Swallow The Sun - Emerald Forest and the Blackbird

Finnish melodic doom metallers Swallow The Sun sound a bit like a much heavier Opeth - and it's great.I don’t often listen to doom metal but really only because of thematic differences compared to sludge or stoner metal. At the risk of offending fans of either camp with my tendency for oversimplification, it’s like the Goths vs the Stoners on the metal tip. Suffice it to say all things being equal, I’d rather get high than cut myself. 

But I’ve got to admit Finland’s Swallow The Sun’s fifth studio effort, Emerald Forest and the Blackbird, is a pretty damn fine album. I haven’t heard any of their previous material, but I really dig their melodic doom sound along with all of its Gothic overtones. The slower pace of the music, and the well-used dynamics that carry ethereal clean vocals to guttural growls to banshee-like screams while maintaining a very listenable melody, make me think of a scenario where the lads of Pink Floyd graduated high school at the turn of the 21^st century. Sure, I don’t understand the lyrics, but I don’t mind much when the atmospheric noodlings play with such a satisfying crunch. So…Uncomfortably Numb?

The Bottom Line: If you miss the time in between Opeth albums, Swallow The Sun may satisfy your Pink Floyd metal jones with great atmospheric melodies over crunchy rhythyms.

Tracks to Make You Both Love and Fear Your Black Light Posters: This Cut Is The Deepest, Cathedral Walls, Hearts Wide Shut, Silent Towers and Of Death And Corruption

- Genghis remembers his uncle’s blacklight poster with the tiger coming out of the jungle…