Their death-doom style emphasizes melody and atmosphere, and occasionally steps into gothic and black metal territory.

Swallow the Sun was formed in early 2000 by Juha Raivio, soon joined by Pasi Pasanen (both had played together in Plutonium Orange).

In January 2007 they released their third album, Hope, which includes a cover version of the Timo Rautiainen & Trio Niskalaukaus song "Alavilla mailla" (which they translated into "These Low Lands") as a bonus track on the digipack edition, sung by Tomi Joutsen, the frontman of fellow Finnish metal band, Amorphis.

In September 2008, they released an EP called Plague of Butterflies, followed by a December tour of the UK of ten live shows supporting Apocalyptica.

On 18 May 2009 Kai Hahto of Wintersun joined Swallow the Sun to fill the void left by former drummer Pasi Pasanen.

The lead single for the album, "Cathedral Walls", featured vocals by former Nightwish singer Anette Olzon.

[1] Swallow the Sun's only non-album single was released on 21 December 2018, titled "Lumina Aurea", featuring Wardruna's Einar Selvik and The Foreshadowing's Marco I. Benevento.

[2] In November 2018, the band announced their seventh album, When a Shadow Is Forced into the Light, and its track list on their official Facebook page.

The title of the album is a quote by Stanbridge, which was also a lyric in the song "Broken Mirror" by her and Raivio's band Trees of Eternity.