SWALLOW THE SUN return after 3 years with a triple album. Their previous work “Emerald Forest And The Blackbird” still remains one of my favorites doom/death metal albums. But now the time has come to listen their new melancholic stuff.
“Songs Of The North I, II, & III” is a triple album as I said above. That means over 2 and a half hour of music. So the band made its disc to be a different chapter and a side of their musical expression. A bit bold but brave move if I may say so.
The first part named Gloom is the sound that the band has used to us and loved them. You can feel the melancholy with “With You Came The Whole Of The World’s Tears” (come on guys some mercy with those titles). You can get angry and despaired with “10 Silver Bullets”, a really heavy song with amazing atmosphere. With “Heartstrings Shattering” you will feel exactly what the title says and with the female vocals the result is incredible emotional. Same goes for “Lost & Catatonic”. An amazing mix of death/doom metal with atmosphere and beautiful melodies. And it continues with the last song of the first part “From Happiness To Dust”. A fully emotional and dark album.
Going to the second part of the record you realize that things are a lot smoother here. The acoustic guitar and the piano play the main roles here. Yet again the feelings and the images are present here again. “Heart Of A Cold White Land” will make you travel inside with its beautiful melodies. And the trip never stops. “Away” and “Pray For The Winds To Come” will ensure for that. And yes the second part was fair named Beauty. “Songs From The North” (the song) is definitely a beautiful song and the female vocals add much of this beauty to the result. “Autumn Fire” brings a bit of Anathema flavor. The second part is a chill out musical theme with the wide meaning of the phrase.
Coming to the final third part named Despair you realize from the first notes that things get darker. Funeral doom to its best. “Gathering Of The Black Moths” and “Empires Of Loneliness” surely are some of my favorites. Here SWALLOW THE SUN make one more successful expirement. Showing another side of their music expression which is close to their sound but yet again, slightly different.
“Songs Of The North” comes with a lot of music in it. Music that is different and similar to each other as a genre. A bold but a successful step. SWALLOW THE SUN are definitely back with their most ambitious work. Hear and weep!!
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