Some Light In The
Dark ness
As they head towards their 25th anniversary, Finnish prog-doom merchants Swallow The Sun are bringing a touch of hope to their more melancholic output with the transformative new album, Shining. Bandleader Juha Raivio discusses their brighter sound, Marillion’s influence and why this album is going big with Queen-style choruses.
Words: Paul Travers
Swallow The Sun (L-R):
Juuso Raatikainen ,
Matti Honkonen, Mikko
Kotamäki, Juho Räihä,
Juha Raivio
Images:
Jussi Ratilainen
S wallow The Sun’s new album, Shining, is aptly named. It isn’t exactly bursting with joy – the Finnish quintet are far too steeped in melancholia for that – but it does provide glimmers of hope that shine like distant stars in the darkness. It’s also an album that guitarist, keyboard player, founder member and main songwriter Juha Raivio felt that he had to make at this point in the band’s career.
“I needed it to feel different to our last album for my own sake, because Moonflowers was so dark,” he explains. “It was so painful. Anyone who knows us knows the music has a lot of weight from my own personal life. It started to be quite dangerous for myself, to play the music and go on tour and stab myself in the heart. A voice inside myself said that maybe you could have a little bit of mercy with yourself if there’s ever going to be new music.” For those who aren’t familiar with Swallow The Sun’s recent history, their last two albums – 2019’s When A Shadow Is Forced Into The Light and 2021’s Moonflowers – dealt directly with the death of Raivio’s partner and artistic collaborator Aleah Stanbridge, as well as the guitarist’s own difficult journey in its aftermath.