20 Years of Gloom, Beauty and Despair: Live in Helsinki album review

July 24th, 2021

Doom/Death Metal, a rather more unique and immense genre. From guitar tones and riffs as monstrous planets colliding, gorgeous yet somber interludes in between the darker notes, to epic vocal and growling performances that shine beautifully, the Doom/Death Metal genre has been a longstanding staple within the Metal community. Early Anathema, My Dying Bride, early Katatonia, November's Doom, and Paradise Lost for example, are the usual positive suspects in naming the more popular bands from the genre, but there's a particular band from Jyvaskyla, Keski-Suomi, Finland, that is shockingly, still criminally underrated these days: Swallow the Sun.

For 20 years and still going strong, Swallow the Sun's 7 album span of Melodic Doom/Death Metal, has mesmerized Metalheads and Doom thrill seekers all across the globe. To celebrate their 20 years together, Swallow the Sun made their first live album, "20 Years of Gloom, Beauty and Despair: Live in Helsinki." This was recorded and filmed during their 20 year anniversary tour early 2020, right before the global pandemic. Continuing to surprise and changing the mold, the band would perform an acoustic set from the "Beauty" disc of Songs From the North, followed by a special setlist spanning the rest of the band's career through an online fan poll. And who says bands don't give back to their fans? This special event recorded at Tavastia in Helsinki, Finland, sounded like it couldn't be missed.

Hearing the intro in "The Womb of Winter", the atmosphere was set with the live sound production sounding immaculate and crystal clear, especially with the keyboards/piano work. A perfect example, right at the 3:17 mark in "Away", the glistening, operatic passage that Keyboardist Jaani Peuhu performs and provides, and it's displayed all throughout both sets. There's something about live recordings at club shows, in which the sound quality and attention to detail, usually seems to be the highest priority. Bright, blissful tones full of texture, the acoustic guitar starting in "The Heart of a Cold White Land", the rings and chord harmonium, truly stood out. Throughout the first and second set, founding member and guitarist Juha Raivio's majestic, story-driven and haunting riffing structures, truly show you a glimpse of power and essence on what makes Swallow the Sun so beloved and unique.

While the soothing, calm demeanor of the "Beauty" set resonated, the lasting impact wasn't quite as memorable as the beginning. The album itself is a pleasure to listen to, although the studio version is mostly clean guitar tone anyhow, playing the entire album in an live acoustic setting, I felt the power of the songs as a whole, weren't quite as lasting. I would have personally loved to had heard an acoustic set of other songs, perhaps the different selection of songs would have changed that. Then again, both sets are special because one is from a particular album, and the other is a chronology of the rest of Swallow the Sun's discography, so I completely get it, and I always appreciate bands and artists changing up sets, and taking sorts of "chances" (Not playing constant Greatest Hits Sets, thank goodness).

The lull lasting only a short while, the 1st set picks up right back up at "Autumn Fire", with the increased tempo to start off the track, the acoustic guitar menacing with the countdown, that short build-up accentuates the mood of the keys. This near 45 minute performance had various bright spots, and the acoustic guitars were magical in this setting, but overall at least for me, it was slightly the weaker of the two sets.

But for the next 10 tracks, the 2nd set absolutely shines best. Although there are plenty of clean and softer passages all throughout Swallow the Sun's discography, hearing a metaphorical musical map and landmarks of the entire band, is the ultimate setting for listening to them. The somber landmines of heaviness immediately grab a hold of your subconscious in the opening notes from "Empires of Loneliness". Raivio and his other axe mate, Juho Räihä, keep such a devastating foundation of guitar crunch, but are able to engage the listener with all sorts of Melodic Doom/Death Metal variations and moments. Right at the 2:28 mark in "Cathedral Walls", Juuso Raatikainen's crisp, hypnotic cymbal roll introduce Anette Olzon's angelic backtrack, takes you to a glamourous moment of serenity and elevation, with that clean guitar sound and echo ringing those descending 4 notes. The musicianship is tight, the band works together extremely well, and it's quite evident all through their set. Long standing member, Matti Honkonen's echoing and pummeling bass tones can be heard throughout both sets, calmly adding a boost to the acoustic set, while especially used well in the 2nd set, adding a layer of power to the medium passages, and a chaotic, monstrous boom, during the extreme moments and epic, longer tracks.

Perhaps the magnum opus of this live set, the maddening and piercing, quality vocal work of Mikko Kotamäki. Not only are his clean vocals sung with an excellent dab of melancholy and bliss, the transition to his raging yet crystal clear gutterals on a dime, and vice versa, such mastery and technique. The amount of wonderous dread and suffocating force Mikko growls with, the thunderous riffing increases in magnitude, paralyzing the listener with a healthy, yet appropriate musical fear. Take "The Giant", the opener from their 2005 release Ghosts of Loss, and most definitely the best song on this entire recording and live album. The opening riff, sounding as drone, enticing and quite catchy as "that riff" to "The Cry of Mankind, jumping to the 4:44 mark, the sinister-like groove in sync with the chilling keys, followed by Mikko singing like an individual perplexed with, and questioning the profound, abstract ideas of life. The quality of his diction, vocal work, and magnificent growls from 6:03 - 7:02, would have the likes of Frank Mullen, Mikael Akerfeldt, Peter Tägtgren, and Patrick Loisel, take a bow in respect.

The crowd enjoyed both sets as heard from the audio, but felt like the 2nd set more of an impression overall, with the club setting providing such an intimate feel for such a marvelous concert. I'm hoping to see the DVD when it's released, and get even more clarity and a feel for how this recording was.

The Doom/Death Metal genre is filled with some of the most astounding and fantastic bands, but maybe due to timing, and the elder state bands starting as much as 12 years before, Swallow the Sun doesn't seem to get the credit and acknowledgment as they deserve. 20 Years of Gloom, Beauty and Despair: Live in Helsinki, a prime example of an outstanding performance from one of the genres, and Finland's finest. While the Beauty acoustic performance was memorable and had many shining moments, the 2nd set was at least for me, the strongest of the two, and the overall better representation of who Swallow the Sun are. For hardcore Swallow the Sun fans, you're in for a remarkable time, and also for newcomers to the Doom/Death Metal genre and/or Swallow the Sun, the stellar sound quality and especially vocal performance, will stay with you in optimum delight.

20 Years of Gloom, Beauty and Despair: Live in Helsinki

Set 1 (Songs from the North "Beauty" Acoustic Set)

1. The Womb of Winter

2. The Heart of a Cold White Land

3. Away

4. Pray for the Winds to Come

5. Songs from the North

6. 66°50'N, 28°40'E

7. Autumn Fire

8. Before the Summer Dies

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Set 2 (Fan Vote Anthrology Set)

9. Lost and Catatonic

10. Empires of Loneliness

11. Falling World

12. Cathedral Walls

13. Plague of Butterflies

14. Don't Fall Asleep (Horror Pt. II)

15. Stone Wings

16. The Giant

17. Swallow (Horror Pt. I)

18. Here on the Black Earth