#winters gate
Favorite Records of 2016
1. Insomnium - Winter’s Gate
I first was introduced to Insomnium with 2014′s Shadows of the Dying Sun, which was an excellent example of melodic death metal done properly. I was looking forward to this record, but was completely unprepared for what was to come. In short, Winter’s Gate is the kind of record that transcends the typical year-end list and defines a genre. It is one of the best epic progressive death metal albums ever recorded.
The closest comparison is Edge of Sanity’s landmark Crimson record, which has stood the test of time as a genre classic 20 years later (full disclosure: it is also one of my favorite records of all time). Winter’s Gate is less progressive and a bit less ambitious, but they are very similar in style. The band even brought in Dan Swano himself to mix and master the record!
The album consists of one 40-minute-long track, which is broken up into 7 parts on digital releases. As in Crimson, there are musical themes that are revisited several times throughout the piece, which helps to ground the listener to the overarching theme of the album (in this case, a group of Vikings setting out to explore the unknown sea) and keep from losing focus over a such a long track. As one would expect musically with Insomnium, it’s top-notch melodeath that is better than just about anyone else in the genre. The vocals are a near-perfect mix of harsh and clean that fits the lyrical theme like a glove.
The first time that I heard Crimson, I vividly remember being unready for it to end and immediately starting it over again. I had it on a CD in my car that I listened to for days on end, letting it repeat over and over again. No matter how many times I hear it, it sucks me in every time: I never tire of hearing it. Winter’s Gate is the first album I’ve heard since that elicits the same feeling. It’s the kind of record that I will listen to for years to come, and one that you simply must hear if you’re even remotely a fan of the genre. In the best year for music that I can recall, this was head-and-shoulders above everything else.
