I’ll never forget that my first real show back from the pandemic was to see Finnish melodic death-doomers Swallow the Sun at Dingbatz in Clifton, New Jersey, in November 2021 (review here). Not that they were lacking status in my mind as a sentimental favorite before then, but the truth is I was apprehensive getting back out in the era of plague, and they delivered the reminder that as soon as the music starts and I’m standing in front of the stage — even masked, in sweatpants as I was — everything’s okay. Their early 2025 return to the States in celebration of their new album, Shining (out Oct. 18 on Century Media), will find them hitting Gramercy Theater in NYC, headlining alongside Harakiri for the Sky, Ghost Bath and Snakes of Russia. The first single, the tightly-composed, lushly produced “What I Have Become,” came out a couple weeks back and can be streamed at the bottom of this post.

Hoping to have more to come on the album as we get closer to the release, but here are the tour dates for now so you have an excuse to mark your calendar early:

Finnish Death-Doom Masters SWALLOW THE SUN Announce 2025 North American Headline Tour

New Album ‘Shining’ Out October 18th via Century Media Records — Pre-Order HERE: https://swallowthesun.lnk.to/Shining

Finnish death-doom pioneers SWALLOW THE SUN are set to embark on a highly anticipated North American headline tour supporting their forthcoming album, ‘Shining,’ which drops on October 18th via Century Media Records. The tour features support from Harakiri For The Sky, Ghost Bath, and Snakes of Russia. Kicking off on February 20th in Detroit, MI, the tour will bring the band’s signature blend of despair, beauty, and crushing heaviness to audiences across the continent, wrapping up on March 15th in Chicago, IL. The artist pre-sale is going on now; general tickets go on sale August 30th, at 1:00 PM EDT / 10:00 AM PDT.

“What a great line-up we have on this tour. Join the happiest tour of 2025 and secure your tickets immediately,” says vocalist Mikko Kotamäki

SWALLOW THE SUN
With Harakiri For The Sky, Ghost Bath, and Snakes of Russia
2/20/25 – Detroit, MI – Sanctuary
2/21/25 – Toronto, ON – Velvet Underground
2/22/25 – Montreal, QC – Fouf’s
2/23/25 – Boston, MA – Brighton Music Hall
2/24/25 – New York, NY – Gramercy Theater
2/25/25 – Baltimore, MD – Baltimore Soundstage
2/26/25 – Greensboro, NC – Hangar 1819
2/27/25 – Atlanta, GA – The Earl
2/28/25 – Orlando, FL – Conduit
3/1/25 – Pensacola, FL – Handlebar
3/2/25 – Houston, TX – Parish Room @ House of Blues
3/3/25 – Austin, TX – Come And Take It Live
3/4/25 – Albuquerque, NM – Launch Pad
3/5/25 – Phoenix, AZ – Rebel
3/6/25 – San Diego, CA – Brick By Brick
3/7/25 – Los Angeles, CA – Echoplex
3/8/25 – San Francisco, CA – Neck of The Woods
3/9/25 – Portland, OR – Bossanova Ballroom
3/10/25 – Seattle, WA – El Corazon
3/12/25 – Salt Lake City, UT – Metro Music Hall
3/13/25 – Denver, CO – Bluebird Theater
3/14/25 – Omaha, NE – Reverb
3/15/25 – Chicago, IL – Reggies

The tour announcement follows the release of the band’s latest single, “What I Have Become,” a powerful track that delves into themes of transformation and rebirth. Produced and mixed by Dan Lancaster (Bring Me the Horizon, Muse, Enter Shikari), the song showcases SWALLOW THE SUN at their most intense, both sonically and lyrically.

More than two decades of despair, beauty, and heartache have not only shaped but fueled Finnish melancholy torchbearers, the chart-topping and two-time Finnish Grammy nominated SWALLOW THE SUN.

Formed in Jyväskylä in 2000, the quintet has enjoyed numerous fan-lauded music videos (10+ million YouTube views) and streaming dominance (50+ million Spotify plays), while also embarking on a four-continent, 900-show run over the course of their 20-year career.

Their new music, however, is the group’s first step on the new path to the unknown.

SWALLOW THE SUN are:
Juha Raivio – Guitar, Keys
Juho Räihä – Guitar
Mikko Kotamäki – Vocals
Matti Honkonen – Bass
Juuso Raatikainen – Drums

https://www.facebook.com/swallowthesun
https://www.instagram.com/swallowthesunofficial/
http://www.swallowthesun.net/

https://www.facebook.com/centurymedia
https://www.instagram.com/centurymediarecords/
http://www.centurymedia.com/

Swallow the Sun, “What I Have Become” visualizer

Swallow the Sun, “Innocence Was Long Forgotten” official video

I’d already long-since had a soft spot in my heart for Finnish melodic death-doom metallers Swallow the Sun, but I’ll never forget that the band were my first show back from the pandemic, in Nov. 2021. They came all the way from Finland to play Dingbatz in Clifton, NJ (review here). I wore a mask. And sweatpants. It was a weird and in-my-case warm night, but the five-piece were absolute professionals on stage, and the show was a reminder blasted into my brain of the sustaining presence live music adds to my life after nearly two years of no gigs.

I’ve got the band’s new album, Shining, on right now, and it sounds big, produced, in a way that reminds in parts of modern Katatonia, but in the keys and the drum sounds of new single “What I Have Become,” and some of what’s happening around the guitars and bass in “Under the Moon and Sun,” the way the ambience is developed in the arrangements, I feel like you can hear what Dan Lancaster is bringing to it as producer. It moves like a modern record, and not that 2021’s way-dark Moonflowers (review here) didn’t, but it’s different and fascinating. I’m looking forward to getting to know the songs better, but when they talk about it being brighter, that comes through the melody as well. And the tracks seem to be shorter on average, so there’s that too.

This one’s out the day before my birthday. Might have to get a preorder in as a gift to myself. Here’s how that happens from the PR wire:

Finnish Death-Doom Masters SWALLOW THE SUN Announce New Album ‘Shining’ Out October 18th via Century Media Records

Unveils Heavy New Single “What I Have Become” + Visualizer

Pre-Order HERE: https://swallowthesun.lnk.to/Shining

‘Shining,’ the latest full-length album from the Finnish Death Doom pioneers SWALLOW THE SUN, will be available via Century Media Records on Oct 18th. The powerful and very heavy new track of transformation and rebirth – “What I Have Become” – will take you through personal hell and back.

The new record is produced and mixed by Dan Lancaster (Bring Me the Horizon, Muse, Enter Shikari, etc.), mastered by Tony Lindgren (Fascination Street Studios), and recorded by Juho Räihä at SoundSpiral Audio, except vocals recorded by Dan Lancaster.

Juha Raivio comments on the new song:

“´What I Have Become` is about that moment when you look yourself deep in the eye from the mirror and your own eyes start to tell what your soul has become instead of what you always wanted it to be. The hardest thing is to forgive yourself and break that circle”.

About ‘Shining’ Juha Raivio adds:

“After our last album, it soon became clear to me that writing another Moonflowers album would kill me. So, I made a quiet wish to myself that if there ever will be any new music then please have a little bit of mercy on yourself rather than be that infinite black hole that will suck out the rest of your remaining light and soul just for the sake of it. Musically this album shines like a glacier diamond and has that power and punch that feels like a kick in your face! While lyrically the album deals with how fearing life will eventually kill you and how melancholy can become your God.

“We want to thank all the support and trust from Century Media, not to mention our insanely talented producer Dan Lancaster having the balls and guts to jump straight in the deep end with this band and get us out of our comfort zone. This album truly feels like a sunrise in the night sky”.

‘Shining’ Track List:
1. Innocence Was Long Forgotten
2. What I Have Become
3. MelancHoly
4. Under The Moon & Sun
5. Kold
6. November Dust
7. Velvet Chains
8. Tonight Pain Believes
9. Charcoal Sky
10. Shining

Moreover, SWALLOW THE SUN will host a very unique and exclusive event at the beautiful Aleksanterin Teatteri in Helsinki on October 16th, 2024. Their upcoming studio album ‘Shining’ will be listened to in its entirety, before its official release on October 18th. Please note the band will not perform at the event.

Anyone who wishes to attend the event can register and get their tickets via Levykauppa Äx from now until Oct 4th. To order and register, visit HERE: https://swallowthesun.lnk.to/Shining

At the exclusive pre-listening session, fans will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in SWALLOW THE SUN’s latest work with the best possible sound in one of the most beautiful places in northern Europe, the Aleksanterin Teatteri.

Mikko Kotamäki shares about the pre-listening session:

“Very excited to go back to the very special theater, but this time enjoying the music as a listener! Also cool to meet everyone and talk about the ‘Shining’ process and how it was working with such people as Dan! See you in Helsinki!”

SWALLOW THE SUN are:
Juha Raivio – Guitar, Keys
Juho Räihä – Guitar
Mikko Kotamäki – Vocals
Matti Honkonen – Bass
Juuso Raatikainen – Drums

https://www.facebook.com/swallowthesun
https://www.instagram.com/swallowthesunofficial/
http://www.swallowthesun.net/

https://www.facebook.com/centurymedia
https://www.instagram.com/centurymediarecords/
http://www.centurymedia.com/

Swallow the Sun, “What I Have Become” visualizer

Swallow the Sun, “Innocence Was Long Forgotten” official video