insomnium one for sorrow

Released: 17 October 2011 Label: Century Media

If there’s any truth in the theory that bands are products of their surroundings, the long Winter nights and temperatures of a bone-chilling minus 35c that characterise the part of Eastern Finland Insomnium call home have had a big effect on their cold, dark and beautiful fifth album.

One For Sorrow is as diverse and challenging as the location that spawned it, by turns bleak and unforgiving, yet delicate and awe-inspiring. This is the rarest of things; an extreme metal album that isn’t merely written and performed, but lovingly crafted and delivered with both skill and passion.

The atmospheric Inertia sets the tone magnificently, hinting at the expansive melodic know-how of fellow Finns Amorphis. It’s a comparison that’s never too far away throughout the album – just take a listen to the gentle mid-section of Only One Who Waits as it builds to a dramatic conclusion complete with classy and understated guitar solo.

For all of the evocative subtlety on display, there is still plenty of hard and heavy headbanging action on offer too. The likes of Unsung possess the same urgent immediacy of Amon Amarth at their best, although happily without the borderline cartoonish Viking trappings, but this is not a plagiaristic album by any definition.  Quite the opposite, it finally establishes Insomnium as major league players in their own well-earned right.

With just ten (relatively) short tracks, the album is succinct enough to prevent the attention wandering and ensures the last note is as utterly engaging as the first.

Metal, melody and magic together on a quite stunning album, One For Sorrow is perhaps the surprise package of the year. This deserves to be heard; make sure you do.

by Marcus Jervis