Album Review: Insomnium – Netherworlds (Century Media)

Finnish melodic death metal band Insomnium will release their tenth studio album, Netherworlds, on 23rd October through Century Media.

Formed in 1997, Insomnium have spent nearly three decades building a strong reputation for their combination of melodic death metal, melancholy and atmosphere, with albums such as Shadows of the Dying Sun and Heart Like a Grave becoming important parts of their catalogue. With Netherworlds, the band have looked back towards that classic northern melancholy while also bringing some new ideas into their sound.

Insomnium worked with producer and engineer Miiro Varjus, with Jens Bogren and Tony Lindgren of Fascination Street Studios handling the mixing and mastering. The artwork comes from renowned artist Travis Smith

The ten-track album is the first full-length to feature guitarist Tomy Laisto, joining Markus Vanhala and Ville Friman on guitars alongside bassist and vocalist Niilo Sevänen and drummer Markus Hirvonen. Musically, Netherworlds continues to explore the contrast between heavy riffs, sweeping melodies and more fragile moments. Once again, principal lyricist Niilo Sevänen immersed himself in classic literature while searching for the emotional landscape of “Netherworlds”. but lyrically it moves away from the historical narratives of Winter’s Gate and Anno 1696 and towards more personal themes of mortality, memory, love and the passing of time.

Netherworlds gets underway with a cover, and Insomnium’s first ever recorded cover at that. This is Insomnium, though, so of course the choice is going to be an appropriate one, and The Cold Song (originally by 17th-century English Baroque composer and organist Henry Purcell) seems perfectly suited. It is melancholic and atmospheric, and stays very close to the original musically, with the opera vocals replaced by darkened whispers instead. That sets the scene nicely before we head into Shadowlife.

A nice tempo and melody lead us in, with more of those hushed vocals before the energy picks up with harsh vocals and punchy riffs. The chorus is catchy, balancing clean and harsh vocals nicely. It’s atmospheric, layered and plays with contrast well, both between vocal styles and between melody-driven sections and riff-driven ones. It’s a strong start, and so very Insomnium.

Remembrance has some punch to it, with an energetic, riff and drum-driven start that will get your neck working. Layers of melody join in and drop the pace down a bit. Harmonised clean vocals lead us through gorgeous verses into hard-hitting sections, though the lead guitars keep melody at the forefront. The chorus is very catchy and packs some power, and the guitar solo is stunning. It’s very much a melodic death metal track, and a brilliant one at that. Gleam In The Black has been out for a bit as one of the lead singles, and I already love this song. The meandering melody is wonderful, and the keys fill the song out so well, keeping atmosphere at the forefront. It’s a song that has power, heaviness and beauty too, with a phenomenally catchy chorus. Insomnium at their very best.

The Hour Grows Late is a big one. The longest track on Netherworlds, at over eight minutes, allows Insomnium to get extra creative, with a soft and subtle intro leading into a catchy tapping drum beat. As the lead guitars join in, there is an emotional weight to the song that you can feel clearly. Heavier verses lead us on, moving through different paces and different lead instruments.

The chorus is sung beautifully, reaching epic levels, and of course, atmosphere is very much at the forefront, with a rich and layered sound. The extra runtime allows the band to bring things down to just atmosphere before using that to bring the heaviness and darkness back in, creating contrast and emotional conflict. It’s a stunning song, packed full of creativity and a real showcase of Insomnium’s current take on bringing together all their considerable experience while still mixing in some new ideas.

Arch of the Sky is another one of the singles and another stunning song. The melody is such a hook, and the balance between lighter and darker moments is on point. I love the whispered harsh vocal verses, and the chorus is catchy, heavy and atmospheric. This is such a hit, a really strong song that flows along a river of melody, pulling you along with it.

Pathways of the Night then drops us down to a really pretty and delicate melody in its intro. The energy is bouncy, and as the drums and riffs kick in, you can’t help but move. It’s so catchy. Again, the use of spoken and whispered vocals over the bright melody in the verses is very engaging, and the contrast with the heavier music and vocals leading us into the choruses is perfect. The drums are fire, with a really hard-hitting, rolling beat in the chorus backed by harsh vocals and light melody. It’s very easy to listen to, with heaviness at points and beauty at others. Insomnium are setting a very high standard here on Netherworlds, even by their own high standards.

Ethereal Sleep is up next and gets us into ballad territory, kind of. It still has that melodeath bite, of course, but the softened atmosphere that leads us through is gentler. Heavier vocals do come in and add more bite at times, as do the riffs, but this is a melody-driven song with a really nice slide solo and a clean chorus that touches on epic levels. It’s a nice change of pace for the album overall and makes sure things stay fresh.

The Banished is the penultimate track on Netherworlds, and coming off the back of a softer one, Insomnium remind you of their vast skillset by dropping a fiery track full of aggression and energy. The drums take off, the riffs are punchy and crunchy, and the vocals are harsh in a song that will have mosh pits in a frenzy. The melodeath undercurrent of melody is still there, of course, and the chorus brings that more to the forefront, along with some nice harsh and clean vocal harmonies. The solo in this one is awesome as well, in yet another top-quality song on a very impressive album.

Unfortunately, the album must end, though, and Insomnium close out Netherworlds with the appropriately named Journey’s End. Here, Insomnium go deep into storytelling mode with a really cool song that perfectly closes out the album and leans heavily on atmosphere. Gentle melodies, backing sounds and spoken word lead us through the verses as the story closes. Different phases see different vocal styles used, with moments of almost folk-like melody alongside heavier instrumentation. It’s interesting, creative and very beautiful and, for me, a fitting way to end a superb album.

Netherworlds is a superb album and with 3 decades of experience, Insomnium still clearly have the drive and determination to expand, just a bit, on their already well loved sound. There is a wonderful balance of heaviness, beauty and atmosphere with some seriously catchy songs on an album that flows wonderfully. This is Insomnium at their best and, for me, this is one of the best releases of the year so far.

Track List

1 – The Cold Song
2 – Shadowlife
3 – Remembrance
4 – Gleam in the Black
5 – The Hour Grows Late
6 – Arch of the Sky
7 – Pathways of the Night
8 – Ethereal Sleep
9 – The Banished
10 – Journey’s End

Insomnium Links

Website | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok