“Shining”, the new full-length album from the Finnish death doom pioneers SWALLOW THE SUN, will be released on October 18 via Century Media Records. The powerful and very heavy new track of transformation and rebirth, “What I Have Become”, will take you through personal hell and back.
The new record was produced and mixed by Dan Lancaster (BRING ME THE HORIZON, MUSE, ENTER SHIKARI),mastered by Tony Lindgren (Fascination Street Studios),and recorded by Juho Räihä at SoundSpiral Audio, except vocals recorded by Dan Lancaster.
SWALLOW THE SUN‘s Juha Raivio comments on the new song: “‘What I Have Become’ is about that moment when you look yourself deep in the eye from the mirror and your own eyes start to tell what your soul has become instead of what you always wanted it to be. The hardest thing is to forgive yourself and break that circle.”
About “Shining”, Juha Raivio adds: “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. 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.
“We want to thank all the support and trust from Century Media, not to mention our insanely talented producer Dan Lancaster having the balls and guts to jump straight in the deep end with this band and get us out of our comfort zone. This album truly feels like a sunrise in the night sky”.
“Shining” track listing:
01. Innocence Was Long Forgotten
02. What I Have Become
03. MelancHoly
04. Under The Moon & Sun
05. Kold
06. November Dust
07. Velvet Chains
08. Tonight Pain Believes
09. Charcoal Sky
10. Shining
Moreover, SWALLOW THE SUN will host a very unique and exclusive event at the beautiful Aleksanterin Teatteri in Helsinki on October 16, 2024. “Shining” will be listened to in its entirety, before its official release on October 18. Please note the band will not perform at the event.
Anyone who wishes to attend the event can register and get their tickets via Levykauppa Äx from now until October 4.
At the exclusive pre-listening session, fans will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in SWALLOW THE SUN‘s latest work with the best possible sound in one of the most beautiful places in northern Europe, the Aleksanterin Teatteri.
SWALLOW THE SUN‘s Mikko Kotamäki shares about the pre-listening session: “Very excited to go back to the very special theater, but this time enjoying the music as a listener! Also cool to meet everyone and talk about the ‘Shining’ process and how it was working with such people as Dan! See you in Helsinki!”
More than two decades of despair, beauty, and heartache have not only shaped but fueled Finnish melancholy torchbearers, the chart-topping and two-time Emma Gaala-nominated (Finnish Grammy equivalent) SWALLOW THE SUN.
Formed in Jyväskylä in 2000, the quintet has enjoyed numerous fan-lauded music videos (more than 10 million YouTube views) and streaming dominance (more than 50 million Spotify plays),while also embarking on a four-continent, 900-show run over the course of their 20-year career. Their new music, however, is the group’s first step on the new path to the unknown.
SWALLOW THE SUN is:
Juha Raivio – Guitar, Keys
Juho Räihä – Guitar
Mikko Kotamäki – Vocals
Matti Honkonen – Bass
Juuso Raatikainen – Drums