There are bands who are able to evolve while remaining faithful to their sound. Insomnium are definitely one of these bands: the latest work of the Finnish melodic death metal band is another pearl for the enthusiasts of this genre. Shadows of the Dying Sun resumes and continues the discourse of the previous albums, but the listener will find a lot of new elements.
The album begins with an intro, “The Primeval Dark”, which then dissolves in the melody of “While We Sleep”; at this point we are caught in a melodious and cloying atmosphere that is a bit different from the previous album’s. One for Sorrow (2011) was more meditative and melancholy, while the melodies of Shadows of the Dying Sun are more easy to listen to; an example is “Shadows of the Dying Sun”. The new album also features a more intensive use of clean vocals and a significant increase in the level of the technical performance of the musicians; this is evident in the many solos and in the experimentation of new and more complex rhythms. In general I would say that Shadows of the Dying Sun winks at the new trends of extreme metal; songs like “Lose to Night” and “Collapsing Words” exemplify this type of path undertaken by the Finnish band, even though “Black Heart Rebellion” evokes atmospheres similar to Cascadian black metal.
From the thematic point of view I find that “Shadows of the Dying Sun” is particularly interesting; this song is a kind of a manifesto of the thought of Ville Friman, singer and guitarist and author of most of the musics and lyrics of Shadows of the Dying Sun and of this song in particular. The lyrics of this song reveal his philosophical ideas about life, man, and the meaning of our presence in the universe. According to Ville we are only shadows, remnants of the past, “animated sparks of energy”.
In summary, Shadows of the Dying Sun is a beautiful album of melodic death metal for those who like easily listenable extreme metal. To put it euphemistically, perhaps an evolution towards a less extreme direction.
Notes:
Shadows of the Dying Sun was released on April 28, 2014 on Century Media.
The album begins with an intro, “The Primeval Dark”, which then dissolves in the melody of “While We Sleep”; at this point we are caught in a melodious and cloying atmosphere that is a bit different from the previous album’s. One for Sorrow (2011) was more meditative and melancholy, while the melodies of Shadows of the Dying Sun are more easy to listen to; an example is “Shadows of the Dying Sun”. The new album also features a more intensive use of clean vocals and a significant increase in the level of the technical performance of the musicians; this is evident in the many solos and in the experimentation of new and more complex rhythms. In general I would say that Shadows of the Dying Sun winks at the new trends of extreme metal; songs like “Lose to Night” and “Collapsing Words” exemplify this type of path undertaken by the Finnish band, even though “Black Heart Rebellion” evokes atmospheres similar to Cascadian black metal.
From the thematic point of view I find that “Shadows of the Dying Sun” is particularly interesting; this song is a kind of a manifesto of the thought of Ville Friman, singer and guitarist and author of most of the musics and lyrics of Shadows of the Dying Sun and of this song in particular. The lyrics of this song reveal his philosophical ideas about life, man, and the meaning of our presence in the universe. According to Ville we are only shadows, remnants of the past, “animated sparks of energy”.
In summary, Shadows of the Dying Sun is a beautiful album of melodic death metal for those who like easily listenable extreme metal. To put it euphemistically, perhaps an evolution towards a less extreme direction.
Notes:
Shadows of the Dying Sun was released on April 28, 2014 on Century Media.
| Tracklist: 1. The Primeval Dark 2. While We Sleep 3. Revelation 4. Black Heart Rebellion 5. Lose to Night 6. Collapsing Words 7. The River 8. Ephemeral 9. The Promethean Song 10. Shadows of the Dying Sun | 03:17 06:20 05:15 07:03 04:59 04:38 07:57 04:01 06:41 06:32 56:43 |
Personnel:
Markus Hirvonen: Drums
Markus Vanhala: Guitars
Niilo Sevänen: Vocals, Bass
Ville Friman: Guitars, Vocals (clean)
Markus Hirvonen: Drums
Markus Vanhala: Guitars
Niilo Sevänen: Vocals, Bass
Ville Friman: Guitars, Vocals (clean)
Text by Herjann
herjann@unholyblackmetal.com
herjann@unholyblackmetal.com