merciful keyboards and condemning vocal work in ‘Abandoned By The Light’ and ‘7 Hours Late’ with elephantine prowess. Sensations of despair are felt during various tempos such as the outburst of furious tremolo picking in ‘Empires Of Loneliness’ which hearken abandonment, hopelessness and rage. The strenuous ‘The Clouds Prepare For Battle’ lacks the riff-driven gut-punch doom metal evokes however it’s the little nuances like the churchlike chants that restore to the emotional intensity.
In a strange way, the wholeheartedness of “Songs From The North” is the main issue. Swallow The Sun want you to experience this as a wholesome voyage. While this 154 minute voyage travels through seas of sorrow, tides of tranquillity and waves of woe, it runs the risk of leaving you either captivated or sluggish in, essentially, a tough endurance test. Swallow The Sun respect this risk, took it and consequently conquered it in glorious style.
