Finnish doom metallers SWALLOW THE SUN check in with the following update:

"During the well deserved break we took from shows this year we've been preparing new music, and now we are happy to announce that we have entered Drumforest Studios at Viitasaari to record our fifth full length album, which will be released February 1st, 2012 by Spinefarm Records.

Drumforest Studios is an atmospheric studio built in an old school middle of Finland in Viitasaari. It's the perfect environment for the legendary sound engineer Mikko Karmila to capture our signature sound. Mikko is well known in the metal world for his work with such names as NIGHTWISH, SENTENCED, AMORPHIS and CHILDREN OF BODOM, just to name a few, and we're very happy to work with him."

The world’s premier strictly metal expo/indoor festival/showcase event has reached the eight year milestone. Since its inception, Helsinki Metal Meeting has brought together the metal music industry in arctic Helsinki in February 17th-18th.

Besides the classic exhibition area where record labels, merchandise companies, music shops etc. deliver the latest goods, the eighth edition of the FME sees the event shift towards indoor festival form with the introduction of the second stage. The number of performing bands during the two days will be increasing to more than 20.

Friday, February 17th will be headlined by EDGUY, who just released their latest album Age Of The Joker. Also confirmed for Friday are Norway’s ICS VORTEX and Finland’s Swallow The Sun.

Headliners for Saturday, February 18th are local boys STAM1NA, who are one the biggest success stories of recent years in Finnish metal. Stam1na are currently working on their new album with producer Joe Barresi. The Finnish Metal Expo show will be a part of Stam1na’s record release tour.

More bands will be announced shortly.

Tickets for the Finnish Metal Expo will go on sale on Monday, October 3rd here.