| | Full Review | Ratings (203) |
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| 3.0 good | cjbizzlebizzle | February 15th 19 |
Gothic and death influenced Doom Metal that has some powerful moments but for the most part never breaks out of the shadows. A lot of this comes down to the clean singing where the melodies and lack of emotion at times is just flat out dull and too timid. Swallow the Sun is at their best on this record when they are trading the cleans with guttural screams but they stick to the low key cleans in most cases. It is obvious they are going for a slower paced and melancholic, sombre atmosphere on the majority of the record but in the end the more uptempo, energetic moments are the highlights of the record. The slower paced sections all blend together and approach generic in some cases. In terms of production just check out the review on the album page. The whole record feels very polished and "glossy", a perfect descriptor for how this one feels. The production doesn't fit the style of doom they are going for. There are definitely some great moments and vocal exchanges here but in the end they are too rare with most of the record being a low tempo, funeral slog that lacks memorable clean vocals and melodies.
1 Bumps | Bump |
| 4.0 excellent | cloakanddagger | January 24th 19 |
Yet another fine addition to the discography of yet another solid European metal band.
1 Bumps | Bump |
| 4.0 excellent | Deadwing2112 | December 22nd 19 |
Swallow the Sun continue its run with the dark end of macabre doom and melodic metal intermixing clean and guttural vocals. Melodically finds the neutral ground between present Anathema and Opeth while maintaining the ferocious growls to augment the emotional despair.
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| 4.0 excellent | SuzyC | February 6th 19 |
Another rock solid album. I was wanting to sing along with several of the tracks from the very first listen.
Bump |
| 3.5 great | Xenorazr | February 1st 19 |
Swallow the Sun aren't exactly treading new water here, a move that may leave hungry listeners disappointed, considering how sprawling Songs from the North was. rIf anything, When a Shadow... is a retreat to New Moon's sound with some adjustments here and there. There's a sense of comfort in the album, one that's unassuming and strangely welcoming...provided you're the right listener.
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| 4.0 excellent | Soilworker90 | January 29th 19 |
A dark, melancholic, sad, yet excellent album, full of majestic beauty, with so many emotions in
it, espacially when you know the background of it. Definitely an early highlight of the year.
Bump |
| 2.5 average | Kyle Ward EMERITUS | January 29th 19 |
Swallow the Sun have a recent tendency to sandwich weak vocal melodies in between even weaker guitar melodies, and while When a Shadow... does momentarily break from this trend, things remain more or less on auto-pilot for the core sound of these venerable Finns as they have for almost 10 years now. Fleeting moments like the soaring latter half of "The Crimson Crown" or the screams of "Here on the Black Earth" that lead into an out-of-character guitar solo are understandably the most interesting moments of an otherwise one-dimensional plod through droning clean singing wading in a slurry of riffs that hardly ever make themselves known. The album's mood is utterly bleak not only in its solemn atmosphere but in its striking refusal to do anything at all that is interesting.
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| 4.0 excellent | DarkNoctus | January 25th 19 |
easily their most sombre release, but very captivating and emotionally driven. far more consistent in quality than their last release. i really enjoyed this one.
Bump |
| 4.0 excellent | Chino smoking it up! | January 25th 19 |
dynamic release, with some beautiful moments and varied instrumentation and vocals. All tracks rhave something I like. Depending on the mood it can get a bit dull but looking close everything is rreally well done. Tracks - When a Shadow Is Forced into the rLight; Firelights
Bump |
| 2.5 average | korgjoonas | January 25th 19 |
This may be the worst StS album. Really boring melodies. Cover art is beautiful and Upon the Water is a good track.
Bump |
| 4.0 excellent | Verdr | March 6th 24 |
| 3.5 great | Bard0 | December 24th 23 |
| 4.5 superb | Juuso | November 1st 23 |
| 4.0 excellent | mrManxxx | September 14th 23 |
| 4.0 excellent | bSmith | September 14th 23 |
| 3.5 great | Halez | June 4th 23 |
| 4.0 excellent | cb123 | April 23rd 23 |
| 4.0 excellent | haxxiy | February 28th 23 |
| 4.5 superb | Vorpal | February 11th 22 |
| 4.0 excellent | motyli | January 30th 22 |
| 2.5 average | qt | January 15th 22 |
| 4.0 excellent | epmxcx | December 29th 21 |
| 4.0 excellent | JoneHK | December 6th 21 |
| 4.0 excellent | Azrael | December 1st 21 |
| 4.0 excellent | MonkMan | January 30th 21 |
| 3.0 good | hsb | December 26th 20 |
| 4.0 excellent | kenli | June 20th 20 |
| 5.0 classic | tysly | May 31st 20 |
| 4.0 excellent | Essence | January 21st 20 |
| 4.0 excellent | Macck | January 8th 20 |
| 4.0 excellent | Joram62 | January 1st 20 |
| 3.5 great | Coast | December 27th 19 |
| 4.0 excellent | Bulgaro | October 19th 19 |
| 4.0 excellent | kouichi | September 10th 19 |
| 4.0 excellent | HybridF | August 25th 19 |
| 4.5 superb | Jaxer | August 23rd 19 |
| 4.5 superb | Host78 | July 21st 19 |
| 2.8 good | Trey STAFF | July 5th 19 |
| 3.0 good | Krpa | May 6th 19 |
| 3.5 great | ariich | April 25th 19 |
| 4.0 excellent | hadriel | April 7th 19 |
| 4.0 excellent | chudo | March 16th 19 |
| 4.0 excellent | valek | March 3rd 19 |
| 3.5 great | Lalka | February 27th 19 |
| 4.0 excellent | Loveloth | February 11th 19 |
| 2.5 average | bmelt CONTRIBUTOR | February 9th 19 |
| 4.5 superb | Defcol | February 6th 19 |
| 2.5 average | jmh886 | February 6th 19 |
| 2.5 average | JJKeys | February 5th 19 |
| 4.0 excellent | kzy | February 5th 19 |
| 4.0 excellent | Hybza | February 5th 19 |
| 3.5 great | RyanW | February 5th 19 |
| 4.0 excellent | Faraudo | February 2nd 19 |
| 4.0 excellent | snakesc | January 31st 19 |
| 4.0 excellent | Akifexx | January 31st 19 |
| 4.0 excellent | Gbhill | January 31st 19 |
| 4.0 excellent | Nisraak | January 28th 19 |
| 3.5 great | em17ah | January 28th 19 |
| 3.0 good | Dmax28 | January 26th 19 |
| 3.0 good | Elynna | January 25th 19 |
| 3.0 good | Jeejee | January 25th 19 |
| 3.5 great | heck | January 24th 19 |
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