Insomnium – Songs of the Dusk (EP)
Release Date: 3rd November 2023
Label: Century Media
Order/Stream
Genre: Melodic Death Metal
FFO: Amorphis, In Flames, Dark Tranquillity, Omnium Gatherum.
Review By: Trina Julian Edwards
If you were one of the lucky Insomnium fans to get your hands on the limited edition of Anno 1696 earlier this year, you’ve already heard the addendum, Songs of the Dusk. It’s now an EP in its own right, with three more songs that continue the story of that troubled time in Northern Europe, with witchcraft, werewolves, and a population ruled by superstition.
It’s hard to think of this EP as bonus material, but rather as more context to help listeners see the bigger picture. Anno 1696 had a great concept, and I think that kept the band focused on the end goal. By the time the ninth album rolls around, it would be easy for any musician to fall back on a formula that works and forgo change. While there was nothing earth-shattering about Insomnium’s evolution on Anno 1696, I liked the direction they took there, and I’m thrilled to hear more on Songs of the Dusk.
The guitars certainly do the heavy lifting in Flowers of the Night. The slower-tempo acoustics in the intro are beautiful and melodic, establishing the framework that becomes a lovely backdrop for Niilo Sevänen’s sort of spoken/growled vocals on the verses. After the verse, the pace picks up to mid-tempo and the track begins to build in intensity. The rhythm becomes more pronounced and even a little blast-y on the drums, and the leads come in heavy with some proper harsh vocals on top. The triumvirate of Jani Liimatainen, Markus Vanhala, and Ville Friman deliver some serious riffs, epic doubling, and memorable solos, to no one’s surprise. The chord changes from minor to major keep things from getting too cheerful, and that nice little sus-4 adds tension before starting it all over again. The dramatic key change around 4:40 sets the track up for a huge send-off. Despite the lively leads, there’s an austere ambiance that exemplifies the Insomnium aesthetic.
Stained In Red starts with a deceptively innocuous acoustic intro, but it immediately goes in another direction entirely. The furious barrage of that double kick from Markus Hirvonen drops in almost out of nowhere, nicely accented by the guitars. It’s not a constant bombardment, but rather used very specifically to drive this track forward. The tempo slows back down when we revisit the acoustics, and Sevänen’s vocals on the verse are both a little spooky and oddly confidential, as if he’s speaking directly to you. This is definitely the heaviest and riffiest of the three tracks, but there’s plenty of melody and the dynamics couldn’t possibly be better. The chord changes in the pre-chorus flowing into the chorus are mesmerizing, and those legato leads are everything that is beautiful about melodic death metal. It sounded like some sequencing happening here as well, repeating the motif from minor to major but higher. The return to the acoustic leads from the intro to herald the end of the track is the perfect bookend for the piece. I love everything about this. Perhaps it’s an unpopular opinion, but this was my favorite track of the three.
According to the band, the titular track, Song of the Dusk offers a different ending that’s slightly more hopeful and less tragic, even though everyone is dead except for the wolves. It’s certainly a better ending as far as the wolves must be concerned…But I digress…The slower-paced, atmospheric intro sets the emotional tone for the track. This is a song that grips you right from the start and doesn’t let go until the bitter end. It never gets faster than mid-tempo, but this is not a song that was built for speed. The sorrowful, melodic leads and arpeggiated chords are strikingly cinematic, as if you can literally see the wolves prowling the frozen forests of Northern Europe. The unconventional, at least in death metal, acoustic breakdown leads to several measures of some unexpected but lovely clean singing from Jani. The piano accompaniment for the guitar adds an ethereal note to the track, and the synthy outro, with what almost sounded like a phaser on a highpass, was the perfect ending. It’s an epic in every sense of the word.
Overall, I couldn’t be happier that Insomnium released Songs of the Dusk to wider audiences. It would have been a crime to let these gorgeous tracks languish in obscurity. They beautifully continue the darker themes of Anno 1696, with the same exceptional guitarwork, compelling storytelling, and moving songwriting. While this more somber vein of melodeath isn’t to everyone’s taste, Insomnium fans will no doubt be well-pleased by the band’s additional offerings. Don’t miss the rest of the story, out on November 3.
(4 / 5)
