Release date: 11/10/2009 (US)
Genre: Doom metal
Label: Spinefarm
Country: Finland
Website: www.swallowthesun.net
- These Woods Breathe Evil – 6:43
- Falling World – 5:08
- Sleepless Swans – 7:23
- And Heavens Cried Blood – 6:17
- Lights on the Lake (Horror pt. III) – 7:45
- New Moon – 5:00
- Servant of Sorrow – 6:25
- Weight of the Dead – 9:04
New Moon is the fourth full-length album by Finnish doom metal band Swallow The Sun and is every bit as gloomy, dark, and beautiful as the last three albums. These guys tend not to stray very far from their signature down-tempo, depressive melodies and growls, however New Moon is possibly their most progressive and diverse album to date.
The opening track “These Woods Breathe Evil” is a ferocious start with surprising black metal influences and a faster pace than what we’re used to from Swallow The Sun. “Falling World” has a refreshing upbeat tune with clean vocals and a beautiful melody that haunts me well after listening to it. Mikko Kotamäki not only delivers harsh growls and screams but is a brilliant singer as well, and it’s nice to hear this for a change.
What makes this album such a pleasure to listen to is the perfect combination of heaviness and beauty, and few bands do it better than Swallow The Sun. Each element fits together flawlessly, from eerie melodies to full blown aggression. New Moon keeps up the traditional doom/death sound of the band while being rather diverse and engaging, making it easily their best album yet in my opinion.
9/10
