Review by Saxy S for Insomnium - Winter's Gate (2016)

Did Insomnium Make the Death Metal Album of the Decade with Winter's Gate?

Well I guess that depends on who you ask. For starters, this isn't an easy album to take in; it is one single, uninterrupted song that clocks in just forty minutes. To some of the more acquired death metal fans, they may see this as a write off; this band is simply trying to recapture the magic in a bottle that was Edge of Sanity's Crimson, and that there was no chance that this album could be as good or even better than its inspiration.

But as someone who is nowhere near as well versed in the genre as many of the other great users on this website, I just can't stop coming back to this record. Not since bands like Be'lakor and Scar Symmetry have I been this entrenched in a death metal album. And not since Crimson have I heard an album in this style sound this dense, thoughtful and epic.

Part of my love of this record is that it takes influence from the source material, but then gives it a new and unique flare. This isn't meant to be Crimson Part III, but its own individual project. I guess that melodic death metal is the best classifier for this album, but it doesn't stay there very long. This album has elements of symphonic metal, progressive metal, melodic/atmospheric black metal, and even doom metal. And each of these different ideas are crafted together with effortless transitions and unparalleled technicality.

The first thirteen minutes of this album is absolutely insane! The heaviness of the guitar parts creates an outer worldly atmosphere and they suck you in like a black hole. The percussion work is ridiculous with lots of double bass drum, long drum fills and blast beat passages, but the mix keeps the percussion back; not far enough that it can't be heard, but still strong enough to really carry these songs forward. The bass work on this record is phenomenal, having its own unique riffs that are counterpoint to the guitars, and the vocals are gritty and precise. The clean singing is sparse and I wish it could have been used more to emphasize certain hooks, but it sounds very cool, with just enough reverb to keep the atmosphere of the instrumentals alive.

The way this album slows down around the twenty-five minute mark reminded me a lot of Paradise Lost in a really good way. Maybe a little too much at times, which does unfortunately mean I have to dock a couple of points for lack of originality there. I also have to mention that even though the album is just one track, the breakdown of the album is a little boring by the time you reach the final six minutes. The lack of harmonic change until the very end gives of the impression of a stoner metal album.

But those are just minor quibbles on what is my favourite death metal album of the 2010s. I don't think it will ever live up to its source material in terms of quality or cultural significance, but Insomnium's Winters Gate is a triumphant achievement in the bands extended career.