Although released well over a year ago by the promising Finnish label, Firebox, SWALLOW THE SUN finally sees a U.S. release via Olympic Records. For those of you unfamiliar with the band, imagine a doom band taking the funeral doom of SKEPTICISM and expanding those ideas into more melodic forms from MY DYING BRIDE, KATATONIA (Dance of December Souls-era), and the more doomier elements of RAPTURE thrown in for good measure. On The Morning Never Came, one can always expect an overwhelming feeling of darkness, despair, and depression but also feeling of hope, perseverance, and strength. It’s an album without singles as each song effortlessly flows into the next. Most of the songs feature harsh, higher pitched death metal/black metal-influenced vocals, but there a few impressive clean sections where vocalist Kotamaki (apparently the band isn’t into revealing their first names) explores his more melodic side on tracks such as “Silence of the Womb,” “Hold This Woe," and the final title track. SWALLOW THE SUN has delivered an album that is both depressing and powerful. While the band isn’t quite there yet, they could be well on their way to becoming one of the leaders in the doom metal scene. (Olympic Recordings)