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Insomnium - Shadows Of The Dying Sun



8.5 | 983 votes |
Release date: 25 April 2014
Style: Melodic death metal

Owners:

748 have it
96 want it


Disc I
01. The Primeval Dark
02. While We Sleep
03. Revelation
04. Black Heart Rebellion
05. Lose To Night
06. Collapsing Words
07. The River
08. Ephemeral
09. The Promethean Song
10. Shadows Of The Dying Sun

Disc II
01. Out To The Sea
02. The Emergence
03. The Swarm
04. The Descent

The Best Melodeath / Extreme Power / Gothenburg Metal Album Of 2014
Top 20 albums of 2014: 2

Additional info
Recorded at Studio Korkeakoski.
Drums recorded at Studio SF Sound by Kimmo Perkkiö.
Other instruments recorded at Studio Korkeakoski by Teemu Aalto.

Mixed at Fascination Street Studios by André Alvinzi.
Mastered at Chartmakers by Svante Forsbäck.

Artwork by Wille Naukkarinen.

Tracks 2-4 on the second disc comes from the band's 2013 EP, Ephemeral.

Staff review by
R'Vannith
Rating:
8.5
With Insomnium no longer having the service of guitarist Ville Vänni and his replacement by Markus Vanhala, the lead guitarist of Omnium Gatherum, Shadows Of The Dying Sun presents the possibility of a merging of the titans, so to speak. However, their sixth full length studio effort is no less Insomnium in style and execution than what preceded it, which means we're granted yet another excellent album from this premier melodic death metal band.

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published 23.04.2014 | Comments (42)

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Comments: 158   Visited by: 2250 users
20.06.2014 - 09:30
Rating: 9
Constantine

Written by Ag Fox on 16.06.2014 at 21:52

Had it not been the rating system, I wouldn't have been able to expand my musical tastes. Knowing how most people on MS vote, just take it with a grain of salt, especially when there are very little votes. Plus, you can track individual user's votes, which is useful if you know who has similar tastes as you (=

As for the album. I found it decent and quite enjoyable when listening to it, but a bit too easy and ultimately, not memorable. There are other better melodic death albums that I can listen to


Which ones please? I am really in need of some fresh melodeath
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20.06.2014 - 09:35
Rating: 7
Troy Killjoy
perfunctionist
Written by Constantine on 20.06.2014 at 09:30
fresh melodeath

What's that?
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"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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20.06.2014 - 12:14
Rating: 8
raveneffect

Written by Troy Killjoy on 20.06.2014 at 09:35

Written by Constantine on 20.06.2014 at 09:30
fresh melodeath

What's that?


New med for a sore throat
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20.06.2014 - 16:45
Rating: 7
Ag Fox
Angel No More
Written by Constantine on 20.06.2014 at 09:30

Written by Ag Fox on 16.06.2014 at 21:52

Had it not been the rating system, I wouldn't have been able to expand my musical tastes. Knowing how most people on MS vote, just take it with a grain of salt, especially when there are very little votes. Plus, you can track individual user's votes, which is useful if you know who has similar tastes as you (=

As for the album. I found it decent and quite enjoyable when listening to it, but a bit too easy and ultimately, not memorable. There are other better melodic death albums that I can listen to


Which ones please? I am really in need of some fresh melodeath
Assuming you've checked out the classics like Mors Principium Est's Unborn and Edge Of Sanity's Crimson I & II. I'll list some recent ones that I remember on top of my head
this year: Words Of Farewell
2012: Bloodshot Dawn, Elysian, Kälter
2011: Hedon Cries, November's Doom, The Project Hate MCMXCIX

I wasn't really around last year, so I can't comment on 2013
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loves 小巫
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21.06.2014 - 00:28
Rating: 9
Constantine

Quote:
Assuming you've checked out the classics like Mors Principium Est's Unborn and Edge Of Sanity's Crimson I & II. I'll list some recent ones that I remember on top of my head
this year: Words Of Farewell
2012: Bloodshot Dawn, Elysian, Kälter
2011: Hedon Cries, November's Doom, The Project Hate MCMXCIX

I wasn't really around last year, so I can't comment on 2013


Cheers for tips, will check em out

Fo rest reacting I have this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CY0Qjx5K53o
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21.06.2014 - 13:47
garmling
Account deleted
Since I don't like melodic death metal (exc. old InFlames and At The Gates), this is quite nice, but too predictable..... Tried and tested Finish formula and it's very close to pop music, which is the same thing that bothers me about any Finish band. Everything is so synthetic and overproduced (even Shade Empire, which I like), so I got the feeling they are all going safe.... Anyway, this is just OK, nothing more...
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28.06.2014 - 17:48
Rating: 9
Himedal

I can tell this is the best album from them. they have developed their own style in melodic death with creativity. production is also good and what is more important is the vocal. I couldn't hear a damn thing in the previous albums but in this one, I can hear the vocals, good grief..!
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What goes by is life to be taken
The doom calls upon the forsaken
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12.07.2014 - 01:59
Rating: 7
Reaper_Redeemer

I am crying with the comments I read
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21.08.2014 - 03:10
Rating: 7
Regolith

Written by Troy Killjoy on 03.06.2014 at 02:24

Does anyone remember a time when users on this site actually discussed the music and not just the goddamn ratings of an album? Would you rather we just remove the voting system altogether?


Lol! You know, personally I think the public ratings are useful. Due to the fact that everyone wants to voice their opinions you can count on public ratings to be at least a ballpark for what people think of an album. But as for removing individual ratings that may not be a bad idea. Or, maybe instead of the individual reviewers rating showing up in big bold numbers next to the album (especially from the home page!) the rating could be shown in smaller, not-that-important style format towards the bottom of a review. Mmm, mmm?
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21.08.2014 - 03:18
Rating: 7
Regolith

I can't keep the disc in my player for more than half/one song at a time in order to actually see if it gets better over time. But so far it just seems too all-the-same for me. Not enough different textures between the songs. They seem like a good band, technically speaking, but they just fail to keep me drawn to the music. I just keep going back to Fleshgod's latest. For me that album is getting better with each listen.
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17.09.2014 - 11:37
Fredd
Account deleted
Shit happens.
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17.09.2014 - 13:04
Rating: 8
Until the End

'Out to the Sea', what a fantastic song. How the feck it's only a bonus track, I can only wonder. I'd have replaced one of at least five songs which made it to the album with it but 'Lose to Night' specifically because it's awful.
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19.09.2014 - 03:53
Rating: 7
Troy Killjoy
perfunctionist
Written by deadone on 18.09.2014 at 02:41
I can't believe how popular this is on MS (but no where else on the interwebs that I have seen though it has got some decent reviews on other pages when they've bothered reviewing it).

We must have different internet.
http://www.metalinjection.net/reviews/album-review-insomnium-shadows-of-the-dying-sun
http://loudwire.com/insomnium-shadows-of-the-dying-sun-album-review/
http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/reviews/compact_discs/insomnium/shadows_of_the_dying_sun
http://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/61958/Insomnium-Shadows-of-the-Dying-Sun/
http://www.nocleansinging.com/2014/04/18/insomnium-shadows-of-the-dying-sun/
http://newnoisemagazine.com/album-review-insomnium-shadows-dying-sun/
http://www.metal-hammer.de/reviews/album-des-monats/article565677/insomnium-shadows-of-the-dying-sun.html (you don't need to translate that score)
http://www.thrashhits.com/2014/05/album-insomnium-shadows-of-the-dying-sun/

Sorry for linkspam, just felt like pointing out that we aren't the only site out there giving this album praise. The band's Facebook page is littered with links to positive reviews as well.
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"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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19.09.2014 - 04:34
Rating: 7
Troy Killjoy
perfunctionist
It seems like you're expecting these guys to achieve Maiden- or Metallica-esque success. All things considered I think this album has done about as well as anyone involved with it could have hoped. As for popular discussion - it's not like there are tons of active metal-dedicated forums.
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"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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19.09.2014 - 08:07
Rating: 9
Risto
Wandering Midget
Written by deadone on 19.09.2014 at 05:14

Lots of extreme metal bands crack Billboard 200.

Construct was the first Dark Tranquillity album to do so, and In Flames never reached it with any of their melodeath records. Amon Amarth, Arch Enemy and Soilwork are truly the only European melodic death metal bands to reach any kind of commercial success in North America.

By the way, #18 in Germany is pretty freaking high for an extreme metal band. Amorphis don't do much better.
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19.09.2014 - 09:40
Rating: 9
Risto
Wandering Midget
Written by deadone on 19.09.2014 at 09:25

Is Amorphis back to playing extreme metal? They were hippy prog rock last time I heard them!

They're heavier (and more extreme) now than around the millennium change, see examples below. Extreme metal is not really what made them popular in central Europe in recent years though, which is why I referred to them as "not doing much better".



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19.09.2014 - 17:15
Rating: 7
Troy Killjoy
perfunctionist
Why are we comparing the commercial success of Insomnium to the likes of Kreator or Cannibal Corpse? Those bands have been around for decades and have established a legion of long-time fans. Insomnium is relatively new and only "took the world by storm" with their 2006 album. Like I said, I think this album was as successful as anyone could have hoped. It charted, presumably sold well, and further contributed to the band's demand around the world.
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"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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22.09.2014 - 03:37
Rating: 7
Troy Killjoy
perfunctionist
Written by deadone on 22.09.2014 at 03:34
Thus the only conclusion I can make is that this band's extreme popularity is particular to Metalstorm. I've noticed this is the case with the similar Bel'akor.

Melodic "death" metal like this has always been extremely popular on Metal Storm, much like power metal and prog. When Lucas and Herzebeth were both regular reviewers there existed a small contingent of dedicated underground crusaders, which is what you see more active now in the forums. But the general users still seem to have their soft spot for the sugary melodic stuff.
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"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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24.09.2014 - 14:01
DTMelodicMetal

Written by deadone on 18.09.2014 at 02:41

I can't believe how popular this is on MS (but no where else on the interwebs that I have seen though it has got some decent reviews on other pages when they've bothered reviewing it).

IMO this is one of those bands and albums that exemplifies everything that's wrong with modern melodic DM.


That's a bold statement. I'd take the opposing route and say that overall Insomnium is one the few current MD metal bands doing anything right. Everyone has been waiting for 10+ years for In Flames to make another Clayman/ColonyJester Race, Mors Principum Est has yet to come close to matching the Unborn or even Inhumanity, Opeth (not melodic death but see Still Life/Blackwater Park for strong similarities) is no longer aggressive metal, Children of Bodom hit their peak with Hatebreeder and Hate Crew Deatroll, Skyfire has been working on an EP for almost five years, Soilwork just recently remembered they were a top melodical death metal band, Arch Enemy releases albums with two to three strong songs and the rest are usually fillers, and so on. The only other MD metal bands that have been consistently good are Amon Amarth, Kalmah, Dark Tranquillity (heavily biased towards them but anyone will tell you their Damage Done-Fiction run was impressive, though Brandstrom writing most of the music for Construct had mixed results), Allegaeon, and Be'Lakor, and those last two bands are relatively new (can't forget Carcass geting back together too). Going back to your comment about what's wrong with modern melodic DM the only example I can think of that's distinctly different from Imsomnium and "better" is At The Gates' At War With Reality song that was posted 2 days ago, and that came out after you posted your opinion.

Being a huge fan of this website I'm still trying to figure out why - in my opinion - melodic DM is critiqued more heavily than other forms of metal (black/doom especially). Going back to the new Insomnium album I'm surprised anyone would give them album anything lower than a 7, although I'll admit about half the songs on the albums stand out as "good" or "better" than ther other half of songs on the album (big fan of tracks 1-5, 8 and 11, and not a fan of lose to night). Back to your comment, I may have completely missed your point, but at first glance I had trouble seeing the reasoning behind your statement. Can you give examples of bands that exemplify "proper" or "good" modern MD metal?
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24.09.2014 - 14:33
Rating: 9
Risto
Wandering Midget
Written by DTMelodicMetal on 24.09.2014 at 14:01

The only other MD metal bands that have been consistently good are Amon Amarth, Kalmah, Dark Tranquillity (heavily biased towards them but anyone will tell you their Damage Done-Fiction run was impressive, though Brandstrom writing most of the music for Construct had mixed results), Allegaeon, and Be'Lakor, and those last two bands are relatively new (can't forget Carcass geting back together too).

I would add Omnium Gatherum, who have gotten better with age, to this list. Even in this band's case there's people dubbing them "generic" or "unoriginal", which is funny considering how they've distanced themselves from the traditional melodeath/Gothenburg sound record after record.
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24.09.2014 - 22:55
DTMelodicMetal

Written by Risto on 24.09.2014 at 14:33

Written by DTMelodicMetal on 24.09.2014 at 14:01

The only other MD metal bands that have been consistently good are Amon Amarth, Kalmah, Dark Tranquillity (heavily biased towards them but anyone will tell you their Damage Done-Fiction run was impressive, though Brandstrom writing most of the music for Construct had mixed results), Allegaeon, and Be'Lakor, and those last two bands are relatively new (can't forget Carcass geting back together too).

I would add Omnium Gatherum, who have gotten better with age, to this list. Even in this band's case there's people dubbing them "generic" or "unoriginal", which is funny considering how they've distanced themselves from the traditional melodeath/Gothenburg sound record after record.


You're right, I did forget Omnium Gatherum. Thought I'd forget to mention at least one current solid melodic death metal band, but that's a big omission.
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25.09.2014 - 11:01
Rating: 9
Risto
Wandering Midget
Written by deadone on 25.09.2014 at 03:11

Scar Symmetry - the absolute epitome of everything that is wrong with a lot of modern metal.

Love how you feel the need to bash them even when no one mentioned them earlier They're off topic anyway because their primary base is not melodic death metal (seem to get that slabbed on them just cause they're Swedish).
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26.09.2014 - 09:08
Rating: 9
Risto
Wandering Midget
Written by deadone on 26.09.2014 at 02:51

They're much more melodic DM than Dark Tranquillity has been for a while.

Holographic Universe has more clean vocals than growls, and we recently agreed with Troy that progressive power metal should be their leading style tag. They still have melodeath on here, but it could be extreme power as well (could even argue that SS are a true extreme power metal band).
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27.09.2014 - 04:53
Rating: 6
tea[m]ster
Au Pays Natal
This is just "meh" to me. I like Omnium Gatherum better.
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rekt
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16.10.2014 - 18:35
Rating: 10
samhain

Bare in mind I dont have what to add. All was said. Masterpiece!
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18.10.2014 - 14:44
Rating: 6
Hazelnut Nero

Mehhh for me too
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05.11.2014 - 22:54
Why Europeans metalheads are always so depressed? this " Melodeath" is boring and Repetitive .
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19.11.2014 - 20:25
Rating: 8
SergioBv

Very good album.
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28.12.2014 - 10:27
Rating: 8
Kuroboshi

I found this album to be very uplifting, and not depressive at all. If you want depressive Insomnium, listen to AtWW.
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03.01.2015 - 17:33
Rating: 9
AssailantForce

Written by deadone on 25.09.2014 at 03:11

Quote:


Because it's stale and nothing new is happening to the genre. They're not even doing good song writing for most part unlike the older bands in the late 1990s or early 2000s.


I find this remark very vague. (regardless hypocritical which I elaborate in the next point below)
Blood Shot Dawn - Mildy proggy death metal with, expolosive riffs, sharp vocals laden with gotenburg melodies sparingly. Innovative song writing overall.
Sylosis - evolving sound, with consistent thrash influence, keys atmosphere, innovative song writing, extremely tasteful melodies.
Allegaeon - Again innovative. technical death, extremely dynamic, melodic hooks. (It's you're issue if you don't like the sound.)
I can throw in a few more, but I'm just sceptical if its really worth the effort.

Quote:

Carcass.
...
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I like my melodic DM to be punchy, dynamic with lots of memorable hooks - basically Death Metal version of Iron Maiden (which is kind of how the genre came about). I can't stand moody, depressing shit without any uniqueness or sense of dynamicness or stand out song writing - this IMO is exactly how I would describe Insomnium including this new album.
Just my $0.02.


I find following things questionable with this concluding stand.

1. You are criticising melodic death metal bands for being generic while you yourself are defining a generic boundaries within which you like your dose of melodic death metal.
2. Carcass's new effort was very enjoyable. But personally I can separate the straight up thrash metal from the decent melodic death parts, regardless of the continuity. So while it is enjoyable, punchy with straight up unpolished vocals, it is still generic to the detail.
3. It is very clear that, that you don't mind generic metal. But only the ones that suite your taste. However you try to put it, ultimately you are just bashing good melodic death metal bands like Insomnium which don't fit your bill. When you call them 'shit' or whatever, just know, it was not "necessary" and such derogatory hateful remarks belong outside these forums if I just now read the rules correctly.

Good day.
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