Insomnium - One For Sorrow review
| Band: | Insomnium |
| Album: | One For Sorrow |
| Style: | Melodic death metal |
| Release date: | October 12, 2011 |
| A review by: | Dream Taster |
01. Inertia
02. Through The Shadows
03. Song Of The Blackest Bird
04. Only One Who Waits
05. Unsung
06. Every Hour Wounds
07. Decoherence
08. Lay The Ghost To Rest
09. Regain The Fire
10. One For Sorrow
11. Weather The Storm [Special Edition bonus] [Japanese bonus]
12. Beyond The Horizon [Japanese bonus]
If I were to ask you what makes a great Metal band, the answer should be pretty much the same across the board: great albums. In truth, a series of great albums that follow the same structure yet manage to be different enough to be individual works while being similar enough to create a unique trademark sound. Do you see now how fine of a margin bands have to operate? Finland's Insomnium have established themselves as a juggernaut of Gothenburg Metal with a trilogy of sublime releases 2002's In The Halls Of Awaiting, 2004's Since The Day It All Came Down & 2006's Above The Weeping World. Then they managed to cleverly modernize their sound with 2009's Across The Dark. With a growing fan base and so many solid works behind them, their new release One For Sorrow has been one of the most anticipated albums of the year, and for good reasons.
Once more the homogeneity of this offering is its greatest upside. It is like Ville Friman and Niilo Sevänen came up with twice too many great songs and just rammed the best of them on a fast-paced, ass-kicking, modern monument of a melodic Death metal album. The intro builds up the atmosphere perfectly and the following tracks never let go of this canalized energy. Without reinventing their sound, Insomnium manage to bring enough new perspective to enthrall listeners through a seemingly everlasting journey into awesomeness. Growls dominate the vocal registry. Nevertheless, clean vocals are featured on some of the tracks, sometimes pushing as far as giving a pop vibe to choruses on songs such as "Through The Shadows" and "Regain The Fire".
The naysayers will point out the same song structures, same album structure and the same atmosphere as on Across The Dark. And it would be hard to refute them. But beauty is in the details and the musicians are throwing a lot of those at you over the course of a single song. And that is why Insomnium swim at the top of their musical field.
The question remains whether you find what makes this album different from its precursor or not. I know I have. Whether you are familiar with their previous albums or not is a moot point. There is enough on One For Sorrow to please fans and newcomers alike.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 9 |
| Songwriting: | 8 |
| Originality: | 7 |
| Production: | 9 |
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Written on 01.11.2011 by
Bringing you reviews of quality music and interesting questions such as: "A picture is worth a thousand words. How many words is a song worth?" I have only got so much patience and skills, you do the math. |
Rating:
7.8
7.8
|
Rating: 7.8 |
One For Sorrow: the old children's nursery rhyme about counting up to ten birds in a tree. Makes sense for an Insomnium album to be inspired by it; after all, they've had these birds flying around in their album art for a while. Their fifth full-length respectively adapts to the rhyme with ten tracks of fairly varied Gothenburg metal in that trademark Insomnium sound. Read more ›› |
Comments
Comments: 28
Visited by: 523 users
| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306  |
Written by [user id=109246] on 01.11.2011 at 04:54 I didn't have a problem with it at all - in fact it reminded me a lot of their previous album.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| Milena gloom cookie Staff Posts: 4603  |
True review. People swear too much by originality these days. Sure, it's nice when it's not the same old, but some bands are so good in what they do it would be a shame to change it too much.
---- 7.0 means the album is good
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 |
A bit higher than I'd rate it, but this is still a damn nice melodic death metal album with the same atmosphere you always expect from them.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| LeChron James Helvetesfossen Posts: 3561  |
I don't agree with your classification of what makes a great Metal band. Especially when you say that a great metal band has to follow the same song/album structures in order to be great. Sure, consistency is good, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the band's shit has to sound the same in order for them to be considered "legitimate" or "great" or "legendary" or "HOLY TITS I CAME EVERYTIME THIS BAND RELEASED AN ALBUM". I disapprove of this review on these grounds
---- Kick Ass, Die Young Less is More Stay Pure Stay Poor Music was my life, music brought me to life and music is how I will be remembered long after I leave this life. When I die there will be a final waltz in my head that only I can hear.
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| Kuroboshi Posts: 1200  |
I think there are different ways of defining a great metal band, but his definition is definitely ONE of them, not THE one. Anyways, really looking forward to giving this a spin, thanks for a great review!
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| R'Vannith ghedengi Elite Posts: 3099  |
Written by Milena on 01.11.2011 at 08:17 Couldn't agree more, I haven't heard in what sense this is 'same old' as I haven't heard their earlier material but when you have working guns, why not stick to them?
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| flamey Posts: 109  |
Am I the only one who has a problem with vocals? They have to be louder, I feel that vocals are being drowned in the music. It's pretty annoying. I felt similar for Across the Dark but here it was even worse. My favorite is still AtWW.
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| Iron Nostarion Maiden Whore Posts: 289  |
Great review, I agree with it almost 100%. The album is great indeed and it's my first from the band. Already in love from my first listen. About the "originality" debate: These days, it has become cool for any metalhead to state that this album is "not that good" because it's released in the late 2000's or early 2010s. Some take it to even any album not in the '80s or earlier. Some are waiting for "legendary" records, but to reply to them, there's nothing legendary, not even those of old. One can ALWAYS point out flaws, a song they hate, or a large fuck-up; "perfect" is not to be taken literally when rating or stating an opinion. Others just want to hear something absolutely new on every single record they buy. Sometimes one's just gotta respect the style of the band and what they offer. Judge them comparing to how well they do their style in the end, and you'll be much more pleased with music you hear. TLDR: You're killing metal with all the pessimism, this album is good, I like mashed and gravy and haven't eaten them in a long time and I want them so bad.
---- To their tombs the people are immured, There is their gold, treasure and wealth, The only condition is to ignore them, Those who feed on corruption and weave death
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18374  |
Written by LeChron James on 01.11.2011 at 10:12 Like somebody else said: There are many different ways a band can be considered great. His definition is definitely ONE of them, not THE one.
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| SymphonyImpaled Posts: 63  |
Man, this is a veritable fountain of whacked out views. Originality is majorly why people started listening to metal in the first place. True, we have a genre for every popular metal song structure or lyric base, but it's the original ones that really leave a mark. This whole deal about putting your own ideas into a form that everyone else uses is a bit too purist. Personally, i've gotten bored of the "same old shit" over the years. Insomnium, for example, is a bit like amon amarth, where, for a while after you first hear them, they seem amazing. Then slowly you realize that once you've heard a bunch of their music, it's all the same shit. Aside from that... Good review.
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| !J.O.O.E.! Account deleted |
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| Valaskjalf Account deleted |
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| Milena gloom cookie Staff Posts: 4603 |
I don't want to quote a lot of people, but I'd like to state my thought about your posts. Us who say that originality is overrated don't mean that a band can rehash the same shit a thousand times over or rip off, the same way as you people who praise originality don't necessarily mean that every album you hear must be different from all the releases of the world. We both have middle grounds, and Tolstoy once said that people who differ only a tiny bit in their opinion are the ones that argue the most, I believe he was completely right  But at the end of the day, when I play a classic Iron Maiden album next to this one or any Insomnium album, they're both equally headbangable and enjoyable. But people give 10s to Iron Maiden for their groundbreaking work, in spite of the fact they weren't exactly pioneers of their genre and also the fact that people played more challenging forms of metal in the 80's, just like people play more challenging forms than melodeath today. Time changes a lot of perspective on music. And for those who complain that Insomnium has always been this good - that's what it's all about, we praise their continuity! Bands have tremendous ups and downs, and every band can reach a high point which will be impossible for them to achieve ever again (I might do a list on this) but if a band is consistently good for 5 consecutive albums, only a couple of points from perfection, that is a very nice achievement in my book.
---- 7.0 means the album is good
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 |
Written by [user id=1909] on 01.11.2011 at 19:08 I don't know why but a lot of the more melodic releases are becoming overwhelmingly praised and overrated this year. I like a lot of that music but you're right, Insomnium have done far better than this and they've been doing it for a while. I dunno, maybe people only check out the new album and think it's a masterpiece when they haven't even bothered with their back catalog.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18374 |
Written by Milena on 01.11.2011 at 20:42 If you mean Valaskjalf's post... He wasn't complaining at all... just confused at the sudden burst of "omfg the band is awesome" like if Insomnium was born yesterday or something which is quite hilarious to say the least. Like Troy said... It's probably because there are too many people who just check some x popular band's latest album and nothing else.... The label change also helped though.
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| Risto Wandering Midget Posts: 1115  |
Written by Troy Killjoy on 01.11.2011 at 20:45 This is probably close to the truth. They recently signed with one of the biggest metal labels and now have bands such as Dark Tranquillity, In Flames and Arch Enemy as their label mates. That's quite a bump in the band's social and marketing networks.
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| Milena gloom cookie Staff Posts: 4603 |
Written by X-Ray Rod on 01.11.2011 at 20:50 Oh, I saw a similar post somewhere in the threads, I wasn't talking about him, just confused the two threads... or maybe even mixed up posters on Metalstorm with friends of friends on Facebook O_O either way I'm senile.
---- 7.0 means the album is good
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 |
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| Wes Posts: 424  |
One of the most boring albums of my life.. Puts me to sleep. "The naysayers will point out the same song structures, same album structure and the same atmosphere as on Across The Dark. And it would be hard to refute them. But beauty is in the details and the musicians are throwing a lot of those at you over the course of a single song. And that is why Insomnium swim at the top of their musical field." I'm glad you address the problem with the album(s) in this paragraph. Somehow I just cannot get over it. I haven't been able to enjoy a single album of their since their first. I guess I just don't like this kind of song structure to begin with. Somehow it's too insisting, you could call it pretentious. As I mentioned before each song is like a symphonic buildup without a resolution.
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| Milena gloom cookie Staff Posts: 4603 |
Written by Troy Killjoy on 01.11.2011 at 21:36 Oh Troy, I adore spamming with you, but must we violate every thread?
---- 7.0 means the album is good
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 |
Written by Milena on 01.11.2011 at 21:47 Don't worry, I can bring it back on topic all the time. People who vote for this album, giving it a 9/10 are probably senile as they don't take into account the previous releases. AtWW began this "low-fi" drowned vocals high melody style and they've made subtle changes with each successive release. Like the Amon Amarths and Kataklysms of the metal world, Insomnium will be loved and hated for the music they make as some will appreciate them sticking to what they know while others will shit on them for refusing to experiment.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| Siegreicher Posts: 17 |
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| Crème fraiche Posts: 703  |
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| Merchant of Doom Posts: 702  |
Decent album... the usual high standards, but their formula is becoming a tad boring now...
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| Milena gloom cookie Staff Posts: 4603 |
Written by Troy Killjoy on 01.11.2011 at 21:50 The problem with 99% people is that they expect bands not to have an expiration date, to stay in the style everyone expects them to be in, but somehow turn out different every time, bring 'new stuff to the scene' and have higher quality with every subsequent release although they started on a high quality level. If a band fails one of these things, everyone makes a remark. Try to look back on any release by any band and you'll see this is true. I gave them a 9/10 myself, as they are the finest band in this particular style and it would be a shame they drifted into different waters. I don't expect them to surpass their high point, I want them to issue awesome music which they'll be satisfied to play and also that their criteria of awesome music doesn't drop. Musicians are human, you people may laugh at, let's say, Alexi Laiho for saying that RRF is the best album he did, better than all the old CoB ones, but maybe that's the stuff he genuinely wants to play now and what he likes, and his taste in music has deteriorated. Most people don't get that. Or, to take an example of trueest of the true shit: "Oh hell, how did the Metallica dudes ever start crapping on themselves?" Maybe they just genuinely liked it. And there are plenty of other bands to listen to instead of moaning over the low points. But I do moan about the low points sometimes. *cough* Dreamtheaterwhyyounothinkabitbeforeyoupressrecordandcramthefirstcrapthatcomestoyourmindbecauseyourecoollikethatialmostendeduphatingbreakingallillusionstooforthatcrappychorus *cough
---- 7.0 means the album is good
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| 1Yossarian1 Posts: 44  |
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| Danny Thomas Posts: 552  |
Written by Milena on 01.11.2011 at 20:42 pretty much agree with all of what you said. i was actually late to the party with this band (didn't hear about them until somewhere between album 3 and 4) but I have been nothing but Impressed with everything I have heard, and generally leave an album playing from start to finish.
---- Our children are dead. Burnt in the ruins that were left by war.
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| BlankFile Posts: 705 |
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