Swallow the Sun

The Profile

Swallow the Sun is a Finnish death-doom band formed in 2000 in Jyväskylä, known for blending crushing heaviness with melodic, melancholic atmospheres.

Vocalist Mikko Kotamäki delivers both cavernous growls and expressive clean vocals. The band’s early run includes The Morning Never Came (2003), Ghosts of Loss (2005), and Hope (2007). The EP Plague Of Butterflies (2008) features a three-part title suite and a reissue of the Out of This Gloomy Light demo. New Moon (2009) further refines their death/doom sound. Jonas Renkse of Katatonia guests on The Justice Of Suffering (from Hope).

Five DeBaser reviews chart Swallow the Sun’s rise from the lauded debut The Morning Never Came through the divisive Ghosts of Loss, the acclaimed Hope, the ambitious Plague Of Butterflies EP, and the cathartic New Moon. The writers praise the band’s death-doom heft, melodic sense, and evocative atmospheres, noting Mikko Kotamäki’s growls and expanding clean vocals. Highlights include “Don’t Fall Asleep (Horror, pt.2)” and “Falling World.” Some criticism targets the EP’s reissued material. Overall verdict: emotionally heavy, artfully crafted doom.