Finland's Swallow the Sun have been creating top-notch melodeath-doom for over 20 years, and with 2021's Moonflowers, they proved that they had plenty of fuel left in their gracefully dejected and hostile tank. Naturally, follow-up Shining somewhat picks up where its predecessor left off, delivering another quality entry in the band's catalog that will satisfy but not necessarily surprise longtime fans. Even so, Shining is a shining example – sorry – of why the band remains at the forefront of the genre.
Whereas Moonflowers was overseen by guitarist/keyboardist Juha Raivio, Shining sees two-time Grammy nominee Dan Lancaster (Muse, Blink-182, Bring Me The Horizon) taking over production and mixing duties. According to Raivio, the LP consciously deviates from the prior one in that it's not as overwhelmingly bleak
"After our last album, it soon became clear to me that writing another Moonflowers album would kill me. So, I made a quiet wish to myself that if there ever will be any new music then please have a little bit of mercy on yourself rather than be that infinite black hole that will suck out the rest of your remaining light and soul just for the sake of it," said Raivio.
"Musically this album shines like a glacier diamond and has that power and punch that feels like a kick in your face! While lyrically the album deals with how fearing life will eventually kill you and how melancholy can become your God."
Interestingly, bassist Matti Honkonen calls Shining "the 'Black Album' of Death Doom," and it's easy to hear why given how accessible and melodic (yet still aggressive) some of the material is. Specifically, tracks such as opener "Innocence Was Long Forgotten." "MelancHoly," "Under the Moon & Sun," and "November Doom" are relatively straightforward, hooky, and radio-friendly (almost as if they're the offspring of a less symphonic Katatonia and more symphonic Type O Negative). Later, "Velvet Chains" presents one of the group's most gorgeously gloomy compositions in years, as frontman Mikko Kotamäki harmonizes with an unknown female vocalist over a delicate and reserved arrangement. It's utterly breathtaking.
Although Shining features more than a few gentle passages, it packs just as much – if not more – trademark hostility across its 50-minute runtime. For example, "What I Have Become" – a track "about that moment when you look . . . [in] the mirror and . . . [see] what your soul has become instead of what you always wanted it to be," Raivio explains – juxtaposes its singable chorus with guttural narration and belligerent riffs and rhythms. Similarly, "Kold" surrounds that approach with sludgy pacing, whereas "Charcoal Sky" and the closing title track underscore their death metal focuses with angelic attributes to yield lovely fusions of heaven and hell.
While it doesn't quite match the sweeping scope, variety and grief of Moonflowers, Shining is certainly no slouch. Rather, it's a slightly and purposefully brighter and more welcoming affair that largely upholds what fans love most about Swallow the Sun's ethos and creativity. As such, there's no reason why devotees of the band – or the genre – won't adore it (while newcomers will surely see it as an ideal entry point into Swallow the Sun's world).
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