Insomnia

This band isn't really new, they've been floating around since '98. It's extremely hard to find their earlier 2 self-released efforts and demo tape, but finally this band got signed by JCM records and commercially released this 40 minute masterpiece in 2002.

A few months ago I spotted this band over at SwedishMetal.net and I heard a sample of their song "The Hollow Grounds". 11 seconds into the song I was drooling over the beutiful mix of hard melodic riffs, deep growling vocals, and techno-ish keyboards. The album opens with this track... and what a track to begin with! I got caught with my pants down 12 seconds into the song, when the main riff begins. I truly wasn't expecting anything like that. It sounds extremely powerful, but the melodies make it sound a bit soothing. I've never heard anything similar in my short life-span.

The second track: "Descending Shadows" opens with riffs and drumming very similar to that of my favorite band, In Flames. The rest of the song has some taste of this great band, but you can tell that Pandemonium have their own style. You get to hear some fast doomish sounding melodies later on(which are played with guitars and a piano).

Next up comes a soothing trance-ish ambient song called "Insomnia" which lasts 1:30 minutes and flows straight into the next track....

The following track, "Midnight Phobia" begins slow and soothing, much like a happy sounding Doom metal song, and gradually changes by adding some hard riffs(and vocals). The song plays at about the same rythm until about 2:15, when you get this fast pounding verse with some techno sounding keyboards. For a brief moment, you get to hear some clean vocals. The remainder of the song is much like doom metal, somewhat slow and dark, but sounds way more different than any other Doom metal band I've heard. Pandemonium shows just how original they can be with this song.

The track is followed up by "Traces of a Midwinter Drama", which as it's title implies(somewhat), sounds very dramatic. It feels a lot like a mix of Doom and Gothic metal(use of a piano makes this clear) with death vocals, but you still hear a somewhat fast riffing in the background. The song overall is very dark, it even has a short fragment in which the drums sound like black metal, but it quickly returns to the main doomy melody. I feel this song is too long(7:34) since you hear the same riffs over and over again. Near the end of the song the song gets interesting again with some faster riffs, but it quickly concludes with the main verse.

"Nightlike Silence" is not my favorite track, in fact it bores me because of the piano melody(mainly because you already got enough piano in the previous track). Overall boring, but there's something in the song's doomy melody that you just want to go back and hear. I don't know, most of the time I don't skip the song even if it bores me, I just listen through the whole thing.

The last track "Morninglight Revery" is one of the best tracks on the album. A clean chorus+main death vocals+melodic death riffing make this song awesome. The piano steps into this song once again, but this time it's far from boring. It fits the melody quite well. This song is overall very fun as it progresses, but has a few parts in which you get to hear a short boring doom melody. However it doesn't last long so it doesn't detract much from the quality of this track. How it ends is truly brilliant, it just builds and paves it's way to the end of the album. Totally kick ass.

Although it was a bit short and had one rather boring track, "Insomnia" is one of the best albums I've listened to this year. Who said keyboards don't belong in death metal? It makes a great addition to some already awesome sounding guitars, vocals, and drums. It all fits in so well it's hard to describe. If you're lucky enough to spot this album, pick it up. You won't be disappointed.


Just a side note: This is my first review. :)