I was very curiouss to see how these depressed Finns would top Since The Day It All Came Down, on of the very best album of 2004, but as it turns out not only is Above The Weeping World a crowning achievement for Candlelight in an already stellar year, it’s the band’s finest hour and again, one of the very finest albums of 2006.If Since The Day It All Came Down had one tiny flaw, it was it’s pacing. Amazing song writing and riffs aside, I could tap my foot to the same beat for pretty much the album’s entirety. That has been fixed for this album as Above The Weeping World has far more tempo shifts and more variety in the band’s broodingly, somber take on melodic doom/death metal. More songs mix in more ‘dynamic’ moods such as “Mortal Share”, “Devoid of Caring”, “The Killjoy” and “A Change of Heart” which are shorter more focused numbers, yet still retain the band’s rending sense of beautiful yet depressive harmony and delicate throes of layered sadness; not unlike Rapture. Above The Weeping World is much more of a melodic death metal record as opposed to Since The Day It All Came Down’s more doom/death tones.
Fear not though, Above The Weeping World is still a truly mesmerizing record full of lush, morose, yet urgent, layered riffs and heartstring snapping melodies of sheer emotion. Even at a faster pace such as the brilliant “A Change of Heart”, the guitar work shifts and dances with a tangible sense of loss and sadness flocked with very delicate synth work. That all being said, the albums slower (though still injected with some peppier pacing) more methodical tracks like “At the Gates of Sleep” “Drawn to Black”, “Last Statement” and “In the Groves of Death” show the band at their best with layer upon layer of palpable despair amid the typically “Finnish” deep roar of Niilo Sevänen, sumptuous solos and occasional well placed acoustic flourish.
Standout, 10 minute closer “In the Groves of Death”, is a fitting end to the album and essentially taps all of Insomnium’s abilities and moods in on epic, lavishly forlorn track that plays like My Dying Bride and Rapture making out on the rain.
