Category Archives: Insomnium

Insomnium – Netherworlds (2026) – Review

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Insomnium - Netherworlds - Album Cover

So, we are at Ze Number Ten. The sleepless ones have been at that Melodeath thing for almost 30 years and produced a critically acclaimed record every 3 years on average. And the fire still burns bright. The RMR crew covered all records from somewhere around 2009 to this day. 2016’s Winter’s Gate was without a doubt the strongest piece this band produced under our watch. That’s not to say that Heart of a Grave and Anno 1696 weren’t great records in their own right.

And that begs the question: has the act around Niilo Sevänen kept the high-octane levels … [...] Click to raid more!

Insomnium – Anno 1696 (2023) – Review

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Since the RMR webzine saw the light of day, Insomnium always was a sure value. Their slightly melancholic yet stately brand of Melodic Death Metal gorging on Niilo Sevänen‘s gruff croaks, a smattering of clears, and stellar weeping guitar work always got on our good side. And I daresay, this band probably was instrumental in getting yours truly’s ass in gear to hunt for more melodeath than is good for metal health.1

The most impressive records that crossed the RMR Review committee’s desk definitely were Shadows of the Dying Sun and the excellent Winter’s Gate. But after … [...] Click to raid more!

The Conjurer, by Insomnium. Winter melancholy!

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Nothing and nobody has been able to really copy that typical Insomnium style. Nor should anybody, right? This muted cathedral sound, spiked with discreet symphonic elements. All of this usually delivers on smoothly flowing, soaring guitars – three of them actually – and Niilo Sevänen‘s stately growls. Plus a few cleans, just for spice.

We were already quite impressed with Heart Like a Grave back in 2019, a somewhat more assertive piece than the former ones. And the question is, what comes next?

Well, their new video The Conjurer does. If anything, the band didn’t jettison any of their … [...] Click to raid more!

Insomnium – Heart Like a Grave (2019) – Review

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At first, Heart Like a Grave sounds like one of them Amon Amarth records. It is this straight-in-your-face, rumbling Death Metal that compares so well to the yonder icy tracks from the muscular and bearded ones. The only missing part is the dragonhead and the inevitable Viking longship.

So nope, this cannot be it. Instead, we – indeed – get a hefty dose of pretty stellar Insomnium. The type of Melodeath that does not take prisoners.

If you remember, Winter’s Gate already went Viking in 2016, much to the insane pleasure of the Norns. Insomnium set the bar … [...] Click to raid more!