It would figure that a band like SWALLOW THE SUN would come from Finland.  SWALLOW THE SUN create almost the perfect soundtrack to a desolate ice world where everything is dead or dying.  They are a band that I think more people could enjoy if they got exposure, but maybe they wouldn't like that since it might take them out of the dark and into some light.
The group formed shortly after 2000 by Juha Ravio.  They then recorded a demo, which got them signed to Firebox Records, who would release their first full length The Mourning Never Came.  Following some tour support for the album, they would record another album Ghosts of Loss.  Their second album really helped propel their popularity especially in Finland where they stayed in the Top10 for 6 weeks.
The first track on album is Hope, which is pretty much your standard Doom Metal song that is very slow with ultra heavy vocals.  Mikko  though I think has some really  semi-unique; I can't put my finger on it, but there is something very awesome about his death vocals.  His vocals just sound ridiculously heavy.  The guitar riff on Hope is also very entrancing, like most of their guitar riffs, but this particular one stands out a little more than the rest.  The second track kind of takes you by surprise since we switch into sonic speed with some double bass.  It doesn't last long though and soon it goes back to the formula.  The third track, The Justice of Suffering is one of my favorites from the album mostly because of the clean vocals on this track.  They are just absolutely beautiful and mesmerizing.  I don't know if Mikko does the clean vocals since I read that Jonas of KATATONIA and Tomi of AMORPHIS are supposed to make guest appearances on this album, but the slipcover says nothing.  Then there is awesome kind of guitar solo going on at about 3:30 it is really marvelous too.
 Don't Fall Asleep also has some really haunting keyboards and guitar sound that just mesh like few other things on this album. Once again some fantastic clean vocals are preset but I am unsure who is making them.  I didn't find Too Cold For Tears or The Empty Skies very exciting possibly could have been left out or redone in a different manner.  As kind of goes with the rest of album, I don't know if I just get tired of Doom Metal after a certain period of time, but I don't really dig the last few tracks on the album nearly has much as I like the first four.
Hope should have no problem making its home in your CD collection if yours includes bands like MY DYING BRIDE, AMORPHIS, or KATATONIA.  Hopefully they will come over to the States soon or to your neck of the woods and hopefully it will be raining and cloudy on that glorious or depressing day depending on how you look at it.