1. Swallow The Sun – “When A Shadow Is Forced Into The Light”

On April 18th 2016, South African singer Aleah Stanbridge lost her short but savage battle with Cancer. Her partner Juha Raivio was devastated. Not only had he lost his life companion but also his creative muse and key collaborator. Distraught, he grieved, he mourned and like any good artist he used his creative abilities to shape and to articulate those feelings. As the lead guitarist and chief songwriter with Finnish doom metallers Swallow the Sun, music was his chosen outlet and “When a Shadow is forced into the Light” is the story of his grief. It portrays his raw emotional state and describes his journey towards eventually coming to terms with his loss.

This is an utterly incredible and peerless record. Emotionally wrought, subtle and subdued. The trappings of Heavy Metal are there (namely buzz-saw guitar and guttural vocals) but they are used with such diligence and so sparingly, that their effect and impact is magnified when they do arrive. This is music as a personal testament. It is raw, invocative and atmospheric. The music slow burns, full of presence and pathos.

Ultimately, this is an uplifting record. It is about surviving loss and having the resilience to come out the other side. It articulates that journey in a plethora of beautifully understated tracks that in the main are melancholic and downplayed. Every now and again, it busts into life, but in the main it treads a wistful and sorrowful tone. Every track is gorgeous, delicate, restrained and full of personnel passion. It is wonderful and by far my favourite album of the year.