Really liked pale morning star, what an amazing song. However there are just way too many songs in this album in my opinion.

A good album, but considering it is their 8 album, there is nothing remarkable.
They have performed classical insomniu, songs scheme, nothing really innovative from their previous album.
Was expecting something more elaborated

The album is standard Insomnium with writing that is very clean and mature compared to a lot of their previous albums. It doesn't take many risks, but with fewer risks there are fewer misses. Production is crisp and clear and each band member sounds flawless. It's really a great piece of music to just listen straight through and just kind of relax with. After over 25 spins though, I've found the songs sort of bleed into each other and I still have trouble identifying which song is which by title alone. Valediction is a massive highlight on this album and I can see it being part of Insomnium's set-list for a long long time.

My biggest complaint is that it gets mad boring towards the end. The last 18 minutes of the album are purely instrumental. Which is great if you're doing as I said, relaxing. It'll put you to sleep before you finish the album! The Bonus track being yet another Karelia... when the song just played 3 minutes before... seems like an odd choice. That said, it IS a bonus track and I probably shouldn't hold it against the album (too late).

Highlights: Valediction, Pale Morning Star, Mute Is My Sorrow

Written by WorpeX on 22.04.2020 at 17:37

After over 25 spins though

Why

Written by RaduP on 22.04.2020 at 19:16

Written by WorpeX on 22.04.2020 at 17:37

After over 25 spins though

Why

I would've assumed you would've given it that many listens by now based on your review

I like Insomnium, but there's only been one or two songs of theirs that have really stood out to me in the past (The Killjoy, Into The Groves Of Death); I think overall I'm not hugely keen on this album front to back, but Pale Morning Star is probably up there with The Killjoy for my favourite song by the band, and the last two songs on the record are pretty great

Written by musclassia on 02.06.2020 at 22:14

Written by RaduP on 22.04.2020 at 19:16

Written by WorpeX on 22.04.2020 at 17:37

After over 25 spins though

Why

I would've assumed you would've given it that many listens by now based on your review

I actually haven't listened to it much since reviewing it, but damn now I feel like doing it.

Written by WorpeX on 22.04.2020 at 17:37
The last 18 minutes of the album are purely instrumental.

Why listening to the bonus tracks every time? They are just different takes on album's respective tracks. Karelia closes the album and that's it.

Fuck, this band is consistent. All of their albums aren't just good, they're damn good. Love this thing.

After many listens now, I feel a bit disappointed by this one. It took me a loooong time to connect with Winter's Gate, so I gave this one some months, but it has some flaws from my perspective, despite having some amazing moments.

Tracks 1 to 3 make an amazing build up to the first half of Pale Morning Star which is maybe my favourite Insomnium part! The intensity there is unbelievable.

But then the second part of that track and the first half of And Bells They Toll feel like a long interlude that's not very memorable to me. And the problem is that it's right in the middle of the album and often makes me switch to something else. The other half of the album is good, nothing tops Pale Morning Stars but it provides good emotions and some nice riffs. And the drum patterns in Twilight Trails tickle me in a very nice way.
It's just too bad I can't remove those 6-7 minutes from the middle of album, it'd make it so much better in my opinion. If it was within one track only, I would've removed it since long.

Anyway, as much as I deeply hate the Insomnium bashers when they say theses guys are praised not matter what, I feel like I'm being a bit gentle with that album because I love them, but that this album wouldn't have made it in my library was it from another band.

It's the first let down for me though, I hope their next album will prove me they can still deliver.

Heart Like a Grave is serving, in a way, as my introduction to the band. I checked out Winters Gate when it came out, but never really connected with it. I am only a handful of spins into Heart Like a Grave, and again, much of it isn't connecting with me. "Valediction" is a super cool song and the pretty obvious (consensual) highlight. Despite all this, the title track is, quite literally, one of the greatest songs I've ever heard. Holy crap is it structured brilliantly. The acoustic intro/breaks that gradually crescendo into their respective climaxes, each more intense than the last. This creates a yearning which is fulfilled with each climax until that acoustic outro which leaves the totality of the song completely unresolved. Because of this, the listener (me) needs that resolution and the only manner in which to fulfill that longing is to listen to it again. Only the greatest of songs can be left on repeat, and this is one of those. However, I am finding that it is rather detrimental to the rest of the album because the title track is that good.

Anyone else notice how similar the main melody in the title track sounds to the guitar part at the beginning of this classic Sentenced song?

Written by nonZero on 26.08.2021 at 15:52

Anyone else notice how similar the main melody in the title track sounds to the guitar part at the beginning of this classic Sentenced song?

Yep, the first part is literally identical. Insomnium are known to be Sentenced fans so I'm not sure if it's an intentional nod or not, it's Vanhala who wrote the song.

I like this one a lot, best guitar work and production Insomnium has ever had. Takes a few songs to get into its stride, but "Pale Morning Star" and "The Offering" are just outstanding!

This is my album of the year 2019. Still not quite a 10. Maybe it lacks just one more different kind of song or something.