New Moon (Swallow the Sun album)
| New Moon | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 4, 2009 | |||
| Recorded | 15 June - Mid-July, Fascination Street Studios, Örebro, Sweden | |||
| Genre | Death/doom, melodic death metal, gothic metal | |||
| Length | 53:50 | |||
| Label | Spinefarm, Svart Records | |||
| Producer | Jens Bogren | |||
| Swallow the Sun chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [1] |
| Guitarist | [2] |
| Rock Sound |   [3] |
New Moon is the fourth studio album by Finnish band Swallow the Sun. The album was released on November 4, 2009 in Finland, November 9, 2009 in Europe, and November 10, 2009 in the United States.[4] Recording of the album commenced on June 15 at Fascination Street Studios with Jens Bogren as executive producer.[4] Wintersun drummer Kai Hahto replaced Pasi Pasanen and contributed drums on the album.[4] Some versions of the album contain an alternate recording of "Servant of Sorrow", which features a guitar solo by Steve Rothery.
The Horror Series continued from this album, also being on The Morning Never Came, Hope, and Emerald Forest and the Blackbird.
On February 1, 2012, Svart Records released the album on LP, limited to 500 copies.[5]
Track listing
All songs written by Juha Raivio, except where noted.[4]
- "These Woods Breathe Evil" – 6:43
- "Falling World" (Mikko Kotamäki, Raivio) – 5:08
- "Sleepless Swans" – 7:23
- "...And Heavens Cried Blood" (Kotamäki, Raivio) – 6:17
- "Lights on the Lake (Horror pt. III)" – 7:45
- "New Moon" – 5:00
- "Servant of Sorrow" – 6:25
- "Weight of the Dead" – 9:04
- "Servant of Sorrow (Alternate Version)" (bonus track) - 6:25
Personnel
Swallow The Sun
- Mikko Kotamäki - vocals
- Markus Jämsen - guitar
- Juha Raivio - guitar
- Aleksi Munter - keyboards
- Matti Honkonen - bass
- Kai Hahto - drums
Additional Personnel
- Aleah Stanbridge - guest vocals on "Lights on the Lake"
- Dan Swano - backing vocals on "Falling World"
- Steve Rothery - guitar solo/lead guitar/guitars on "Servant of Sorrow"
Lyrical themes
Generally, the songs mainly focus on themes of depression, death, mourning, and loss, with each song telling a story. These themes are often told with themes of horror, the paranormal and supernatural, such as the first track "These Woods Breathe Evil" describing a man's confession to a murder that he claims was motivated by the constant demands of the ghosts of a haunted forest that persist to possess him. This song is heavily influenced by the 90's television series "Twin Peaks" and the phrase "The owls are not what they seem" in the lyrics support this connection. Another example is "Lights on the Lake (Horror. pt III)" told from two points of view, one of the ghosts of a young woman who haunts a lake demanding to know why she was murdered by her father. The other point of view is of the father who describes his intentions for the murder were to save his daughter's soul from possession.
Charts
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Finnish Albums Chart | 10[6] |
References
- ^ Rivadavia, Eduardo. [1] Retrieved on 2010-31-12.
- ^ Guitarist Magazine, Issue 323, December 2009, p.198
- ^ Alderslade, Merlin. New Moon review rocksound.tv. Retrieved on 2009-12-05.
- ^ a b c d "Swallow the Sun : New Album Details Revealed". blabbermouth.net. June 12, 2009. Archived from the original on February 1, 2013. Retrieved 2009-06-12.
- ^ "Swallow the Sun: New Moon LP - Svart Records"[permanent dead link]. Svart Records. December 24, 2011. Retrieved on January 22, 2012.
- ^ Suomen virallinen lista yle.yle.fi. Retrieved on 2009-11-11. (Finnish)