Ethereal Metal

Ryan Murray | Co-Owner | Chief Editor | Contributor | Photographer

r.m.music84@gmail.com

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Few bands can channel pure melancholy into something as soul-stirring as Swallow the Sun. On Monday, February 24th, at Gramercy Theatre, the Finnish masters of melodic doom-death returned to New York City with a set that left the audience suspended in a twilight between sorrow and beauty. The night’s lineup was as diverse as it was immersive, with Snakes of Russia, Ghost Bath, and Harakiri for the Sky setting the stage for an unforgettable performance. Each act brought its own distinct shade of darkness, forming a complete emotional journey that built towards Swallow the Sun’s breathtaking conclusion.

Opening the night was Snakes of Russia, a one-man project that felt like the perfect precursor to the night’s emotional descent. With his downtempo, industrial-infused darkwave, Joseph Holiday crafted a soundscape that was more than just music—it was an atmosphere, a feeling, a slow unraveling. His deep, pulsing beats and distorted textures wove an eerie tension throughout the room, a sonic smokescreen that pulled the audience into a hypnotic state. While some were unfamiliar with his work, the crowd quickly fell into the rhythm, nodding along as the tension in the air slowly built. The stage, awash in shadowy lighting, added to the mood, each beat reverberating through the walls of Gramercy Theatre like the heartbeat of something vast and unseen.

There were no guitars, no screams, no traditional metal instrumentation—yet somehow, it fit the night’s progression perfectly. His sound pulsed with an unsettling beauty, making it the perfect prelude to the chaos to come. With every passing minute, the atmosphere grew heavier, yet it was impossible to look away, impossible not to be drawn deeper into his hypnotic realm. This was not just an opening act; this was an invocation, setting the stage for the darkness about to unfold.

As soon as Ghost Bath took the stage, the entire room seemed to shift gears, diving headfirst into a whirlwind of emotion. Known for their atmospheric and depressive take on black metal, the band wasted no time in unleashing their uniquely tortured brand of sonic devastation. From the moment their frontman let out his first anguished wail, it was clear that this set wasn’t just about performance—it was about catharsis. Their blend of soaring tremolo riffs, ethereal melodies, and piercing screams hit the audience like a tidal wave, each track dripping with raw emotion.

The mix was high on treble, pushing the sharpness of their sound to the forefront, which may have been overwhelming for some, but for those lost in the music, it only amplified the intensity. Fans pressed against the barricade were completely absorbed, headbanging through every frantic blast beat, while others stood mesmerized, letting the music wash over them. Ghost Bath’s set was a whirlwind of anguish and transcendence, a sonic exorcism that left the room both shaken and energized, proving that even the darkest emotions can be turned into something truly exhilarating.

As the set progressed, the screams felt more like an outpouring of torment than mere vocals, each note carrying the weight of despair. The band’s energy was relentless, shifting seamlessly between moments of ethereal beauty and sheer, punishing brutality. By the time the last note rang out, it was as if the audience had collectively exhaled a breath they hadn’t realized they were holding—the kind of release that only comes from surrendering fully to music’s raw, emotional force.

If Ghost Bath cracked the veil, Harakiri for the Sky shattered it entirely. Their arrival was a burst of kinetic energy, the kind that instantly transforms a passive audience into an engaged force of movement. With their unique blend of post-black metal and emotionally charged melodies, the Austrian outfit unleashed a set that rippled through the venue like a shockwave. From the moment their first song began, the atmosphere became almost electrified, the intensity of their music seeping into every corner of the room.

Their sound is both chaotic and calculated—gorgeous melodies layered over relentless drumming, with vocals that feel like a desperate cry into the void. The band’s stage presence was undeniable, commanding the audience with every note, fueling the pit and setting bodies in motion. By the time they played their latest single, Keep Me Longing, the entire venue was entranced, pulled into the relentless emotional vortex that is Harakiri for the Sky. Even those downstairs at the merch tables could feel the weight of their performance.

The entire band performed with an urgency that was palpable, their music a tempest of despair and defiance. Unlike the cold, calculated nihilism of some black metal acts, Harakiri for the Sky brings a deeply personal, almost poetic sense of suffering to their music. Their performance was a journey, a plunge into overwhelming emotions, and as their final song echoed through the venue, it was clear: this was not just music—it was an experience that left everyone present irrevocably changed.

Then came the moment. As the lights dimmed and Swallow the Sun took the stage, an eerie hush fell over the venue. The anticipation was almost suffocating. For those who had waited years to see them again—some since their last NYC appearance in 2007—this was more than just a concert. This was communion.

Launching into a set heavy with material from Shining, Swallow the Sun wrapped the crowd in their signature blend of oppressive doom and fragile beauty. Juho Räihä and Juha Raivio’s guitars wept—every note dripping with longing, each melody feeling like a whispered lament from the void. The interplay between their crushing riffs and sorrowful harmonies built an atmosphere that was almost overwhelming, each note a dagger to the heart. Matti Honkonen’s bass rumbled beneath it all, grounding the sorrow with a weight that could be felt deep in the chest, each note reverberating like the echoes of something lost. Juuso Raatikainen’s drumming, restrained yet thunderous, gave the music an ebb and flow, a pulse that made even the slowest moments feel urgent, alive.

Tracks like “Woven Into Sorrow” and “Under the Moon & Sun” weren’t just performed; they were felt, deep in the marrow of every soul in attendance.

There’s a unique power to Swallow the Sun’s music—it’s heavy, yet freeing. The band masterfully walks the line between suffocating despair and an almost ethereal release, where even in the deepest darkness, there’s a glimmer of something more. And in that packed theater, with eyes closed and heads bowed, we weren’t just watching a band. We were experiencing something profoundly human.

The set was a cinematic unfolding of grief, loss, and catharsis, each song peeling back layers of pain until nothing was left but raw, exposed emotion. The weight of the performance wasn’t just in the crushing riffs or sorrowful melodies—it was in the shared silence between notes, the unspoken understanding among the crowd that we were all part of something larger than ourselves.

By the time the final notes faded into silence, the audience stood still, as if unwilling to break the spell. And maybe that’s the magic of Swallow the Sun. They don’t just play music; they create a moment, a memory, a shared experience of beauty in sorrow.

Final Thoughts –

Gramercy Theatre became more than just a venue that night—it became a sanctuary. From the hypnotic opening of Snakes of Russia to the fevered catharsis of Harakiri for the Sky, the entire night was a slow, deliberate pull into the abyss. And at the center of it all, Swallow the Sun stood as the architects of our grief, offering us a place to embrace the weight of existence and emerge, just slightly lighter.