Review: Insomnium – Netherworlds

October 22, 2026

Melodic Sorrow

For a long time, Insomnium from Finland have been a force in their own melodic death metal sound. What separates them from others is that they go for a moodier vibe that they’ve carried for years. Even with a few changes in sound, the principal sadness and moodier vibe has always remained which makes them more consistent. My personal favorites in their discography have been Since the Day it All Came Down, Across the Dark and Shadows of the Dying Sun, each having unique points that stand out for me. Now, they are on their 10th album release with Netherworlds.

The album starts with a two-minute symphonic introduction called “The Cold Song” that also has whispery spoken words from the vocalist; it’s certainly a different way for Insomnium to begin an album before the actual opening track. Now onto the opener of the album with “Shadowlife” which feels like it was made for One for Sorrow. It’s got some decent catchy melodic riffs especially in the verses and has a nice solo near the end. Overall, it’s very Insomnium by-the-numbers which isn’t bad but not blowing me away. The next track, “Remembrance,” starts off with the surprise use of clean vocals which has been more used by the band especially in this effort here and on the previous track. After that, it’s back to the typical melodic death sound that people are very familiar with from the band.

This seems like a very okay but forgettable start to the album but things start looking up with “Gleam in the Black.” There’s a lot more energy here, amped up by a really good chorus section that reminds me why I’ve enjoyed this band throughout their career. Following this comes their longest track of the album in “The Hour Grows Late.” This track features guest appearances from Amorphis members Toni Joutsen and Tomi Koivusaari on vocals and Santeri Kallo on keys. The song starts off with a bang and does a very good job in transitioning between the heavier, faster moments and softer segments. The sound still feels moody as you expect from the band. “Arch of the Sky” is where I get some vibes from Shadows of the Dying Sun—It’s got powerful energy, a larger than life sound.

There’s a lovely acoustic intro in “Pathways of the Night” that transitions to the melodic guitar riffing really well. I particularly enjoy the sound of the guitars during this song which remind me why I still enjoy listening to Insomnium’s style of melodic death metal. Following this is a slower track in “Ethereal Sleep” which focuses on whispery/clean vocals. I have a mixed reaction to the cleaner vocals on this album, which is surprising as I’ve liked the way they’ve been implemented in previous Insomnium records. (A prime example being “Built to Last” from Shadows of the Dying Sun.) Here, they feel off and outstay their welcome. However, the momentum comes back with probably my favorite track of the album in “The Banished.” This is the heaviest track of the lot and it’s an absolute barnstormer, a really strong track and perfect for people that miss this kind of energy that the last few albums have lacked. Netherworlds closes off in a doomier way with “Journey’s End;” it’s an interesting track that again uses the clean vocals, but I feel overall it wasn’t a memorable way to finish the record.

Overall, I’ve come out from listening to Netherworlds with mixed feelings. While this album certainly has a good amount of bright and brilliantly-executed spots with tracks such as “The Hours Grows Late” and “The Banished,” there is also a lingering feeling that parts of the album show the band coasting—you’re probably going to forget about it shortly after listening. This feeling is exacerbated by an unmemorable start to the album and a couple tracks later on that didn’t click for me. The use of clean vocals also feels off compared to previous records. This isn’t the worst I’ve heard from Insomnium, but I don’t think I’ll be coming back to this album much. I also feel like I enjoyed the previous record, Anno 1696 more too. If you’re a fan of the band, you’ll be fairly satisfied with this latest effort but if not then this one won’t be changing your mind on the band anytime soon.