Swallow The Sun
Hope

"Hope", hope. A simple title, I would dare say minimal. A work that the author has been eagerly awaiting for a long time, about two years. I do not deny that I have always harbored a special attention for these Finns whom I had labeled as the most valid exponents of the new generation of Doom Metal groups in light of the sensational debut masterpiece "The Morning Never Came" from 2003. Unfortunately, the band's second work, released in 2005 and titled "Ghosts Of Loss," did not convince me, proving to be clearly inferior to the previous one.

It is logical, therefore, that this third album had to be revealing and a trial by fire of Swallow The Sun's abilities. Let's start by outlining the album's content. The proposed genre hasn't changed one bit; we are still on a Doom/Death Metal rich in melodies that evoke the typical taste of Finnish bands. However, the album is anything but light; it's not as difficult a listen compared to the genre standards, it's true, but the guitars are always present, and the band manages to be fierce as well as melodic, thus staying away from territories close to Gothic. Clean vocal lines have increased, but Mikko Kotamaki's growl has become heavier and darker in return.

The title track at the opening is indicative of the album's contents. Slow and played on a constant presence of melodies mixed with the heavy growl, this song evokes a heartfelt melancholy, particularly in the chorus, where the guitar outlines a beautiful, decadent, and dreamy melody. There is no shortage of more aggressive moments, abundantly present already from the next track "These Hours Of Despair," where the apocalyptic sound of the keyboards recalls the almost epic grandeur present in the debut. The result is far superior to the average typical Doom Metal band. The melody that emerges even in moments when the band accelerates is astonishingly disarming, and the way the band manages this quest for touching melody without sacrificing an underlying unease that remains palpable.

"The Justice Of Suffering" is the third masterpiece in a row on the album. A remarkable guest on this composition is Katatonia's singer, Jonas Renske. His presence and the general feel of the track, slower and more thoughtful compared to the apocalyptic song before, make the atmosphere truly minimal and disarming. A sense of desolation reigns in this song, where the contrast between Kotamaki's heavy growl and Renske's beautiful voice becomes truly disarming. The listening reaches its zenith at the fourth track.
"Don't Fall Asleep (Horror, pt.2)" is perhaps the most authoritative gem ever produced by the band and represents the synthesis of everything Swallow The Sun has achieved in three albums. The typical Katatonia-style riff that opens the track soon gives way to a melodic break dominated by a beautiful clean voice. It's just the calm before the storm, because shortly after, the chorus explodes directly and devastatingly, with the growl resting on a dramatic and distressing guitar line in its obsessiveness. In the second part, the track slows down drastically, giving way to a truly desolate funeral march in the typical Doom Metal style.

The second part of the album drops a bit in level compared to the initial average (after all, it was unrealistic to expect an entire album at such superlative levels) but still maintains sufficiently high standards to categorize "Hope" as a masterpiece at least on par with the band's debut. Worth noting in the second part of the album is "The Empty Skies," whose main riff is one of the album's highest points, and the concluding "Doomed To Walk The Earth", a very slow and exhausting gem of gloomy Doom Metal.

In essence, "Hope" represents an important confirmation for (now I can say it with certainty) one of the certainties in the Doom/Death field from which it is now permissible to expect works of a certain level. I have always considered it a duty to encourage support for young bands in this genre (and Metal in general) when they deserve it... well, this band deserves it. Give them your trust.