SWALLOW THE SUN
Moonflowers
CENTURY MEDIA
Finland’s lords of gloom offer a masterclass in catharsis
work that Juha Raivio has amassed since the death of his life partner, muse and bandmate Aleah Starbridge in 2016 represents surely the strongest half-decade of affecting creativity in doom history. From Trees Of Eternity’s posthumous sole opus, in 2016, through Hallatar’s elegiac 2017 debut, , to Swallow The Sun’s crushing 2019 LP, , the cathartic urge to escape into music to express profound sensations of grief has produced a surge of heart-rending masterpieces that compel uneasy immersion. It’s continues this run, maintaining the standards impeccably. These consummate Finnish miserabilists have been a consistently potent, trustworthy doom force for nearly 20 years, and this eighth album is wrought with all the love, care and taste that these seasoned craftsmen bring to their art.
