In a groundbreaking event, Finnish doom/dark metal icons Swallow The Sun featuring the avant-garde Ballet Finland are set to present their collaborative performance, Plague Of Butterflies, during 70000Tons Of Metal in 2025. This unique performance will make its world premiere outside of Finland in January 2025, on board of The Original, the world's biggest heavy metal cruise, with two separate presentations of the work occurring whilst on board. Following each of the two performances of “Plague Of Butterflies”, Swallow The Sun will play two different regular sets as well.

“Plague of Butterflies” is a story about loneliness in a world damaged by a plague, and its performance is an innovative, and hypnotic fusion of Swallow The Sun’s evocative melodic death/doom metal sound with Ballet Finland’s contemporary dance. Originally composed in 2008, the piece was intended to be choreographed as a ballet production, and is now 16 years later, finally ready to be brought to the stage after numerous unfortunate setbacks. 

Juha Raivio from Swallow The Sun adds: "When I wrote the music for Plague Of Butterflies, I didn't know that the story of isolation and loss would come true both in personal life, but also later collectively, as the pandemic closed the world from around us. Now we seem to have come full circle as the piece has been brought to life in a form it was always meant to. Thank you Ballet Finland.”

The performance will unfold aboard the cruise ship, creating a singular and immersive experience for attendees, blending live music and dynamic choreography in a setting that has never before hosted such a collaboration - a Heavy Metal Cruise. 

After three completely sold-out shows in Helsinki, there has been a high demand for additional performances. As such, the performance of “Plague Of Butterflies” in the unusual setting of 70000Tons Of Metal 2025 in the Caribbean Sea promises to be a historic and landmark event, merging the energy of metal with the artistry of ballet in an unprecedented way. 

Juha Raivio's exclusive video message on the upcoming stunning performance by Swallow The Sun and Ballet Finland onboard 70000Tons Of Metal is now on YouTube. Link