INSOMNIUM & OMNIUM GATHERUM- Brisbane, Australia 6th May 2025

admin May 7, 2025 Concert Reviews

We have not one, but two, Finnish melodic death metal bands to enjoy tonight. Both feature virtuoso Markus Vanhala on lead guitar, but that’s about where the similarities end. The two bands, headliners Insomnium and main support Omnium Gatherum have notably different approaches to melodeath. Both formed in the second half of the 90s and both provided their own unique interpretation of melodic death metal, which is reflected in tonight’s performance.

Early arrivals to the Triffid see local combo Darklore churning through their theatrical brand of epic blackened death metal. With elaborate costumes, tribal make up and body paint, this is a dark fantasy of a performance, battle-ready songs played with a Bathory-esque sense of majesty.

Not much later, Omnium Gatherum take to the stage, fronted by vocalist and hype man Jukka Pelkonen, whose energy does not falter throughout the set as he gets the crowd to throw up the devil horns at every opportunity and delivers a blend of roaring growls and a smattering of clean vocal parts with harmonies from the two guitarists and bassist.

True to classic melodic death metal, the songs have soaring lead guitars over shifting tempos, the brutality of the music taking a heroic, triumphant turn. Markus Vanhala unleashes solos that would be at home on an ‘80s AOR record but still fit in perfectly with Omnium Gatherum’s eclectic take on extreme metal. Keyboardist Aapo Koivisto brings the atmosphere to the songs, giving the songs an unpredictable, frequently progressive feel.

The appeal can be summed up in the barnstorming performance of New Dynamic, which combines frenetic riffing, a pummelling rhythm section and guttural vocals with a panoramic, epic feel enhanced by spacious keyboards and rich melodies. These guys give 110% in this performance and the crowd suitably lap it up.

Which only leave tonight headliners Insomnium to keep up the quality. This they do, and so much more. A stoic presence on stage in comparison to Omnium Gatherum, this band makes a much moodier and darker sound. It retains the rich melodies and epic sweep of classic melodeath but adds a blend of melancholia and even some textural elements from the more gothic end of post-punk and new-wave music. To my ears, this has always made Insomnium one of the more notable and underrated bands of melodic death metal. There is a haunting beauty to their music which is rare in extreme metal.

The set tonight starts brooding and low key as the band takes over from the recorded intro of 1696, building the song up to a thunderous finale. The set just proceeds to build and build from there, becoming more expansive and intense as the show goes on.

The band all sound fantastic, from Vanhala’s versatile leads to frontman/bassist Niilo Sevänen’s intense growls more at the forefront than in some of the sonically denser moments of their studio work.

The likes of Valediction and Mortal Share effortlessly juggle headbanging vigour with lush melodies, while the more epic moments practically feel carved in granite, highlights including the sweeping sonic landscapes of Song Of The Dusk, and the brilliant encore sequence of The Primeval Dark, While We Sleep and the doomy atmospheres of Heart Like A Grave.