#Mikko Kotamäki

[astralbondpro]

Swallow The Sun // Innocence Was Long Forgotten

[human-antithesis]

Swallow The Sun Country: Finland Genre: Melodic Doom Metal Formed in: 2000

Lineup (From Left to Right): Juha Raivio - Guitars (2000 - Present) Juuso Raatikainen - Drums (2014 - Present) Mikko Kotamäki - Vocals (2001 - Present) Juho Räihä - Guitars (2018 - Present) Matti Honkonen - Bass (2001 - Present)

Albums:

2003 - The Morning Never Came 2005 - Ghosts of Loss 2007 - Hope 2008 - Plague of Butterflies (EP) 2009 - New Moon 2012 - Emerald Forest and the Blackbird 2015 - Songs From The North I, II & III 2018 - Lumina Aurea (Single) 2019 - When A Shadow is Forced into the Light 2021 - 20 Years of Gloom, Beauty and Despair: Live in Helsinki 2021 - Moonflowers

[slrmagazine]

SWALLOW THE SUN Announce 2025 North American Headline Tour

SWALLOW THE SUN Announce 2025 North American Headline Tour. #swallowthesun @STSOfficial_1

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…

[rocktambulos]

Mikko Kotamäki: "El metal ahora es música de gente de mediana edad." Entrevista con SWALLOW THE SUN

Quizás uno de los veranos más calurosos en la historia de Argentina no es el marco más adecuado para recibir a los fineses de SWALLOW THE SUN. Sin duda su música nos lleva a lugares oscuros y fríos, no solo físicos, sino también de la mente y los sentimientos. O quizás, esa sea la mejor forma de darle pelea a la sofocación. En todos los sentidos. Antes de su “casi debut” sudamericano (ya…

[anotherghoul666]

Swallow the Sun primer

For @devoured-by-shadows but anyone who's interested in discovering the Finnish doom masters that are STS are welcome to read! The post's addressed to them because it began as an ask and I went overboard Like I do hahaha

Swallow the Sun, shortened to STS, are a LEGENDARY doom metal band from Finland. They formed in 2000, created by master of Gloom, Beauty & Despair Mister Juha Raivio himself, composer and guitarist who will rip your heart right out of your chest and leave you in a puddle of tears with the beauty of the crushing tales he weaves. Within a year they had Matti Honkonen on bass and the absolutely extraordinary Mikko Kotamäki on vocals to form the core lineup which has remained stable since 2001. Drums and second guitar have changed a bit over the years (notably they had Kai Hato behind the kit from 2009 to 2015, #bestEraOfSTS. You may know Hato better from Wintersun, or Nightwish nowadays. He's one of my all time drum idols and, no joke, one of the softest, kindest, most gentle souls I've ever met in my life). STS's got the same lineup since 2018.

I will admit that Kotamäki's vocals are somewhat of an acquired taste, it did take me a while to get used to it too, but give it the time it deserves. He has cleans and screams to offer and once it hits, it's transcendental. Once you'll fall in love, this man will ensnare you and his voice will own your soul. He's definitely refined his vocal technique too, the song you heard No Light, No Hope is from 2007, he was still pretty raw then. I like the rawness but it is less accessible than how polished he sounds now. I don't see any reason why his recent vocals would not hit the mark for you, knowing what I know of your stellar music taste.

Through their career they have released 8 full length studio albums with the occasional EP and single release dotted throughout. Legit, they do not have a single bad album. They have rather different albums, and you will vibe with an era more than with another, most likely. It's up to you to find where STS clicks for you, which type of haunting menalcholy do their grip and won't let go of. As long as you are into doom metal and slow, melancholic, longing, painful, mournful 5-15 minutes songs, they will hit for you. Their lyrical universe is stunning, and once you're sucked into their sound, there's a non-negligible chance they will become a go-to band to cry to when you need to get it out. I know that's what they are for me. You just need to be in a mood for sad shit.

Keeping in my mind that my actual recommendation is "just listen to the entire discography from start to finish because it's 100% worth it and flawless perfection", I also recognize my bias and how unrealistic that is XD So I shall now proceed to go album by album in chronological order (which is also the order I recommend discovering them in because their progress is very satisfying to hear) and rec some songs to start your Swallow the Sun journey with!

Off of 2003's The Morning Never Came, I suggest: Deadly Nightshade Swallow (Horror Pt. 1) my favorite STS song because of personal reasons and attachment

From 2005's Ghosts of Loss, I suggest: The Giant Fragile

From 2007's Hope I suggest: Don't Fall Asleep (Horror Pt. II)

2008's Plague of Butterflies EP is one of the most ambitious, gut wrenching and honestly seminal projects in doom metal's history. It's a 35 minutes song that is a must listen in any metalhead's journey. Sit down, grab the lyrics, dim the lights and feel the beauty and sadness of one of the most wonderful and painful musical tales to ever come out of the genre. Unbeatable shit. My 2nd favorite STS song.

Off of 2009's New Moon, I suggest: Lights on the Lake (Horror Pt. III)

Off of 2012's Emerald Forest and the Blackbird, which is where I feel you'll start to hear the shift into STS's "modern sound" so this may be where you start to like them more, I suggest: Labyrinth of London (Horrors pt. IV) my 4th favorite STS song, the 3rd will come later This Cut is the Deepest Hate, Lead the Way

2015's Songs from the North is quite the outlier project in this band's discography because it's a triple album. It's legit 3-4 hours of music. Each album, I, II and III have a distinct sound and pull from different inspirations: you have a heavier metal one, an acoustic one and a deep slow doom 10+ minutes-per-song one. It's a big ass mountain to climb cause there is so much material here and it's not been trimmed. I sincerely feel like they could have made a single 12-13 tracks album with the three discs, idk. I don't suggest starting here at all, this is more of the deep dive album at the end of the journey if you really love them: Lost & Catatonic

Which leads us to the masterpiece of Swallow the Sun's discography, 2019's When a Shadow is Forced into the Light. Listen. There is a lot of history behind that album. A very painful personal history in Juha Raivio's life. I could recount the whole tale one day, because as STS fans we lived through it in a small way. With all the distance in the world, it wrecked me. 4 years later it still makes me very, very emotional. Long story short, Raivio's wife Aleah Starbridge, the Nightingale, beautiful soul, beautiful flamme, for whom we still hold the torch alight, passed away and this is the album of his grief. I think even without knowing the whole story, the album speaks for itself. This is one of my top 5 albums of all time. All genres, all bands, all music altogether, this album is one of the most beautiful, most difficult listens I have ever heard and it changed me deeply. This album completely changed me. There's a before and an after. Me and my father made our first listen of this album together on the road when it came out. Mw dad's a man from the 50s so you know he Does Not Cry, I have seen this man cry probably 5 times in my entire life, and one of those was us listening to this album for the first time. We had to pull over to the side of the road so we wouldn't get in an accident and we just stayed there, listened, held each other and sobbed together. I will never forget that memory. So as far as songs go? Just listen to the entire album. For real. Take the hour out of your life. It's worth it, trust me. When you're in the mood to take it obviously. Every song here is pure musical perfection. Stone Wings is my 3rd favorite STS song, but it deserves to hit in the context of the album. Do me and yourself a favor and experience the entire thing as it was meant to. Start of the playlist here

2021's Moonflowers is their latest release currently and I suggest: Woven into Sorrow

And those are the broad lines of Swallow the Sun! I hope you enjoy your journey in this universe of Gloom, Beauty & Despair! If you have any comments / questions about them (yes I have hagning out with the guys annecdotes too XD for instance hahaha) hit me up anytime!

[mirandamckenni1]

SWALLOW THE SUN - What I Have Become (OFFICIAL VISUALIZER VIDEO) SWALLOW THE SUN - What I Have Become (OFFICIAL VISUALIZER VIDEO) Taken from the album “Shining”, out October 18th, 2024 Pre-Order/Stream here: https://ift.tt/wamidRP Swallow The Sun is: Juha Raivio - Guitar, Keys Juho Räihä - Guitar Mikko Kotamäki - Vocals Matti Honkonen - Bass Juuso Raatikainen - Drums Follow Swallow The Sun: https://ift.tt/pG3jE5F https://ift.tt/6sIdyZV https://ift.tt/V3Au5WX https://www.youtube.com/@swallowthesunofficial https://ift.tt/0CaelUk https://ift.tt/SnUVIky https://ift.tt/QcjJpiv Video by Dronicon Films @droniconfilms Produced and mixed by Dan Lancaster Mastered by Tony Lindgren (Fascination Street Studios) Recorded by Juho Räihä (SoundSpiral Audio) “What I Have Become” Lyrics: I walk through the sacred fire Forged in flames of this hell Broken bells toll the name of mine In this chapel where I fell Black hearts beat like a drum What have I become? Like a ghost under the Sun Before you change your mind Build fortress from fear Take a look in my eyes And tell it feels like A new day was here about to begin And it feels like A new day was here about to begin About to be... Come to me And see what I have become What I have become And I walk through the sacred fire Black hearts beat like a drum What have I become? We shine like phantoms Glow like a ghost under the Sun And it feels like A new day was here about to begin About to be... Come to me And see what I have become What I have be... Come and touch This sacred fire I’m falling Come to me And see what I have become What I have become I’m falling See what I have become What I have become Sacred fire I’m falling And see what I have become What I have become #swallowthesun #shining #WhatIHaveBecome #innocencewaslongforgotten #extrememetal #finnish #deathdoom via YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VeFmbX3rxw

[metalby]

Octoploid [Beyond the Aeons]. 2024. Bandcamp, Spotify, Facebook, Amazon, Youtube. Twitter(metalone).

[metalshockfinland]

OCTOPLOID Ignite Excitement for Debut Album with New Single 'The Hallowed Flame', Feat. Mikko Kotamäki

Photo credit: Päivi Leino OCTOPLOID have launched their final single, ‘The Hallowed Flame,’ leading toward the highly-anticipated released of their debut album “Beyond The Aeons.” Accompanied by a striking music video (directed by Pete Voutilainen), ‘The Hallowed Flame’ features Olli-Pekka “Oppu” Laine‘s former BARREN EARTH band mate and SWALLOW THE SUN vocalist Mikko Kotamäki.  OCTOPLOID once…

[tempi-dispari]

New Post has been published on https://www.tempi-dispari.it/2023/09/25/rising-stars-shores-of-null/

Rising Stars: Shores of null

Gli Shores of Null si distinguono dai loro contemporanei per la loro capacità di fondere elementi apparentemente disparati nel loro suono, prepotentemente pesante e rilassante allo stesso tempo: l’aggressività annerita si affianca a sezioni gotico-doom senza che nessuna delle due suoni fuori posto.

La loro musica può essere malinconica ma maestosa, fatta di trame chitarristiche simili a quelle di un corale su tutta la gamma dello strumento, sostenuta da una potente sezione ritmica e punteggiata da una raffinata miscela di voci pulite e ringhiate, insieme ad un ampio uso di piacevoli armonie vocali che hanno diventare il marchio di fabbrica della band nel corso degli anni.

La band metal romana è stata una presenza incrollabile nell’underground metal sin dal loro esordio musicale nel 2013, sfornando tre dischi impressionanti: il melodico e cupo “Quiescenza” (Candlelight, 2014), il più oscuro e complesso “Black Drapes For Tomorrow” (Candlelight/Spinefarm, 2017).

Infine il loro lavoro più ambizioso fino ad oggi “Beyond The Shores (On Death And Dying)” (Spikerot Records, 2020), un manifesto doom di 38 minuti che vede le apparizioni degli ospiti del doom -titani Mikko Kotamäki (Swallow The Sun) e Thomas A.G. Jensen (Saturnus), insieme alla voce angelica di Elisabetta Marchetti (Inno).

Il quarto album della band, “The Loss Of Beauty”, è stato pubblicato nel marzo del 2023 ed è stato elogiato sia dalla critica che dai fan come una delle migliori uscite gotiche dell’anno. Per promuovere l’album, la band partì per un tour europeo di 37 date con Swallow The Sun, Draconian e Avatarium, ricevendo una risposta molto calorosa da tutti i fan di tutta Europa.

Dove ascoltarli:

[nofatclips]

Songs from the North by Swallow The Sun (featuring Kaisa Vala) from the album Songs from the North, vol. II: Beauty

[suchaflurryflurry]

favorite lyrics from 2019 albums i like ↳ when a shadow is forced into the light // swallow the sun

[human-antithesis]

Hermit's Lair - Human Antithesis https://t.me/Human_Antithesis

Barren Earth - Curse of The Red River (March 1st, 2010) Country: Finland Genre: Progressive Melodic Death Metal Reuploaded: FLAC

Lineup:

Mikko Kotamäki - Vocals

Janne Perttilä - Guitars, Backing Vocals

Sami Yli-Sirniö - Guitars, Backing Vocals

Olli-Pekka Laine - Bass, Backing Vocals

Marko Tarvonen - Drums, Backing Vocals

Kasper Mårtenson - Keyboards, Backing Vocals

Guest/Session:

Erno Haukkala - Flute

Miscellaneous Staff:

Travis Smith - Cover Art

Jukka Varmo - Producer, Engineering

Tuomas Tahvanainen - Logo

Dan Swanö - Mixing, Mastering

Label: Peaceville Records

Tracklist:

Curse of the Red River - 07:49

Our Twilight - 05:24

Forlorn Waves - 04:37

Flicker - 06:39

The Leer - 04:54

The Ritual of Dawn - 06:31

Ere All Perish - 05:52

Cold Earth Chamber - 05:32

Deserted Marrows - 06:49

[metalsongoftheday]

Wednesday, June 28: Swallow the Sun, “Memory of Light”

Songs from the North I, II, and III was a gargantuan undertaking by any measure, and hardly anyone believed that doomdeath would lend itself to a 2-and-a-half-hour triple album.  But then again, Swallow the Sun was already known for the expansiveness of their approach, so if anyone could fill three discs with moody and diverse material that still maintained a common thread, it was the Finnish six-piece.  At a little over 6 minutes, “Memory of Light” was one of the shorter pieces on Songs from the North’s first disc, and came closest to representing Swallow the Sun’s trademark sound.  Some of the softer passages recalled Katatonia, while the heavier moments reminded one of Opeth’s death metal period, but the song maintained its own identity thanks to Mikko Kotamäki’s alternately introspective and intense vocals. “Memory of Light” was simultaneously progressive and doomy, presenting the full breadth of Swallow the Sun’s sound in one setting and setting listeners up for the adventures still to come.

[x--daughters-of-darkness--x]

7 Metal bands that defined 2019 (by loudersound.com)

Lacuna Coil

Italian metallers Lacuna Coil's dramatic ninth album, Black Anima, was named for their native tongue's word for ‘soul’ and the darkest colour they could think of. It was made following a difficult time for singer Cristina Scabbia, as she lost both parents and came out of a longterm relationship with Slipknot’s Jim Root.

“This is a healing record,” she says. “Through Black Anima, I learned to walk in the darkness and manage the darkness that appears in my life. I feel bulletproof.” It also featured new axeman Diego Cavallotti and drummer Richard Meiz, marking a new era for the band.

Swallow The Sun

When A Shadow Is Forced Into The Light is the darkest record Swallow The Sun have ever made. The Finnish doom-death metallers delivered eight atmospheric tracks that expressed the grief felt by guitarist/songwriter Juha Raivio, following the loss of girlfriend Aleah Stanbridge.

Singer Mikko Kotamäki gave voice to his bandmate’s emotions, turning away from growling vocals to deliver emotional cleans. The result is breathtaking. “There’s no way to prepare yourself for this material, but it probably helps that we are really introverted Finnish guys and we’re not very outgoing personalities,” he says. “Life is always hard for Finnish people.”

[blankasolun]

Aleah’s Week on Metal Graveyard: Swallow The Sun – ‘Emerald Forest and the Blackbird’ We're celebrating Aleah's 44th birthday this week. Swallow The Sun - Emerald Forest and the Blackbird

[gbhbl]

Single Slam - Upon the Water by Swallow the Sun (When A Shadow Is Forced Into Light)

Single Slam – Upon the Water by Swallow the Sun (When A Shadow Is Forced Into Light)

Finnish doom lords, Swallow the Sun, have released a new single from their incoming new album. This song is called Upon the Water. It will feature on the band’s 7th full length due out on the 25th of January via Century Media Records.

Swallow the Sun are a 6 piece. They are founding member Juha Raivio on guitar with long term members, Mikko Kotamäki on vocals and Matti Honkonen on the bass. More…