Review by Ben for Insomnium - One for Sorrow (2011)

I reckon I've listened to most of Insomnium's discography over the years, but never really dedicated the time to explore it well enough for a review. The Horde Review Draft gave me the opportunity to change that, so I took it with open arms. There is very little new in what this band do (it's easy to hear the influence of numerous other Scandinavian bands), but they work their craft in a very professional and palatable way. It's fairly accessible stuff, even with the brutal path that the vocals take on occasion, and the melodies consistently take priority over the more traditional death metal riffing. I have to admit that this particular album occasionally oversteps with this accessibility, particularly Through the Shadows, which I'm surprised to find is considered a highlight by many fans. Thankfully the teeth-grit-inducing clean vocal chorus, that comfortably make that track the worst on the album for me, isn't a sign of things to come. In fact, it's follow-up, Song of the Blackest Bird, makes up for it in no uncertain terms, containing fantastic death vocals and a heady mix of Dark Tranquillity and Amorphis. The rest of the album contains enough variety to keep things exciting, while rarely overstepping that personal accessibility tipping point.

I'm not at all surprised to find that Daniel gave this album 2.5 stars, as he's never been a big fan of Swedish (or Finnish) melodic death metal, and I can't see this album converting anyone that feels that way. As someone that's more than a little partial for this type of thing, One for Sorrow is a very solid and entertaining example, and one that I'll definitely return to from time to time. If you want a taster, check out the aforementioned Song of the Blackest Bird, Unsung or the epic Septic Flesh reminding closing title track. It's 4 stars for me.