INSOMNIUM „Across the Dark”

Music: Melodic Death Metal
Country: Finland
Web site: www.insomnium.net
Cool Songs: Where The Last Wave Broke, The Harrowing Years, Lay Of The Autumn

Over the past decade INSOMNIUM has established itself as one of Finlands top melodic death metal acts, an impressive statement considering the wealth of talent found on this wintery isle. INSOMNIUM has accomplished this feat by creating music with a balance of rich melody and gloom-gripped death metal. These melodies perfectly convey the enchanting nature scenes adorning each album cover. The groups fourth full-length album, Across the Dark continues along the same path as the three prior albums of bittersweet melodic death metal.

Across the Dark exhibits traits from many areas of the melodic death metal arena. The nine-minute-plus track Lay of the Autumn includes an opening acoustic guitar passage with the type of folk influence shown on The Jester Race/Whoracle-era IN FLAMES. Against the Stream conveys more IN FLAMES like guitar work, but from a faster, thrashy angle.

The Gothenburg influence is obvious, as it is in many bands of this ilk, but make no mistake, INSOMNIUM is pure Finnish in so many ways. The title track and The Harrowing Years move with Tales of a Thousand Lakes-era AMOPRHIS swagger. I hesitate to say doom metal, but sometimes INSOMNIUM follows the depressive, down tempo path of another Finnish death metal group, SWALLOW THE SUN.

In addition to Niilo Sevänens growls, INSOMNIUM produces plenty of somber chords and enchanting keys that would eminate from their fellow countrymen, SWALLOW THE SUN. Aleksi Munter from SWALLOW THE SUN even provides these keys. Munster previously filled in on keyboards when INSOMNIUM toured with SWALLOW THE SUN in the States. Jules Näveri of ENEMY OF THE SUN counts as another guest musician. Näveri contrasts Sevänens deep growls with a heartfelt clean voice.

Melodic death metal used to be an invigorating form of music, but IN FLAMES became too commercial and the metalcore scene beat this sound to death. INSOMNIUM manages to recreate the magic found on those early Gothenburg albums, and blends Finnish folk elements and doom to make a gripping album. If this album came out in the mid to late '90s, it would have been a 10.

Across the Dark shows the band keeping to the sound that made them great in the first place, without sounding contrived. Albums like this keep the melodic death metal scene vital.

note: 8/10

Tracklist

1. Equivalence
2. Down With The Sun
3. Where The Last Wave Broke
4. The Harrowing Years
5. Against The Stream
6. Lay Of The Autumn
7. Into The Woods
8. Weighed Down With Sorrow
Total playing time 45:40

Line-up

Niilo Sevänen – Vocals, Bass
Ville Friman – Guitar
Ville Vänni – Guitar
Marcus Hirvonen – Drums

Guest musicians:
Clean vocals – Jules Näveri (Profane Omen, Enemy of The Sun)
Keyboards – Aleksi Munter (Swallow the Sun)