Insomnium Album: “Above the Weeping World [Bonus Track]”

This is in my humble estimation the second best album of 2006 in metal! The last time I heard something this cohesive, classical and hauntingly melodic was in 2005 courtesy of Dark Tranquility. In fact, at times Insomnium appears to be possessed by the spirit of DT, but they are no Trivium, their music is still original and innovative, although admittedly, nothing new in the genre of melodic death/doom. The exquisitely stunning morose melodies on this album will get stuck in your head for days and you will find yourself humming them even in public! Highly infectious material and very even, as you would be hard pressed to find a filler on this masterpiece! These guys ARE NOT from Gothenburg, though, their Finnish. For a moment, it almost made my number 1 of 2006 until I revisited what ended up as my no.1 yet again...Influences run from DT to early In Flames, Extol, and My Dying Bride, and number 7, the best song on the album reminds me of Opeth at times...Very, very difficult to remove from the CD player and earning every one of five stars and the silver of 2006.One of the best albums in melodic Scandinavian death metal's history reminds me of this unquestionable, classic quality-"Jester Race" by In Flames, and for a good reason: "Come Clarity" may have shown us what we have gained by In Flames' radical transformation, but "Above the Weeping World" reminds us what we have irretrievably lost.

This is Insomnium's third release, and like its predecessors, it is another melodic masterpiece. Insomnium relies on traditional Gothenburg melodic death metal riffs, combined with atmospheric symphonic keyboard sounds and influenced by doom metal. Insomnium are beautifully heavy, without resorting to aggression. The opening "The Gale" is bombastic, with some amazing keyboard work, pulsating drumming, profound guitars and deep bass. "Mortal Share" begins in a similar way to "Since The Day It All Began" (the song on their last album), with twin-guitar riffs, and incredible drumming. Once again, the lyrics are about sorrow, death and loss - hence the doom metal influence.

"Drawn To Black" is a heavier song, with crushing riffs and machine gun drumming. Around the 4.10 mark is a slow acoustic section fans would be glad to hear. The song foreshadows the formula to be found on the rest of the album: great guitar work, blistering riffs, relishing bass work and pummelling drums; with emotive lyrics and brutal growls. "Change Of Heart" starts off acoustically, and then out of nowhere explodes a frenzy of melodic death metal madness. It switches from acoustic to metal often. "At The Gates Of Sleep" is a seven-minute song, starting with whispering. There are some terrific build-ups in this song, first at 2.12, and then at 3.50 with some grandiose guitar riffs. The same riff is repeated at the 6.24 mark, but is slowed down and is in a different key. There's also lots of acoustic parts and whispering all over the place.

"The Killjoy" is very heavy, whilst maintaining a high level of melody. It is fast paced, and is quite reminiscent to the "classic" melodic death metal songs. It also features a beautiful solo. "Last Statement" is another fierce song, with some odd dissonant riffs, thrash-like guitar parts and acoustics sections. "Devoid Of Caring" is another blistering assault on the ears. This song is also a bit thrashy, similar to Kalmah's new album. The relentless drumming and guitars finally slow down, to some ethereal keyboard work.

The 10-minute epic "In The Groves Of Death" is a bit like "In The Halls Of Awaiting" (the song not the album). It is filled with eerie keyboard work, and filled with different vocal styles. The music is simultaneously intense and haunting. The two guitars sound magnificent together, as does the drumming and bass. The album ends as strongly as it starts.

The album is about 53 minutes, with 9 songs, so the songs are quite long. The musicians in this band are fantastic. Ville Friman, is both perfect for guitars and vocals. His death vocals are harsh, and mid-ranged, and not an annoying scream. Whilst not as low as Mikael Akerfeldt (Opeth), he is much better than a lot of vocalists for melodic death metal bands nowadays. He sometimes chooses to whisper and growl emotionally at times. The only problem is that the lyrics are practically illegible, as his vocals are hidden under the music. Ville Vanni is the other essential guitarist, choosing to either harmonise the first guitar, or play twin solos. The drummer Markus Hirvonen is also very talented, resembling Mario Lopez (Opeth) in terms of double bass drumming, and great rhythm work. Niilo Sevanen provides the bass work, which is vital for Insomnium's emotive, heavy sound. Listening closely, one can hear the complex bass work.

Overall, Above The Weeping World is an excellent addition to any melodic death/doom metal fan. Recommended to fans of Eternal Tears of Sorrow, Skyfire, Kalmah, Imperanon, Opeth and Scar Symmetry.

I own both the previous albums, and this one is just as wonderful. Insomnium have an amazing way of creating melodic death metal that has the perfect (and not often found) balance of "melodic" and "death metal".

The songs are aggresive AND catchy ... pummelling AND humm-able ... all at once.

Insomnium's entire output is LIGHT YEARS better than most of the melodic death metal I've heard.

Buy it ... now!

First off, I need to state that I'm an old school metal fan. When I first got into metal, Metallica and Slayer were the fiercest bands out there. From them I worked my way backwards to bands like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and Black Sabbath. But I had difficulty moving forward with evolving metal styles and slowly aged out of that scene.

Insomnium has brought me back into it . . . in a big way. All the aspects of modern metal that drove me away from the genre are present with this band, but they manage to make it sound good -- amazing, in fact. Let me elaborate . . .

Double bass drumming -- I could never stand the machine gun kick drum style. While it has its place in certain songs (Damage, inc. for example), the constant pounding from song after song gets old and loses its ferocity. Insomnium know when to use it and when not to. Their drummer is incredible. He knows when to step it up, and when it's best to just lay back. I've never heard a drummer who could create such atmosphere by himself, alone.

Cookie Monster vocals -- This style of "singing" would drive me nuts. But Insomnium's vocalist keeps his growling in a fitting midrange that works for this music. He doesn't go cartoonishly low, or go the higher pitched "wannabe demon" black metal route. And they place the vocals further back in the mix so that they're not so "in your face". His vocal work blends into the music and actually adds to the atmosphere.

And that is what Insomnium are all about -- atmosphere. Their skill in songwriting allows them to create dark and atmosphereic music, yet still retain a beautiful and haunting sense of melody. This album draws you in and never lets you go. I haven't heard a better cd in well over 10 years -- and this one is in my all time favorites list.

And as an added bonus, listening to this cd over and over for months on end has actually expanded my horizons. It's allowed me to recognize the worth in many other modern metal bands that utilize the above mentioned techniques that I used to hate so much. For a band such as Insomnium, who smashed through my biases and actually opened my mind to such a degree, a five star rating is not nearly enough.

this album is probably there best so get out there and buy it