Rocket 88

Swallow The Sun

The Official Book

Image of the Swallow The Sun book

This is the English language version of the Finnish original biography, in which Swallow The Sun tell their own story. Written by Matti Riekki (translated by Salla Harjula) from interviews with main man Juha Raivio—who talks for the first time about almost insurmountably difficult issues, the most devastating being the death of his spouse—and with everyone who has contributed to the creation of the band’s unique sound over the past quarter of a century. All talk openly about the group’s internal conflicts, difficulties with the music business, and the pain they’ve suffered in reaching the top of the melodic doom metal scene. Ultimately, they tell a triumphant tale of great friendships forged, and of a collective will power strong enough to break down every barrier they faced.

The band is old enough that they started to have stories like a book. And this was quite a therapeutic session for us to talk through old stuff. It was no easy task for a Finnish man! We couldn’t avoid laughter, though – and tears

Mikko Kotamäki, vocals

The author

Matti Riekki is one of Finland’s most acclaimed journalists specialising in heavy rock. He is best known in his homeland as the host of the late national radio show Metalliliitto and the longstanding Editor-in-Chief of Finnish heavy metal magazine Inferno. He is the author of North From Here: The Sentenced Story (Svart, 2021).

Swallow The Sun author Matti Riekki
Swallow The Sun author Matti Riekki

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Frequently asked questions

Who are Rocket 88 Books?
Rocket 88 publishes interesting and special books. See here for some of them, or follow us on social media. We’re on Facebook, Bluesky, and YouTube.
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