Insomnium - In The Halls Of Awaiting (my first review here)

Finland is a very nice country. It's large, has a lot of forest, thousands of lakes and is also home to genuinely some of the most phenomenal metal bands to ever walk the planet Earth. In particular focus is my personal favorite, Insomnium.

Insomnium are a melodic death metal band. Especially on earlier albums, strong influence from Dark Tranquility can be felt (melodic, almost Maiden-esque leads and riffs with death growls, intercut with accoustic interludes with clean vocals) but to say they just copy Dark Tranquility could not be further from the truth. No, these guys take the formula, modify both input variables and actual formula itself to create some of the most melancholic music known to man.

Even more astonishing, they didn't just slowly piece it together over a course of few albums either. No, right out of the gate Insomnium comes out swinging and doing a major homerun. You wouldn't get this image when you actually listen to it though. It doesn't open with neo-classical lead assault like DT's The Gallery with "Punish My Heaven" or a cinematic intro followed by one of most ripped off riffs like on AtG's Slaughter Of The Soul does with "Blinded By Fear". Instead, it opens accoustically with clean, whispered vocals, before it's riffage is unleashed on you. Insomnium would expand on this idea on following albums, but for now, formula on "In The Halls Of Awaiting" is quite simple. Relentless masterful Gothenburg style riffs with death growls intercut with accoustic melodies with clean vocals.

But what about songs themselves? Well, apart from the opener "Ill-Starred Son" which already knocks it out of the park, there's "Medeia" on the more merciless end with bigger focus on riffing with shorter accoustic parts along with "Black Waters" and "Journey Unknown" which follow the same formula, there are two longer tracks like "Shades Of Deep Green" and the title track. While melodeath, Dark Tranquility inspired riffs are on point, I do need to mention accoustic parts. 

They're ethereal, immersive and transportative. Only band to do accoustic guitar better than Insomnium are Blind Guardian, which if I'm comparing you to Blind Guardian favorably, you're doing something completely fucking right. To see what I mean, just listen to intro to "The Elder" or the final minute and a half of phenomenal "Shades Of Deep Green", it's like you're being transported to another world.

Since we're in the time that's not quite winter but is still very cold, with grey clouds and constant rains, I suggest you treat yourself with this melancholic masterpiece. Spin it while next to the window on a cloudy, cold and rainy day, you won't regret it.