#Matti Honkonen

[human-antithesis]

Swallow The Sun Country: Finland Genre: Melodic Doom Metal Formed in: 2000

Lineup (From Left to Right): Juha Raivio - Guitars (2000 - Present) Juuso Raatikainen - Drums (2014 - Present) Mikko Kotamäki - Vocals (2001 - Present) Juho Räihä - Guitars (2018 - Present) Matti Honkonen - Bass (2001 - Present)

Albums:

2003 - The Morning Never Came 2005 - Ghosts of Loss 2007 - Hope 2008 - Plague of Butterflies (EP) 2009 - New Moon 2012 - Emerald Forest and the Blackbird 2015 - Songs From The North I, II & III 2018 - Lumina Aurea (Single) 2019 - When A Shadow is Forced into the Light 2021 - 20 Years of Gloom, Beauty and Despair: Live in Helsinki 2021 - Moonflowers

[anotherghoul666]

Swallow the Sun primer

For @devoured-by-shadows but anyone who's interested in discovering the Finnish doom masters that are STS are welcome to read! The post's addressed to them because it began as an ask and I went overboard Like I do hahaha

Swallow the Sun, shortened to STS, are a LEGENDARY doom metal band from Finland. They formed in 2000, created by master of Gloom, Beauty & Despair Mister Juha Raivio himself, composer and guitarist who will rip your heart right out of your chest and leave you in a puddle of tears with the beauty of the crushing tales he weaves. Within a year they had Matti Honkonen on bass and the absolutely extraordinary Mikko Kotamäki on vocals to form the core lineup which has remained stable since 2001. Drums and second guitar have changed a bit over the years (notably they had Kai Hato behind the kit from 2009 to 2015, #bestEraOfSTS. You may know Hato better from Wintersun, or Nightwish nowadays. He's one of my all time drum idols and, no joke, one of the softest, kindest, most gentle souls I've ever met in my life). STS's got the same lineup since 2018.

I will admit that Kotamäki's vocals are somewhat of an acquired taste, it did take me a while to get used to it too, but give it the time it deserves. He has cleans and screams to offer and once it hits, it's transcendental. Once you'll fall in love, this man will ensnare you and his voice will own your soul. He's definitely refined his vocal technique too, the song you heard No Light, No Hope is from 2007, he was still pretty raw then. I like the rawness but it is less accessible than how polished he sounds now. I don't see any reason why his recent vocals would not hit the mark for you, knowing what I know of your stellar music taste.

Through their career they have released 8 full length studio albums with the occasional EP and single release dotted throughout. Legit, they do not have a single bad album. They have rather different albums, and you will vibe with an era more than with another, most likely. It's up to you to find where STS clicks for you, which type of haunting menalcholy do their grip and won't let go of. As long as you are into doom metal and slow, melancholic, longing, painful, mournful 5-15 minutes songs, they will hit for you. Their lyrical universe is stunning, and once you're sucked into their sound, there's a non-negligible chance they will become a go-to band to cry to when you need to get it out. I know that's what they are for me. You just need to be in a mood for sad shit.

Keeping in my mind that my actual recommendation is "just listen to the entire discography from start to finish because it's 100% worth it and flawless perfection", I also recognize my bias and how unrealistic that is XD So I shall now proceed to go album by album in chronological order (which is also the order I recommend discovering them in because their progress is very satisfying to hear) and rec some songs to start your Swallow the Sun journey with!

Off of 2003's The Morning Never Came, I suggest: Deadly Nightshade Swallow (Horror Pt. 1) my favorite STS song because of personal reasons and attachment

From 2005's Ghosts of Loss, I suggest: The Giant Fragile

From 2007's Hope I suggest: Don't Fall Asleep (Horror Pt. II)

2008's Plague of Butterflies EP is one of the most ambitious, gut wrenching and honestly seminal projects in doom metal's history. It's a 35 minutes song that is a must listen in any metalhead's journey. Sit down, grab the lyrics, dim the lights and feel the beauty and sadness of one of the most wonderful and painful musical tales to ever come out of the genre. Unbeatable shit. My 2nd favorite STS song.

Off of 2009's New Moon, I suggest: Lights on the Lake (Horror Pt. III)

Off of 2012's Emerald Forest and the Blackbird, which is where I feel you'll start to hear the shift into STS's "modern sound" so this may be where you start to like them more, I suggest: Labyrinth of London (Horrors pt. IV) my 4th favorite STS song, the 3rd will come later This Cut is the Deepest Hate, Lead the Way

2015's Songs from the North is quite the outlier project in this band's discography because it's a triple album. It's legit 3-4 hours of music. Each album, I, II and III have a distinct sound and pull from different inspirations: you have a heavier metal one, an acoustic one and a deep slow doom 10+ minutes-per-song one. It's a big ass mountain to climb cause there is so much material here and it's not been trimmed. I sincerely feel like they could have made a single 12-13 tracks album with the three discs, idk. I don't suggest starting here at all, this is more of the deep dive album at the end of the journey if you really love them: Lost & Catatonic

Which leads us to the masterpiece of Swallow the Sun's discography, 2019's When a Shadow is Forced into the Light. Listen. There is a lot of history behind that album. A very painful personal history in Juha Raivio's life. I could recount the whole tale one day, because as STS fans we lived through it in a small way. With all the distance in the world, it wrecked me. 4 years later it still makes me very, very emotional. Long story short, Raivio's wife Aleah Starbridge, the Nightingale, beautiful soul, beautiful flamme, for whom we still hold the torch alight, passed away and this is the album of his grief. I think even without knowing the whole story, the album speaks for itself. This is one of my top 5 albums of all time. All genres, all bands, all music altogether, this album is one of the most beautiful, most difficult listens I have ever heard and it changed me deeply. This album completely changed me. There's a before and an after. Me and my father made our first listen of this album together on the road when it came out. Mw dad's a man from the 50s so you know he Does Not Cry, I have seen this man cry probably 5 times in my entire life, and one of those was us listening to this album for the first time. We had to pull over to the side of the road so we wouldn't get in an accident and we just stayed there, listened, held each other and sobbed together. I will never forget that memory. So as far as songs go? Just listen to the entire album. For real. Take the hour out of your life. It's worth it, trust me. When you're in the mood to take it obviously. Every song here is pure musical perfection. Stone Wings is my 3rd favorite STS song, but it deserves to hit in the context of the album. Do me and yourself a favor and experience the entire thing as it was meant to. Start of the playlist here

2021's Moonflowers is their latest release currently and I suggest: Woven into Sorrow

And those are the broad lines of Swallow the Sun! I hope you enjoy your journey in this universe of Gloom, Beauty & Despair! If you have any comments / questions about them (yes I have hagning out with the guys annecdotes too XD for instance hahaha) hit me up anytime!

[sethabrikoos]

🤘 #SwallowTheSun at #BrutalAssault2022 #photography by: #Sethpicturesmusic , #SethAbrikoos . . . #brutalassault #brutalassaultfestival #deathdoom #doommetal #doommetalband #spinefarmrecords #centurymediarecords #metalfest #festivalphotographer #festivalphoto #metalfest #eventphotographer #guitarist #metalguitarist #metalguitar #SwallowTheSunBand = Juha Raivio – lead guitar (2018-present), rhythm guitar (2000–2018) Mikko Kotamäki – lead vocals (2001–present) Matti Honkonen – bass (2001–present) Juuso Raatikainen – drums (2014–present) Juho Räihä – rhythm guitar (2018–present) @swallowthesunofficial 🤘✌️ (at Brutal Assault) https://www.instagram.com/p/Chu7lR1sLok/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[nofatclips]

Songs from the North by Swallow The Sun (featuring Kaisa Vala) from the album Songs from the North, vol. II: Beauty

[suchaflurryflurry]

favorite lyrics from 2019 albums i like ↳ when a shadow is forced into the light // swallow the sun

[kenpiercemedia]

Swallow The Sun Announces U.S. Moonflowers Tour 2021

According to the bands Facebook, this will be the third attempt at a US Tour with the previous attempts curtailed by the Coronavirus Pandemic. Having enjoyed the bands musical adventures for a few years now, I am happy to share the press release from their side of the fence with you down below. Read on. The Press Release: Finnish death doom masters, SWALLOW THE SUN, have just announced their…

[blankasolun]

Aleah’s Week on Metal Graveyard: Swallow The Sun – ‘Emerald Forest and the Blackbird’ We're celebrating Aleah's 44th birthday this week. Swallow The Sun - Emerald Forest and the Blackbird

[gbhbl]

Single Slam - Upon the Water by Swallow the Sun (When A Shadow Is Forced Into Light)

Single Slam – Upon the Water by Swallow the Sun (When A Shadow Is Forced Into Light)

Finnish doom lords, Swallow the Sun, have released a new single from their incoming new album. This song is called Upon the Water. It will feature on the band’s 7th full length due out on the 25th of January via Century Media Records.

Swallow the Sun are a 6 piece. They are founding member Juha Raivio on guitar with long term members, Mikko Kotamäki on vocals and Matti Honkonen on the bass. More…

[theheadbangers]

SWALLOW THE SUN perform acoustic live show on May 7th, 2020!

Swallow the Sun will host an acoustic live gig from Sonic Pump Studios on Thursday, May 7th, 2020, at 19.00 CEST on keikalla.fi.

Swallow The Sun comment: “As you’ve heard, our North American tour is postponed to 2021 and it looks like we will not do much summer festivals either. This is why we need your support and we want to offer you a special evening with possibility to chat with the band between songs. Due to Corona situation, there will be 4 members on stage, Mikko, Jaani, Juuso and Juho.” Tickets are available here: https://www.lippu.fi/en/artist/swallow-the-sun/ The stream will be available for seven days after the show.

SWALLOW THE SUN line-up: Mikko Kotamäki – Vocals Matti Honkonen – Bass Juuso Raatikainen – Drums Jaani Peuhu – Keys & Vocals Juho Räihä – Guitar Juha Raivio – Guitar & Keys   SWALLOW THE SUN online: http://www.swallowthesun.net https://www.facebook.com/swallowthesun https://twitter.com/swallowthesunfi Read the full article

[thephotopitmagazine]

On April 9, 2019 the Finnish metal band Children of Bodom was on tour in support of their tenth studio album, Hexed. The Rtiz Ybor in Tampa FL has recently become a hot spot for metal shows for Florida and was a perfect spot for the lineup that evening. There was a solid crowd in attendance that night all looking forward to some headbanging, moshing, and great metal music. The first opener, who I unfortunately missed, was Summoner’s Circle a six piece metal band. They are touring to support their 2018 album Tome and you can find more information on them at their website https://www.summonerscircle.com.

Next up was Wolfheart the metal band from Lahti, Finland. Started in 2012 after vocalist Tuomas Saukkonen retired all his other metal projects, he was completely focused on building Wolfheart. Tuomas self-published Wolfheart’s first album Winterborn in 2013 and did all the instruments and vocals. The album did well on the Finnish charts which led to a tour the following year putting together a complete band lineup. Their following two albums also charted very well in Finland for their melodic death metal sound. In 2018 the band released Constellation of the Black Light via Napalm Records and went on tour to support it. And after completing a North American tour in Fall 2018, they came back to North American again to continue its support. Wolfheart is Tuomas Saukkonen (vocals), Mika Lammassaari (lead guitar), Lauri Silvonen (bass), and Joonas Kauppinen (drums).

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

They started off with “Everlasting Fall” from Constellation of the Black Light. The song, the first track off the album, starts off with a very melodic guitar playing before ripping into hardcore metal riffs and drumbeats. It’s a phenomenal song that will get your blood pumping, horns up high, and headbanging. And the band felt the same with Mika and Lauri were headbanging and hair twirling during the song. The band dropped the stage lights to near dark with only blue illuminating behind them. They followed with “Aeon of Cold” from their 2015 album Shadow World which was harder and faster and had the crowd moshing hard. Though Wolfheart’s set was short, they did put on a spectacular live performance. For more Wolfheart music, merchandise, and information you can visit their website at https://wolfheartofficial.com. Their setlist from that night:

Everlasting Fall

Aeon of Cold

Strength and Valor

Breakwater

The Hunt

Boneyard

Swallow The Sun was on next. The melodic death metal band from Jyväskylä, Finland formed in early 2000. After a demo release in 2002 the band signed a record deal and released their debut album in 2003 The Morning Never Came. In 2005 their second album Ghosts of Loss was released and did very well on the Finnish charts. The band toured and continued a successful career releasing five more studio albums and one EP. They’re touring in support of their seventh studio album When a Shadow is Forced into the Light that was released via Century Media Records on January 25, 2019. Swallow The Sun is Mikko Kotamäki (vocals), Juha Raivio (lead guitar), Matti Honkonen (bass), Juho Räihä (rhythm guitar), Juuso Raatikainen (drums), and Jaani Peuhu (keyboards).

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

They started off with “These Woods Breathe Evil” from their 2009 album New Moon. The song has a nice mellow sound before getting into a heavier riff. But, it’s Mikko’s high toned vocals that immediately catch your attention as he hits these notes. His vocals are very unique and fit perfectly with their style of metal. They followed up with “Upon the Water” from When a Shadow is Forced into the Light. Once again, the song starts out beautifully and keeps a melodic sound throughout the song even with Mikko’s screaming vocals. The band definitely knows how to maintain an emotional mood throughout their set. I personally loved when they played “Firelights” right after from the same album. Once again, the band had a short setlist, but a lot of their songs are lengthy. Still, they sounded great live and put on an impressive performance. For more Swallow The Sun music, merchandise, and information you can visit their website at https://swallowthesun.net. Their setlist that night:

These Woods Breathe Evil

Upon the Water

Firelights

New Moon

Stone Wings

Deadly Nightshade

Swallow (Horror Pt. 1)

Then it was time for the headliners Children of Bodom. The metal band from Espoo, Finland started back in 1993 but it wouldn’t be until 1997 when they released their first album Something Wild. The album received phenomenal praise and had them immediately out for a European tour and onto the start of their successful career. It wouldn’t be until 2003 when they would go out on their first world tour for Hate Crew Deathroll, which became the band’s first album to achieve Gold certification and hit #1 on the Finnish album charts. The band would go on to release ten studio albums with Hexed recently released on March 8, 2019. The band even did a cover album in 2009 titled Skeletons in the Closet. Children of Bodom are Alexi Lahio (vocals, lead guitar), Daniel Freyberg (rhythm guitar), Henkka T. Blacksmith (bass), Jaska Raatikainen (drums), and Janne Wirman (keyboards).

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

They walked out to a loud ovation, raising their hands up in thanks to the crowd. They started off their set with the title track from their 2005 album “Are You Dead Yet?” Alexi staying behind the mic was fierce and intense in his vocals and playing. And the music matched his intensity along with the crowd’s reaction to the song. They went even harder with “In Your Face” from the same album. Daniel and Henkka were headbanging and even Janne was behind the keyboards. So far, the crowd was enjoying the set and the mosh pits were running hard. Children of Bodom was having fun right away and through the set, Alexi would talk to the crowd thanking them for coming and ensuring they were having a good time. He urged them to sing back to them if they knew the lyrics to the song. Of course supporting Hexed they played the three well-known singles “Platitudes and Barren Words”, which I truly enjoy, “This Road”, and “Under Grass and Clover”. The crowd truly loved their closing set of “If You Want Peace… Prepare For War” from Are You Dead Yet? The crowd was throwing up horns, jumping, and moshing. They encored their set with “Hate Me!” from the 2000 album Follow The Reaper and “Downfall” from the 1999 album Hatebreeder. For more Children of Bodom music, merchandise, and information visit their website at https://www.cobhc.com. Their setlist from that night was:

Are You Dead Yet?

In Your Face

Platitudes and Barren Words

Bodom Beach Terror

This Road

Every Time I Die

Under Grass and Clover

I Worship Chaos

Hecate’s Nightmare

Angels Don’t Kill

If You Want Peace… Prepare For War

Encore:

Hate Me

Downfall

All three bands provided a spectacular metal experience that evening and I look forward for their return.

From The Pit To The Crowd: Children of Bodom with Swallow The Sun and Wolfheart – The Ritz Ybor – Tampa FL – April 9, 2019 On April 9, 2019 the Finnish metal band Children of Bodom was on tour in support of their tenth studio album, 

[human-antithesis]

Swallow The Sun Country: Finland Genre: Melodic Doom Metal Formed in: 2000

Lineup (From Left to Right): Juha Raivio - Guitars (2000 - Present) Juuso Raatikainen - Drums (2014 - Present) Mikko Kotamäki - Vocals (2001 - Present) Juho Räihä - Guitars (2018 - Present) Matti Honkonen - Bass (2001 - Present)

[human-antithesis]

Swallow The Sun - Moonflowers (Deluxe Edition) [November 19th, 2021] Country: Finland Genre: Melodic Doom Metal (Disc 1), Neoclassical (Disc 2)

Lineup: Mikko Kotamäki - Vocals Juha Raivio - Guitars, Keyboards Juho Räihä - Guitars, Backing Vocals Matti Honkonen - Bass Juuso Raatikainen - Drums

Guest/Session: Annika Furstenborg - Cello Aino Rautakorpi - Violin Helena Dumell - Viola Jaani Peuhu - Backing Vocals Antti Hyyrynen - Backing Vocals (Tracks 3, 7) Cammie Gilbert - Vocals (Track 5)

CD 1 - Swallow The Sun

Moonflowers Bloom in Misery - 06:19

Enemy - 05:39

Woven Into Sorrow - 07:46

Keep Your Heart Safe From Me - 07:47

All Hallow' Grieve - 05:37

The Void - 05:39

The Fight of Your Life - 07:13

This House Has No Home - 06:40

CD 2 - Classical Version recorded by Trio N O X

Moonflowers Bloom in Misery - 04:52

Enemy - 03:06

Woven Into Sorrow - 04:39

Keep Your Heart Safe From Me - 03:13

All Hallow' Grieve - 04:58

The Void - 04:01

The Fight of Your Life - 04:16

This House Has No Home - 03:03

[human-antithesis]

Swallow The Sun - Moonflowers (Deluxe Edition) [November 19th, 2021]

Lineup: Mikko Kotamäki - Vocals Juha Raivio - Guitars, Keyboards Juho Räihä - Guitars, Backing Vocals Matti Honkonen - Bass Juuso Raatikainen - Drums

Guest/Session: Annika Furstenborg - Cello Aino Rautakorpi - Violin Helena Dumell - Viola Jaani Peuhu - Backing Vocals Antti Hyyrynen - Backing Vocals (Tracks 3, 7) Cammie Gilbert - Vocals (Track 5)

[human-antithesis]

Swallow The Sun - 20 Years of Gloom, Beauty and Despair: Live in Helsinki (July 30th, 2021) Country: Finland Genre: Acoustic Folk (Disc 1), Melodic Doom Metal (Disc 2)

Lineup: Mikko Kotamäki - Vocals Juha Raivio - Guitars Juho Räihä - Guitars, Backing Vocals Matti Honkonen - Bass Juuso Raatikainen - Drums Jaani Peuhu - Keyboards, Backing Vocals

Guest/Session: Teemu Mastovaara - Cello Antti Kolehmainen - Cello Lotta Ahlbeck - Violin Helena Dumell - Viola

Tracklist:

CD 1:

The Womb of Winter - 03:24

The Heart of a Cold White Land - 04:52

Away - 05:36

Pray for the Winds to Come - 05:37

Songs from the North - 05:28

66,50'N,28,40'E - 06:52

Autumn Fire - 06:07

Before the Summer Dies - 05:16

CD 2:

Lost & Catatonic - 07:11

Empires of Loneliness - 11:50

Falling World - 05:09

Cathedral Walls - 07:22

Plague of Butterflies, Part II - 07:05

Don't Fall Asleep - 06:31

Stone Wings - 07:08

The Giant - 11:45

Swallow - 05:25

Here on the Black Earth - 05:44

[human-antithesis]

Swallow The Sun - When A Shadow Is Forced Into The Light (January 25th, 2019) Country: Finland Genre: Melodic Doom Metal

Lineup: Mikko Kotamäki - Vocals Juha Raivio - Guitars Juho Räihä - Guitars Matti Honkonen - Bass Juuso Raatikainen - Drums Jaani Peuhu - Backing Vocals, Keyboards

Guest/Session: Krista Ruusunen - Piano Irina Rusu - Violin Helena Dumell - Viola Magdalena Valkeus - Cello Teemu Mastovaara - Cello Clémentine Curie - Narration (Track 6)

Tracklist:

When A Shadow is Forced into the Light - 07:26

The Crimson Crown - 07:56

Firelights - 05:40

Upon The Water - 06:16

Stone Wings - 06:55

Clouds On Your Side - 04:46

Here on the Black Earth - 05:38

Never Left - 07:49

[human-antithesis]

Swallow The Sun - Lumina Aurea (Single) [December 21st, 2018] Country: Finland Genre: Blackened Funeral Doom Metal

Lineup: Mikko Kotamäki - Harsh Vocals Juha Raivio - Guitars Juho Räihä - Guitars Matti Honkonen - Bass Juuso Raatikainen - Drums

Guest/Session: Marco Benevento - Narration, Vocals Einar Selvik - Percussion, Horn

Additional Notes: This song was composed by guitarist Juha Raivio after his partner, Aleah Stanbridge died of Cancer in 2016.

Tracklist:

Lumina Aurea - 13:43

Lumina Aurea (Instrumental Version) - 13:43