Review: Insomnium - Above the Weeping World

[Yoggi]

This Review is of my favorite metal band (if not band overall), Insomnium

What I love so much about Insomnium is their ability to convey a huge amount of emotion not only lyrically, but also musically. Just listening to the album i can always feel a massive wave of melancholy come over me.

While many flaunt musicianship as pure technical skill (in the case of Tool, Lamb of God, etc), I feel this 4 man melo-death outfit from Finland takes it to the next step by expressing emotions that you can not help but feel. Lyrics are often based on, or even taken from classical poets, including Hölderlin, Edgar Allan Poe and Finnish classic Eino Leino. The last track of the album, In The Groves Of Death has a  main theme is heavily inspired by Leino's poem Tumma, the ending poem of his saga Helkavirsiä.

Insomnium: Above the Weeping World



Lyrics: 10
Vocals: 9
Instrumentals: 10
Replay Value: 10
Overall: 10


Conclusion:
In my opinion this is one of, if not the best albums I have ever listened to. It may take a while to get into for some people, but i would highly recommend more than one listen. Buy it, myspace the band, but listen to this album for sure!

Links/References:
http://wwww.insomnium.net/index.html

http://www.myspace.com/insomniumband

http://www.darklyrics.com/lyrics/insomnium/abovetheweepingworld.html#1 <--- Lyrics source


1 year later edit:
This album has never left my rotation in the last year. I cannot help but keep listening to it, I have yet to find a better album, metal or otherwise, and i doubt i will (until the next album comes out).

[MetalMusicMan]

Good review Yoggi-- I got this album as soon as I checked this out and threw it in the car to listen to while I was driving to my appointments at work-- I totally agree with you on the music and the emotional sound of it all,  I love the feeling that it gives.  I really do not like the vocals though, and probably would have given them a 4 or a 5, but I agree with most of the other highly rated stuff.  My favorite song is 7. "Last Statement", because of the part at the end when he is saying "Don't forget me", because you can actually understand him, and it sounds cool.  If the singer had more understandable and less stereotyped black metal vocals, I would have LOVED this CD.  I just can't stand the default bleh bleh bleh unintelligible vocals in this genre.  I need to be able to understand SOMETHING.

At any rate, I'm glad that I have this CD in my collection, because the instrumentals are fantastic.

P.S. As far as holding back on writing the review goes, I've been holding back on writing a review for Protest the Hero's album Kezia for like 2 years because I do not feel that I could do it justice in writing, lol.  It's probably the best album evaaaaaar or something, I just feel like I'm not worthy to review it because it's so amazing.  So I understand your predicament. 

[Yoggi]

I just can't stand the default bleh bleh bleh unintelligible vocals in this genre.  I need to be able to understand SOMETHING.

vocals are a personal preference thing i guess. i've listened to a whole ton of death/black/grind stuff so deciphering vocals comes easily to me and to be honest, the vocals enhance the experience of the music for me.

And you lucky bastard for actually finding a copy of it. ever time i'm in a music store i check for it and no luck yet... i'm tempted to buy all the of their LP's off of amazon just so i finally have them.

[MetalMusicMan]

I just can't stand the default bleh bleh bleh unintelligible vocals in this genre.  I need to be able to understand SOMETHING.

vocals are a personal preference thing i guess. i've listened to a whole ton of death/black/grind stuff so deciphering vocals comes easily to me and to be honest, the vocals enhance the experience of the music for me.

And you lucky bastard for actually finding a copy of it. ever time i'm in a music store i check for it and no luck yet... i'm tempted to buy all the of their LP's off of amazon just so i finally have them.

I generally don't have a problem deciphering hard to understand vocals, take Lamb of God for instance, I understand everything that Randy says just fine (except the first CD of course).  That's more or less what I mean-- I love the throaty gutteral harsh vocals I wouldn't be without them, but you can still make that sound and be understandable.  That's what I look for in a good vocalist, because anyone can make the noise and not deliver the message, it's the combination of both that gets me all wet and juicy, foofelz.

[Yoggi]

I generally don't have a problem deciphering hard to understand vocals, take Lamb of God for instance, I understand everything that Randy says just fine (except the first CD of course).  That's more or less what I mean-- I love the throaty gutteral harsh vocals I wouldn't be without them, but you can still make that sound and be understandable.  That's what I look for in a good vocalist, because anyone can make the noise and not deliver the message, it's the combination of both that gets me all wet and juicy, foofelz.

Yeah, try listening to the cd through with the lyrics once, after that all of the words are pretty easy to pick out.
Now go download their second album and send it to me

[Yoggi]

bumping this, trying to show it off to the guys in insomnium

[MetalMusicMan]

bumping this, trying to show it off to the guys in insomnium

How's that work?  That's totally sweet if they're actually going to see it, lol.  LAST STATEMENT FTW!

[Yoggi]

I have the biggest shit eating grin right now, best wake up ever:

Hi James!

Thank you for your support and a nice review:) It's never too late to promote the band so keep up the good work, man! We had three shows in eastern Canada last year and those were maybe the best shows we had on the whole trip. So hopefully we can come back soon and visit the westside as well! Hope to see you then.

Cheers!

Niilo / Insomnium

[KaggyPoo]

ROFL

nice dude

[MetalMusicMan]

Yoggi you are so fucking HAWT!

[Yoggi]

i'm doing really well for contact with awesome musicians this year

[oograx]

I needed some new good metal and remembered this post and downloaded the discography.

What the fuck why the fuck didn't i get this sooner it's amazing gahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

[MetalMusicMan]

lol welcome to INSOMNIIONMIUIONUOMMNMNMN!!!

[Yoggi]

BEST METHUL EVAR IMO

[oograx]

Dude seriously this shit is awesome.