Metal Reviews

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I really can't wait to get a hold of this album. I've been huge on Insomnium since highschool, and I'm anxious to see how this album sounds.

Thanks for the review.

I truly dig Insomnium, but perhaps, comparing them to Opeth does not really do them any favors. Especially since Opeth have made some much bigger changes to their sound than I think Insomnium will ever do.
Plus, I can't separate Across the Dark from Above the Weeping World. Which is not necessarily a bad thing

I'm really enjoying this album. I've been looking forward to this release for a long time.

I thought the clean vocals were a little bit weak, the vocalist didn't sound all that comfortable with them to me, but it made a nice change-up in that song so I didn't really mind.

Comparing Opeth e Insomnium is the same as comparing Dimmu Borgir with Satyricon or something like that... Different sound, different purposes, one is prog/death, the other is melodeath/doom/dark...

I don't understand why do you compare them.

Anyway, good album on the first listenings, but it didn't provide me the Above The Weeping World impact. More spins on the go...

Man i can't wait to listen to this. Insomnium, along with early years At the Gates, are my favorite melodeath bands.

@The Evil Dead

Thou art welcome:)

@Zeth & @OrDoS

I beg to differ, since I guess you got all wrong the whole comparison thing. It's not about how the two bands sound, it's about their trajectories. Second, the comparison was not made between the trajectories of 2009 Insomnium and 2009 Opeth but between those of 2009 Insomnium and 2001 Opeth. And the meaning of the whole comparison boils down to the end of the first paragraph of the review : "the richness of the composition is such that you just can’t get enough of it in a single album and once into it you cannot possibly get bored, with every new listening of every new album there’s a whole new universe to recreate and to live".

In other words : the new Insomnium album might sound exactly like the previous ones, but don't dismiss it based on such a superficial argument, give it a careful spin. The exact same thing could be said (and was said) of Opeth's "Blackwater Park".

Your reviewer hopes this should clarify the supposed comparison.

Ok ok, nothing to see here... ;)

Yeah you're actually right in that way . Though I doubt if Insomnium will ever take a bigger step forward, like Opeth did, and continue to do.

That's a hard bet to take:) But I think it's quite obvious that there's a lot of space for innovation and experimentation in the music Insomnium does.

Surely there's room for change, but will we hear it on their next album? Doubtful, yet hopeful at the same time

Are you, Sir, interested in a gentlemanly bet on this one? Surely Europe is small enough and more so Sweden is not that far from France so we might indulge into honoring our bet at a minimal cost:)

The internet brings us all together, so it could be arranged somehow I suppose
Though, it will probably be 2 years minimum time before next album hits, considering their past release schedule.

Not really interested. While this album to me so far hasn't broken any new ground, it remains fresh and enjoyable and I don't feel like I'm being force fed the same old Insomnium. There's some minor progression in spots, and I think as time goes on, they'll continue to innovate but stay true to their formula.

And it's a damn good one.

I think there is a lot of room for more piano driven songs, when they use it, the music gains anoter dimension, placing the musics on a classical (both exultation and music terms) spot that few bands can accomplish.
This is where I think they have room to become the "new" Opeth ;)

From a strictly personal point of view, the only band that ever "had" the potential of becoming the "new Opeth" was Edge of Sanity - which is quite illogical because they pre-existed Opeth. But I'm reffering rather to that enormous facility of experimenting with Death Metal that Opeth displays and that Dan Swanö masters. As far as Insomnium is concerned, more piano driven songs would mean perfecting their style and melody, which is absolutely fine, but wouldn't necessarily qualify as experimenting, thinking out of the box.

I'm a little disappointed with this album, it's their weakest to date imho. I really liked the three previous releases, it's a shame. For this style of Melodic Death the new Be'lakor is ten times better.

As someone who started listening to Insomnium very soon after the release of their first album, when nobody knew them, the first three album were all pretty significant steps forward, which culminated with Above the Weeping World. Across the Dark hit the plateau, which all in all may not necessarily be a bad thing, since there are many bands I respect and like, which release consistent albums with little deviation from the core of the genre. Insomnium is one of those bands, but they managed to sound deep, infectious, crushing, sorrowful and dreamy all at the same time. I did not get all that fusion here on Across the Dark. Not in the first 2-3 listens anyway. Unlike with Above the Weeping World where my appreciation for that album was immediate, s before I score this (if I do), I need more time alone with this album. Perhaps a colder autumn day would be more appropriate for Insomnium than a sunny pleasant summer one. If I were to pick one element it would be production. Somehow, the band has its sound all "walled off", in excess. There is very difficult to separate those authentic Finnish melodic lines out of this tsunami of sound. It just sounds way too massive for its own good. And given that, perhaps more clear softer piano-keys driven, truly contrasting moments woudl have elevated this album.
At the same time, those of us seeking progression, check how Weighed Down with Sorrow takes The Gale (the instrumental opener of Above the Weeping World) and elevates that monster riff and melody to a thunderous crescendo. I can play The Gale 1,000,000 times, every sampler I ever recorded for my friends who I wanted to delve deeper into Finnish, melodic death, extreme, etc. metal, I started it with The Gale. Now you know how it was going to sound like, if it was down with the full instrumental arrangement.

I don't get the Be'lakor thing. I thought the album was just alright. Zad got me all excited but I was a bit let down.

This album is by far the BEST Insomnium album to date. Period. It shows maturity and progress within the band and needless to say it kicks your ass so hard that you are still hurting.

Support the band and go to see their shows or order a T-shirt!!