Swallow the Sun was formed in early 2000 by Juha Raivio, joined soon by Pasi Pasanen came along (both had played in Plutonium Orange). They rehearsed a couple of songs, one of them being "Through Her Silvery Body" which would end up on their first demo, Out of This Gloomy Light. In 2001 Markus Jämsen, whom Raivio and Pasanen already knew from their earlier bands, joined as a second guitarist, and Mikko Kotamäki from Funeris Nocturnum as singer; then Aleksi Munter (keyboards) and Matti Honkonen (bass), also of Funeris Nocturnum, joined the band. In the spring of 2002 they started arranging songs for the demo, which was recorded in January 2003 at Sam's Workshop with Sami Kokko, who also mixed the demo.
A record deal with Firebox Records was signed a few months after the recordings of the demo, and Swallow the Sun entered studio at late July 2003. During the following three weeks they recorded their debut album, The Morning Never Came.
In February 2005, Swallow the Sun released their second album, Ghosts of Loss. Their single, "Forgive Her..." gained 4th place on the Finnish Top 20 singles chart in its first week of release, and stayed on the charts for 6 weeks. Their album entered the charts as well: #8 in between Gwen Stefani and System of a Down.
During the year 2006 they signed to Spinefarm Records and did a small European tour. In January 2007 they released their third album, Hope, which includes a cover version of the Timo Rautiainen & Trio Niskalaukaus song "Alavilla mailla" (which they translated into "These Low Lands") as a bonus track on the digipack edition, sung by Tomi Joutsen, the frontman of fellow Finnish metal band, Amorphis. There is also a guest appearance by Jonas Renkse of Katatonia on the song "The Justice of Suffering". They went on a US tour with Katatonia, Scar Symmetry and Insomnium in late 2007.
In September 2008, they released an EP called Plague of Butterflies. In October, they announced a December tour of the UK of ten live shows supporting Apocalyptica.
On May 18, 2009 Swallow the Sun announced that Kai Hahto of Wintersun will be joining to fill the void left by former drummer Pasi Pasanen. Swallow the Sun confirmed on 12 June that their next album would be entitled New Moon and is being produced by Jens Bogren, they also stated that Kai Hahto would be doing the drums on this album.
Emerald Forest and the Blackbird is their fifth studio album. The album was released February 1, 2012, by Spinefarm Records. It was also released on limited LP on both green and white vinyl by Svart Records.
Official site: http://www.swallowthesun.net
Weight of the Dead
Swallow the Sun Lyrics
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when the morning never came
Staring in the eye of all those ghosts of loss
And like the plague it crushed me
On the eve of a new moon"
I'm made of filth, of lies
No clean blood runs in me
Black blood and dirt in a human shell
Leaving these trails of betrayal
Cold lifeless flesh, a so called man
Choking on the pain of others
In my own lies I drown
Happiness was all I reached for
But sure, no one deserves it
That dim light I still held, finally faded
There was so much in me that I trusted
But so little I knew
The weakness I held was stronger than anything
And it turned me into arrows for the ones I truly loved
Forgive me for falling
I know you all trusted in me
But I'm made of filth, of lies
No good blood runs in me
Forgive me all, no more hope
The lyrics of "Weight of the Dead" by Swallow the Sun describe the despair and self-loathing felt by the singer. The first stanza sets the somber tone, as the singer explains that they have lost hope after waiting for the morning that never came. They are haunted by the ghosts of their losses, which weigh on them like a plague. The use of the phrase "eve of a new moon" adds to the sense of impending darkness and loss.
The second stanza describes the singer's feelings of worthlessness and disgust with themselves. They feel that they are made of "filth" and have no clean blood running in them. They have become everything they hate, embodying blackness and dirt in a human form. The third stanza takes on a confessional tone, as the singer describes the harm they have caused to others. They have left trails of betrayal and have become a so-called man with cold and lifeless flesh. It is clear that they are suffering, as they describe choking on the pain of others and drowning in their own lies.
The fourth stanza expresses a desire for happiness that the singer feels is out of reach. They are aware that they don't deserve to be happy, and the "dim light" they held onto has finally faded. The fifth stanza reveals the root of the singer's pain: a deep-seated sense of betrayal towards those they love. They are aware that they have turned into "arrows" that hurt those around them and are asking for forgiveness. The final stanza concludes with a bleak statement, as the singer relinquishes all hope and asks for forgiveness once more.
Line by Line Meaning
I lost the last of my hope on that night
My hope was shattered on a specific night, leaving me without any hope at all
when the morning never came
The next day never arrived, despite my expectations and hopes for a better future or resolution
Staring in the eye of all those ghosts of loss
Facing and acknowledging the ghosts or memories of what has been lost; being haunted by them
And like the plague it crushed me
The pain and loss overwhelmed me like a devastating disease
On the eve of a new moon
The night or time of darkness, symbolized by the new moon, was when this happened
I'm made of filth, of lies
This describes the singer's self-perception of being unclean or morally corrupt, characterized by deceit
No clean blood runs in me
There is no pure or untainted essence within the singer, highlighting their lack of innocence or goodness
I've turned to everything I hate
The artist has become what they despise or find repulsive, perhaps as a result of their actions or circumstances
Black blood and dirt in a human shell
This is another description of the artist's inner corruption, likened to darker substances or soil contained within a human body
Leaving these trails of betrayal
The artist has betrayed or let down others, causing a ripple effect of hurt and disappointment
Cold lifeless flesh, a so called man
The singer may feel disconnected or apathetic towards others - described as having a lifeless body and questioning their own status as a man
Choking on the pain of others
The artist is overwhelmed by the pain they have inflicted on others, perhaps feeling remorseful or guilty
In my own lies I drown
The many lies the singer has told are suffocating or consuming them, making it harder to be honest with themselves or others
Happiness was all I reached for
The singer's goal or desire was to be happy, but it seems out of reach or unattainable
But sure, no one deserves it
Despite their longing for happiness, the singer believes that it is not something anyone deserves, including themselves or those they care about
That dim light I still held, finally faded
The little hope or optimism the artist had left is now gone, leaving them in a state of darkness or despair
There was so much in me that I trusted
The artist once trusted themselves, believing they had good intentions or qualities
But so little I knew
However, the singer has come to the realization that they were misguided or ignorant about themselves, leading to their downfall
The weakness I held was stronger than anything
The singer identifies their own weakness or vulnerability as their greatest obstacle, which they could not prevent or overcome
And it turned me into arrows for the ones I truly loved
The artist's weakness caused them to hurt or harm the people they cared about, either intentionally or unintentionally
Forgive me for falling
The artist asks for forgiveness for their personal failure or shortcomings
I know you all trusted in me
The artist recognizes that others placed their trust in them, making their mistakes or betrayal all the more hurtful
Forgive me all, no more hope
The singer's remorse is accompanied by a sense of hopelessness, as they do not believe that things can get better or be repaired
Contributed by Mateo H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.