Insomnium
Across The Dark

THE REVIEW

A leaden and gray sky. The most total silence, except for the rustle of a few leaves, which will fall to rot with the others. An air so drenched with cold and humidity that you feel water trickling from your bones. The colorless streetlights are off and will never turn on again. These are the images evoked by "Across The Dark" (2009), fourth work by the Finnish Insomnium.

The entire album is permeated with deep sadness, which initially basks in pain (see the lyric of the opening track "Equivalence": "Rejoice in the name of failure, deliverance found in pain"), but in the end, after a long and harrowing journey, it's forced to acknowledge the absence of any hint of happiness. The narrators of this sad tale are Nillo Sevänen (vocals and bass) and the guitarists Ville Friman and Ville Vänni, whose splendid powerful and melancholic riffs, influenced by Doom, are the true backbone of the album. Meanwhile, the performance of drummer Markus Hirvonen remains somewhat overshadowed.

The first track, "Equivalence", is a sort of prelude to the following "Down With The Sun", undoubtedly the best song on the album, featuring an engaging melody and embellished by sudden rhythm changes. Another standout piece is "Where The Last Wave Broke", where the clean vocals of Jules Näveri appear for the first time, providing an invaluable contribution. Essentially, the first three tracks are enough to get an idea of "Across The Dark" and make it a valuable CD. Moving forward, we have "Against The Stream", where the influence of early In Flames can be heard, and "Lay Of The Autumn", clearly influenced by Opeth and Amorphis of "Tales". "Weighed Down With Sorrow" is the worthy conclusion of the album, with a funereal intro and a desolate and despairing lyric.

Although "Across The Dark" is an excellent record, capable of standing apart from the Melodic Death metal chaos, and perhaps represents the peak of Insomnium's career, it also has flaws that do not go unnoticed. Sevänen, for example, remains a top-notch growler, but at times his voice seems out of place. The clean vocals would be a commendable addition, but sometimes (in "The Harrowing Years") they are not optimally placed. Furthermore, the album lacks originality, and at first listen, the audience might wonder: "Damn, where have I heard this before?". Another weak point is "Lay Of The Autumn", whose excessive and unjustified length (9 minutes) causes it to drag on wearily and bore. Nonetheless, "Across The Dark" remains a record capable of enchanting and astonishing, and tracks like "Down With The Sun" and "Where The Last Wave Broke" alone are worth the price of the album.

1. "Equivalence"
2. "Down With The Sun"
3. "Where The Last Wave Broke"
4. "The Harrowing Years"
5. "Against The Stream"
6. "Lay Of The Autumn"
7. "Into The Woods"
8. "Weighed Down With Sorrow