We may be on the lead-up to the most wonderful time of the year, but first, we must navigate the darkest weekend in the calendar. While most will be happy to see the back of the darker days, there could be no better time for an evening of Doom with Swallow The Sun.
Swallow The Sun – Saturnus – Opia
Rescue Rooms, Nottingham – 20 December 2025
Words And Photography: Matt Pratt
As moody as their music, Swallow The Sun emerge under harsh lighting on an otherwise dimly lit stage. Appropriately, on the weekend of the Winter Solstice, the majority of the band don hooded robes akin to those which you would expect from the druids who will soon be flocking to Stonehenge.
The headliners exist in a unique niche within the Metal genre. The fusion of complex, experimental prog-rock and brooding, impactful Doom Metal creates some of the most diverse and unpredictable creations to be heard.
What is not lost in the curious combo is the trance-inducing pulse of bass, met with metronomic headbangs in a one-two rhythm. Whether five minutes, one hour, or twelve hours had passed, none would be any the wiser as the hypnotising artistry took hold like an out-of-body experience.
Though this is no sell-out, the room is neatly packed with the most encapsulated fans of one of Metal’s most esoteric genres. The unwavering engagement rains bags of appreciation upon the long-touring band, even joining in on vocals for some of the more recognisable hits.
The Finnish five-piece’s discography is steeped in melancholy and struggle, but hopefully the glowing reception on this late-2025 tour provides comfort alongside their performing catharsis as we rocket towards a day of the year reserved for goodwill and glad tidings.
Saturnus
Doom in definition, Saturnus are one of the finest examples that the scene can offer. The Danish quintet is exactly what the committed Doomer is looking for with expansive soundscapes that do not just hit you, but creep up on you slowly like an inbound tide.
The atmospheric audio trickles into your experience, building as a snowball grows into an avalanche, and hits you before you can realise you are cocooned in richly layered sound.
Though the headliners may offer something a little bit different to this end of the Metal scene, Saturnus are a prime example of how to do it exactly as intended, with a short but expertly utilised support slot.
Opia
While they will not be looking for sympathy, a huge amount of credit has to be thrown the way of Opia. Having lost a member of their band before the tour even began due to a family emergency, the band was further hindered as they were left in the unenviable position of having to fire their drummer mid-tour.
Many bands would have hit their limit with such turmoil, but steadfast in their commitment to their fans, the outfit bravely marches on and delivers a gutsy performance to open up the Rescue Rooms for one final time in 2025.
Unsurprisingly, the pre-recorded drum track does not hit quite as hard as a live rendition would have, but the sublime efforts of the remaining members make up for it in abundance.
The guttural bellows of the remaining instruments alongside the brutal growls of vocalist Tereza Rohelova stun the room in awe.
Despite adversity, the eye-opening performance sets the mood for the evening and does absolutely no harm to the reputation of the resilient ensemble.
