Metal Band of the Week:
Insomnium
September 5, 2009 by Kyle BradyTags: Band, Insomnium, Metal, Music, Review
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For a band that shares their name with a disease best known for producing a lack of sleep in its victims, Insomnium manages to live up to their medical counterparts, producing an intoxicatingly original mix of symphonic doom metal and progressive, melodic black metal that is sure to keep its listeners awake.
The band formed in 1997 and released two demos over the following three years (1999, 2000), but while these demos attracted a record deal, these early recordings pale in comparison to their modern brethren. Insomnium's release of “In the Halls of Awaiting” in 2002 marked their groundbreaking debut within the metal world with a full-length album that was nothing short of magnificent. The trademark Insomnium sound hasn’t changed too much over the last decade, but has instead matured, and the line of progress from their first major release to the newest album is clear – the focus of the band is on strong melodies, crushing rhythms, reliable song structures, symphonic elements, and a unique brand of vocal brutality, all with a twist of Nordic influence and a dash of acoustic beauty.
In 2002, the band’s music was quite upbeat in both tone and overall sound, but this has degenerated through time into a considerably more dark, and arguably better, musical viewpoint. Their 2004 sophomore effort, “Since the Day It All Came Down”, was another resounding success, and instituted yet another cornerstone of Insomnium’s sound: the epic instrumental, laden with melody and feeling, opening an album. The opening track of “In the Halls of Awaiting”, “Ill-Starred Son”, toys with this idea by leading with whispered vocals and acoustic guitars, but it’s not until this release, with the intro track “Nocturne”, that they fully implement it. The album as a whole is slightly darker than its predecessor, as are all of the albums in their catalog, and is a further exploration of their already-determined thematic interests.
“Above the Weeping World”, released in 2006, was both critically acclaimed and relatively successful in terms of sales, and for good reason: the 52-minute epic is a sweeping suite of songs that has not a single dull moment, even in its slowest, most laborious of moods. The overall tempo of the album is noticeably faster, the guitars tighter, and the drums more precise than ever before, which combines with the reinvigorated vocals and more progressive melodies to result in an album that reaches near-aural perfection.
By 2006, Insomnium appeared to be fully dedicated to their sound, and the upcoming release of “Across the Dark” (September 2009) does not disappoint. The themes and elements that visibly matured and grew over the previous albums all appear once again, but somehow manage to make the entire album both darker and more epic while retaining the key brutal beauty they are known so well for. Additionally, sweeping keyboards and stunning clean vocals make unexpected appearances throughout to bring the latest chapter in the tale of Finnish musical masterpieces to even greater heights than ever before seen.
If the band continues their previous trends, a rare North American tour may be soon arriving, followed by extensive European touring, and another album sometime before the end of 2012. These innovators of music, so obviously enamored with poetry, music, and themes of times long past, have successfully reinvigorated the spirits of budding young Vikings worldwide, and deserve considerably more critical and financial success than they have achieved in the last decade. The many young-gun copycats that fill modern venues could learn about originality, progression, and dedication at the knee of Insomnium – if only they would heed the Finnish warnings.
Currently on tour in Europe, Insomnium can be found on MySpace; the upcoming release of “Across the Dark” [CD] is available for preorder on Amazon, along with their other full-length albums: “Above the Weeping World” [CD], “Since the Day it All Came Down” [CD] [MP3], and “In the Halls of Awaiting” [CD].
Kyle can be found on Twitter and MySpace, or reached via email.
