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intothewellsabyss
Nov 10, 20223 min read

Swallow the Sun - New Moon (2009)

FROM THE CRYPTS - CELEBRATING PAST ALBUM RELEASES in the HISTORY of HARD ROCK & HEAVY METAL…



On November 10, 2009, Swallow the Sun released their fourth full-length studio album New Moon via Svart Records in the United States.


The album was released on November 4, 2009 in Finland, and on November 9, 2009 in Europe via Spinefarm Records. Recording of the album commenced on June 15 at Fascination Street Studios with Jens Bogren as executive producer. Wintersun drummer Kai Hahto replaced Pasi Pasanen and contributed drums on the album. Some versions of the album contain an alternate recording of Servant of Sorrow, which features a guitar solo by Steve Rothery.



Background:

The Horror songs continued from this album which would be Horror Pt. III, and also previously being on The Morning Never Came - Horror I, Hope - Horror Pt. 2, then finally later on Emerald Forest and the Blackbird - Horror Pt IV.


Generally, the songs mainly focus on themes of depression, death, mourning, and loss, with each song telling a story. These themes are often told with themes of horror, the paranormal and supernatural, such as the first track These Woods Breathe Evil describing a man's confession to a murder that he claims was motivated by the constant demands of the ghosts of a haunted forest that persist to possess him. This song is heavily influenced by the 90's television series Twin Peaks and the phrase "The owls are not what they seem" in the lyrics support this connection. Another example is Lights on the Lake (Horror. pt III) told from two points of view, one of the ghosts of a young woman who haunts a lake demanding to know why she was murdered by her father. The other point of view is of the father who describes his intentions for the murder were to save his daughter's soul from possession.


On February 1, 2012, Svart Records released the album on LP, limited to 500 copies.



Click this link to listen to New Moon via Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/new-moon/705330614



Critical Reception:

In a review for AllMusic, Eduardo Rivadavia wrote;

“Imagine the surprise of your average wannabe teenage vampire who erroneously purchases New Moon -- not the soundtrack album for the popular Twilight movie franchise -- but the fourth album by doom/death demi-gods Swallow the Sun. Or vice-versa! In either case, there'd be little chance of crossover given the Fins' continuing commitment to the harshest elements of their metallic sound -- all leviathan riffs and beastly growls and shrieks -- even as they progressively experiment with tighter song arrangements, melodic singing, and gothic accents (see Falling World) amid the ever-present symphonic backdrops that have served them well since the start of their career. On the flipside of that coin, the arrival of new drummer Kai Hahto introduces the occasional black metal blastbeat (e.g. Servant of Sorrow), and actually expands Swallow the Sun's range of tempos to the absolute limits at both ends of the slow/fast spectrum.
This openness to change may of course wind up alienating some doom metal purists, much as it terrifies Twilight fans; but let the former turn elsewhere if they can't appreciate the creative immensity of doom-laden New Moon highlights such as These Woods Breathe Evil (a truly cinematic tour de force, evoking both morbid horror and plain awe), …And Heavens Cried Blood (where angelic melodies never sounded so sinister), and perhaps the supreme exercise in extremes, Lights on the Lake (Horror Pt. III), which builds from a delicate, female-sung reverie to blastbeat-whipped fury then back again, and still it works! In short, not unlike Katatonia before them, Swallow the Sun can't help but evolve, and it's ultimately the very gradual rate at which they do so that makes it almost impossible for even the most stubborn of fans to begrudge them that evolution, with the alternative being stagnation. People who think like that may as well go buy that shitty Twilight soundtrack.

Note: The reviews shared here are for historical reference. The views and opinions expressed within are not always supported (in full or in part) by Into the Wells. — E.N. Wells


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