Swallow The Sun's new album A Shadow Is Forced Into The Light is their first since 2015's triple album Songs From The North. It's also their first since the death of Trees Of Eternity vocalist Aleah Liane Stanbridge, who was also Swallow The Sun guitarist Juha Raivio's partner.
Raivio dedicates the album to the memory of Stanbridge, and his pain comes across clear as day in both the music and the lyrics.
"Every word and note I wrote, I wrote for Aleah," states Juha Raivio about the release. "And about my own battle since she passed. The album title, When A Shadow Is Forced Into The Light, comes from Aleah's own words, 'When a shadow is forced into the light.' That was exactly what I needed to do. To push myself out from the shadows. I've been pretty much a hermit in the woods for two and a half years. Gathering my life to write this album. That's also why the subject is very personal and therefore hard for me to talk about. I'd rather leave it all to the music and words on When A Shadow Is Forced Into The Light to tell the story. It's all there."
A Shadow Is Forced Into The Light is out January 25. Swallow The Sun has also announced a handful of Finnish dates for February.
February 7 – Helsinki, Finland – Nosturi
February 8 – Turku, Finland – Apollo
February 9 – Jyvaskyla, Finland – Lutakko (w/ The Man-Eating Tree)
February 14 – Tampere, Finland – Klubi (w/ The Man-Eating Tree)
February 15 – Oulu, Finland – Teatria (w/ The Man-Eating Tree)
February 16 – Kuopio, Finland – Henry's Pub (w/ The Man-Eating Tree)
