Insomnium – Netherworlds
Insomnium – Netherworlds
Century Media
Release date: 23/10/26
Review by: Oli Gonzalez
7/10
Insomnium. Melodic death metal royalty. The Finnish melodic death metal legends are amongst the elite of the genre in which other bands are compared against. “Shadows Of The Dying Sun” and the frosty concept album epic “Winters Gate” rank amongst their finest work, whilst their previous full-length effort “Annon 1696” featured some of their best melodies. The pressure’s on for “Netherworlds” to deliver then!
In some ways, “Netherworld” seems to miss the mark sadly, and doesn’t live up to the high standards those albums set. One of the lead singles, ‘Shadowlife ’, features warm and opulent guitar melodies that still have enough bite and potency to be taken seriously, combined with the frosty bite of Niilo’s harsher vocals and the rest of the band backing him with cleaner vocals in an effective juxtaposition. ’Remembrance’ leans into this formula and elements too, with the cleaner vocals being more prominent. As does ‘Gleam In The Black’. So far it’s everything you’d expect from Insomnium…and therein lies the problem. Where’s the evolution? Where’s the challenge and progress?
‘The Hour Grows Late’ is, to be fair, built upon a more interesting and expansive song structure that spans multiple movements within the 8 minute timeframe. Guest appearances from members of Amorphis, namely vocalist Tomi, add a bit of star power without being overutilised. It makes sense for them to become better acquainted given their upcoming tour in early 2027. ‘Arch Of The Sky’ seems to offer a more synth driven approach, like you’d expect more from Amorphis than Insomnium. ‘The Banished’ offers one of the faster and heavier hits on the album, whilst ‘Journey’s End’ adds a more bleak and slower shoegaze approach, like something you’d expect from Alcest! Especially with the opulent blazing lead guitars and indulgent tones. The pace and dynamics slow, and the distortion pedals are closed off as cleaner melodies accompany the violins in the latter stages of the song to add extra emotional weight! It’s a catchy one and clearly the standout of the album!
It’s a shame that the rest of “Netherworlds” seems to lack that huge cathartic or melodic hook, or standout moment. What happened to the scorching lead guitar solos from ‘The Conjurer’ or ‘White Christ’? This album really lacks a face-melting moment like that. A real hook that stops you in your tracks and has you quickly scrambling for the repeat button!
Overall, “Netherworlds” would act as a fine introduction to the band and an adequate starting point for anybody new to melodic death metal. Though sadly this will likely leave long-standing Insomnium fans wanting more.
TRACKLISTING:
01. The Cold Song
02. Shadowlife
03. Rememberance
04. Gleam In The Black
05. The Hour Grows Late
06. Arch Of The Sky
07. Pathways of the Night
08. Ethereal Sleep
09. The Banished
10. Journeys End
LINKS:
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