Review by Adam M on June 29, 2010.

Swallow The Sun play Melodic Doom Metal in the vein of Paradise Lost, but often bring about more Death Metal like portions into the music. The result is a varied style that separates them slightly from other Doom Metal bands. The music carries a strong mournful tone that is appropriate for the style being performed. Swallow The Sun also adds in serene moments at times to vary the intensity of the tunes much like Opeth does. Overall, the band’s sound is rich and emotionally driven.

Track 2,'Falling World' shows the type of serene atmosphere the band is capable of portraying effectively. One can notice that it alternates between clean and harsh vocals to create a solid juxtaposition. Other tracks follow a similar route, but this one is as solid a demonstration of the band’s abilities as any other. At times, the band lets up on the gas a little too much or starts to fade into the background a bit, but for the most part the listener is kept interested by all that’s going on. If the band could push things further into consistently lamenting atmospherics they would be stronger still.

The album has enough elements to make it a solid, well-rounded disc even though it falls slightly short of being a masterpiece. The thick, atmospheric sounds are quite worthwhile on the whole. Passion is an obvious characteristic that the band has and it is brought out nicely on the disc. What the band loses in technical virtuosity, they more than make up for in emotional intensity which is more appropriate to the type of music they’re playing anyways.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 7.5
Atmosphere: 8
Production: 8
Originality: 7.5
Overall: 7.8

Rating: 7.8 out of 10