Insomnium – Anno 1696 Review: “…this is a side of Insomnium that fans have never seen before.”
I love every album that Insomnium released. After nine albums, I can honestly say this band cannot release a bad album. But Anno 1696 is one that truly impressed me. It’s a darker album; Insomnium didn’t lose their signature melodic sound but put a more somber twist to the beauty. Complete with impressive guest artists, this is a side of Insomnium that fans have never seen before.
Anno 1696 is a concept album about Northern Europe’s dark past. While the lyrics consist of short stories written by vocalist/bassist Niilo Sevanen, they’re all based on real historic horror stories.
The song “White Christ” features one of my favorite vocalists, Sakis Tolis from Rotting Christ. This is one of the darkest songs on the album, and his signature vocals fit the style. Insomnium unleashes heavier riffs here, but they don’t sacrifice their beautiful melodic sound. The song starts off aggressive and tapers down to a more melodic vibe in the chorus. The decimation and melody go hand-in-hand, offering more versatility to the classic Insomnium sound.
The next song, “Godforsaken,” is completely different. The song opens up with beautiful guest vocals by Finnish singer Johanna Kurkela. After the atmospheric opening, the song explodes into an energetic cacophony of riffs and hard-hitting drums. Kurkela’s mellow vocals weave in and out of the track, matched with the song’s destructive nature. The result is one of the most unique songs on the album.
The song “Lilian” sounds like a classic Insomnium track. When the song first starts, you hear a beautiful melodic riff. But this song erupts to contain more energy. The rest of this song follows this formula, sounding as if Insomnium took its signature sound and turned it up a few notches. “Lilian’s” lyrical content is one of the most violent on the album, and this more energetic sound conveys this brutality well.
“The Unrest” is another classic Insomnium song. It starts with Sevanen’s harsh spoken vocals, followed by cleans by guitarist/vocalist Jani Liimatainen. Both vocalists duel it out with the spoken word and clean singing, complete with an acoustic guitar melody in the background.
Anno 1696 is a more brutal concept album, so fans will hear classic Insomnium with a generous dose of dread. But there’s still plenty of beauty here to balance out the dreariness.
Rating: 9/10
Order Anno 1696 here.
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