My journey as a fan of Finland's Swallow the Sun is an interesting one; I've only recently (within the last year and a half or so) become familiar with the band, yet it just happened by chance that I discovered their albums in the chronological order they were released. I was hooked after my first listen to their stunning debut The Morning Never Came; their heavy yet melodic and melancholic death/doom metal hybrid made a great soundtrack to travelling the snowy streets of Chicago in the winter. It was doom metal without being completely depressing, more stare into the distance lost in thought than curl up into the fetal position and cry, with moments of unexpected and welcome heaviness. I enjoyed listening to their following three albums as well, so it was a pleasant surprise when I stumbled upon this a few weeks ago. Anticipation for the first "new" album after discovering a band is always an enjoyable experience, so I began anxiously twiddling my thumbs and re-listening to Swallow the Sun's discography in anticipation for Emerald Forest and the Blackbird.
Think happy thoughts, and keep reading after the jump...
