Insomnium
Shadows of the Dying Sun
Century Media Records
2014
The very essence of music is not to expect what you are going to experience when you play a new album. Some bands have decided not to hold any surprises for the fans. That’s understandable, but really what’s the point in making the same things again and again? What’s the challenge?
Nevertheless, Insomnium are back with a new full-length album which features Markus Vanhala (Omnium Gatherum) on guitars. Now, cooperating with the founder of one of your basic competitors is another weird thing. Apart from that, Insomnium hasn’t progressed nor matured a bit. They started out as a band which was heavily influenced by Amorphis. Lots of people, including me, saw this move positively. We thought that this band could evolve & mature, especially in terms of songwriting, and follow its own road, without dropping the influences of its prime. None of those things happened along the way. Insomnium are stuck on Amorphis sound; they do make it a bit contemporary but since then they have been releasing the same album again and again.
The same goes for “Shadows of the Dying Sun”. Everything here has been done by the book. The same songwriting formula, the same identical guitar melodies, the same attitude, the same (strong) production and the same uninteresting vocal melodies. You do see where this thing is going, don’t you? Moreover, the album is long, very long for an atmospheric melodeath metal release. It exceeds 55 minutes… and it becomes tiresome after a while.
Those who fancy listening to the same album by their beloved bands all the time will enjoy “Shadows of the Dying Sun”… but those who are seeking something else will get bored after a while. I guess what stops evolving… does become a shadow as the title suggests…
Nevertheless, Insomnium are back with a new full-length album which features Markus Vanhala (Omnium Gatherum) on guitars. Now, cooperating with the founder of one of your basic competitors is another weird thing. Apart from that, Insomnium hasn’t progressed nor matured a bit. They started out as a band which was heavily influenced by Amorphis. Lots of people, including me, saw this move positively. We thought that this band could evolve & mature, especially in terms of songwriting, and follow its own road, without dropping the influences of its prime. None of those things happened along the way. Insomnium are stuck on Amorphis sound; they do make it a bit contemporary but since then they have been releasing the same album again and again.
The same goes for “Shadows of the Dying Sun”. Everything here has been done by the book. The same songwriting formula, the same identical guitar melodies, the same attitude, the same (strong) production and the same uninteresting vocal melodies. You do see where this thing is going, don’t you? Moreover, the album is long, very long for an atmospheric melodeath metal release. It exceeds 55 minutes… and it becomes tiresome after a while.
Those who fancy listening to the same album by their beloved bands all the time will enjoy “Shadows of the Dying Sun”… but those who are seeking something else will get bored after a while. I guess what stops evolving… does become a shadow as the title suggests…