The strength and delicacy of life into music – review of “Shining” by Swallow The Sun

Contrasts are part of life, if not life itself. You can’t have the ups without the downs, rainbows without some rain, joy without the pain. So instead of fighting these differences, why shouldn’t we turn them into music? That is probably what Swallow The Sun might have thought when producing their latest effort “Shining”, released not even two weeks ago.

It’s safe to say that this isn’t your usual Swallow The Sun album, and to be honest, that is perfectly fine. Diversity and experimentation are absolutely welcome, especially if this means that the band is not afraid to push the limits of their art. Speaking of limits, I have to admit that the production, mixing and mastering are not at the quality I would expect from such a band. The team is actually slightly different than “Moonflowers” one, so perhaps this was also part of their experimental era?

Let me clarify: the standard of this product is not bad, it isn’t just the pristine mixing and production that I am fond of. That being said, the effort that was put into songwriting and composing is definitely top-notch, in full Swallow The Sun style. Another contrast that we must note is obviously between clean and harsh vocals, which enriches the tracks flawlessly. After all, they’re from Finland, so we can’t be too surprised by their artistry.

Mikko Kotamäki’s voice has to be one of the country’s national treasures because each line is sung with the uttermost feeling, depth and connection, that it’s impossible to press stop. Tracks like “Velvet Chains” or “Innocence Was Long Forgotten” really make you wonder how is it possible for him to sing literally everything. Expressivity plays a fundamental role in the songs, and they don’t take it lightly.

While there are two guitars in the band the sound is not always massive, which is a nice change of pace from the usual. Matti Honkonen is a bit hidden in the mix, while Juuso Raatikainen’s drums are recorded in a weird way. Splendid instead are Juha Raivio’s keyboards, which give shape to these incredible atmospheres.

In conclusion, “Shining” can’t be proclaimed as Swallow The Sun‘s best effort, but it is certainly a step forward for the group. Some aspects are very well curated, others are a bit left to chance. Still, the Finnish group has proved that they do not have any signs of slowing down, and that is a win for us!