SWALLOW THE SUN

Finnish torchbearers Swallow the Sun have returned from the darkest corners to enchant us once again with brand-new full-length, Moonflowers. The much-anticipated follow-up to the group’s straight-to-#1 (Official Finnish Albums Chart), Emma Gaala–nominated (Finnish Grammys) When a Shadow Is Forced into the Light (2019) supersedes previous lodestars “Firelights”, “Stone Wings”, and “Lumina Aurea”. If Swallow the Sun couldn’t get any heavier emotionally, Moonflowers piles on markedly. Across the 52-minute effort, primary songwriter Juha Raivio spills everything he’s got into songs like “Moonflowers Bloom in Misery”, “Enemy”, “Keep Your Heart Safe from Me”, and riveting album-capper “This House Has No Home”. Likewise, the artwork for Moonflowers is complementary in its tragic heft. Instead of commissioning the album art to an outside party, Raivio used dried flowers he had collected as well as his own blood to paint the moon that adorns the starkly graceful cover. Moonflowers is yet another downhearted triumph for Swallow the Sun. Formed in Jyväskylä in 2000, Swallow the Sun have amassed an impressive eight-album discography over their 20-plus journey. Debut The Morning Never Came (2003) kicked off the Finns’ funereal procession. Still, the power of Ghosts of Loss (2005) and the artistic expanse of chart-topping EP Plague of Butterflies (2008) launched the Raivio-led outfit onto the international stage. Always reticent but remarkably courageous, the Finns then embarked on an impressive 800-show run across four continents since emerging from the shadows. They’ve also tackled scoring ballets, released ambitious concept albums (Songs from the North I, II & III), and engaged their fanbase like few others (20 Years of Gloom Beauty and Despair Live in Helsinki). The ambit of Swallow the Sun’s undaunted artistry is tested again with Moonflowers.