Over 40 years of metal’s biological urge (and a hefty lack of restraint) has resulted in some incomprehensibly large catalogs. No one should have to listen to anywhere from 13 to 15 [Luca Turilli’s] Rhapsody [of Fire] albums just to get caught up for a new release. So each week (as required and/or able), we’re offering a selection of prime(r)(er) cuts to get you up to speed. Without further ado, welcome to…
“Insomnium is poised to drop their eighth full-length, Heart Like a Grave in a week, so it’s the optimal time to look back through their extensive catalog of weepy, melancholy Finnish melodeath, and get those of you unfamiliar with the band ready to drown in frigid lakes of despair. When the band burst onto the scene back in 2002, they were immediately pigeonholed as an Amorphis clone, and while their debut In the Halls of Awaiting did have some similarities to their better known countrymen, they were always their own entity. Over time they’ve grown into a sadboi melodeath institution, and 2016’s mammoth Winter’s Gate release was one 40-minute long testament to just how far the band has come and how strong their writing could be when everything clicks. That album will be a very tough act to follow, but before we start hedging bets, let’s trace the band’s lineage from the beginning up to the present. Now let’s get glum with Insomnium!”
– Steel Druhm
- In the Halls of Awaiting, 2002
– “Medela”
– “The Elder”
– “Shades of Deep Green” - Since the Day It All Came Down, 2004
– “Daughter of the Moon”
– “Under the Plaintive Sky”
– “Song of the Forlorn Son” - Above the Weeping World, 2006
– “Mortal Share”
– “Drawn to Black”
– “At the Gates of Sleep” - Across the Dark, 20091
– “Down With the Sun”
– “Weighted Down With Sorrow” - Weather the Storm single, 2011
– “Weather the Storm”2 - One for Sorrow, 2011
– “Through the Shadows”
– “Song of the Blackest Bird”
– “Unsung” - Shadows of the Dying Sun, 20143
– “While We Sleep”
– “Shadows of the Dying Sun” - Winter’s Gate, 2016
– “All of it, you fvkks!”
Insomnium’s eighth album Heart Like a Grave will be released on October 4th worldwide via Century Media.
October is going to be even worse than September, so we’re starting early with yet another extra primer for you. Don proper personal protective equipment and prepare yourself for…
“Cranking out their gore-soaked jams for over 20 years, death metal stalwarts Exhumed are a model of consistency that never disappoint, molding Carcass worship into their own finely tuned slaughter machine. From the unhinged deathgrind brutality of Gore Metal and Slaughtercult to the refined melodicism and technical flair of later efforts like Necrocracy and Death Revenge, Matt Harvey and Co. have never compromised brutality or hooky songcraft throughout their evolution, with smatterings of grind, melody and technical prowess bolstering their cutthroat style of grisly death. Exhumed’s latest, upcoming platter of splatter, Horror, celebrates their infatuation of the macabre, while returning to their grind-laced old school roots. So grab your butchering tool of choice and relish in the impressive career evolution and the blood, guts and glory of the underappreciated Exhumed.”
– L. Saunders
- Gore Metal, 1998
– “Necromaniac”
– “Limb from Limb” - Slaughtercult, 2000
– “Forged in Fire (Formed in Flame)”
– “This Axe Was Made to Grind” - Anatomy Is Destiny, 2003
– “Waxwork”
– “The Matter of Splatter” - All Guts, No Glory, 2011
– “As Hammer to Anvil”
– “Distorted and Twisted to Form” - Necrocracy, 2013
– “Dysmorphic”
– “Carrion Call” - Gore Metal: A Necrospective 1998-2015, 2015
– “Casketkrusher” - Death Revenge, 2017
– “Night Work”
– “The Harrowing”
Exhumed’s ninth album Horror will be released on October 4th worldwide via Relapse Records.
We’re all about equality at AMG Inc. Our legal department says we have to be, and it keeps the bowels of this place running smoothly. One person gets a playlist, then everyone wants a one, and soon there’s blood in the water cooler. So have it your way, animals. Everyone gets a playlist. An oh so brief playlist. Trust me, it’s for the best.
Today’s chapter: Flying Solo
- Dr. Wvrm
– Thin Lizzy – “Thunder and Lightning”
– John 5 – “The Black Widow of La Porte” - Grymm
– Soilwork – “Machinegun Majesty”
– Darkest Hour – “The Tides” - Kronos
– Pyrrhon – “Invisible Injury”
– Storm Corrosion – “Ljudet Innan” - Mark Z.
– Death – “A Moment of Clarity”
– As I Lay Dying – “The Plague” - Diabolus in Muzaka
– Testament – “Practice What You Preach” - Huck N Roll
– Rainbow – “The Shed”
– King Crimson – “The Sheltering Sky” - Ferrous Beuller
– Megadeth – “Holy Wars…The Punishment Due”
– Annihilator – “The Fun Palace” - GardensTale
– Devin Townsend – “Deep Peace”
– Deep Purple – “Child in Time” - Master of Muppets
– Dire Straits – “Brothers in Arms”
– Pantera – “Cemetery Gates”
– Pink Floyd – “On the Turning Away” - TheKenWord
– Nightwish – “Slow, Love, Slow”
– Slugdge – “Putrid Fairytale” - Dear Hollow
– Demon Hunter – “Ribcage”
– In Mourning – “The Black Lodge” - Holdeneye
– Ozzy Osbourne – “Mr. Crowley”
– Diamond Head – “Am I Evil?” - Carcharodon
– Judas Priest – “Painkiller”
– Pantera – “Floods” - Emya
– Symphony X – “Set the World on Fire (The Lie of Lies)”
– Pat Metheny – “Icefire”
