Winter's Gate
by Insomnium
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 4 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 4
  3. Negative: 0 out of 4
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  1. Kerrang!
    Oct 14, 2016
    80
    It's bold, atmospheric and destined to play havoc with the concept of playlists. [24 Sep 2016, p.52]
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  2. Exclaim
    Oct 14, 2016
    80
    Overwhelmingly, Winter's Gate is a tight and focused melodic death metal album, and yet another quality release in Insomnium's discography.
  3. Revolver
    Oct 14, 2016
    70
    The result is the least Insomnium-sounding record of its discography.
  5. Sputnikmusic
    Oct 14, 2016
    64
    Winter’s Gate is entirely enjoyable throughout--nothing is even close to being poorly written or executed--it is just that there are almost no moments in the entire 40 minutes that I would call exceptional, where the band went above and beyond to craft something truly memorable.

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User Score
9.2

Universal acclaim- based on 5 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 5
  3. Negative: 0 out of 5
  1. ysh3194
    Jul 21, 2021
    10
    The title of 'best' is not something that can be defined arbitrarily. It is clear that it is very difficult and prudent to receive and makeThe title of 'best' is not something that can be defined arbitrarily. It is clear that it is very difficult and prudent to receive and make such an evaluation. When it comes to discussing the best in the field of music, there are many disagreements, but two things are certain: 1) artistic perfection, and 2) public success, I think there is no disagreement that one has the best 'qualification'.

    Insomnium debuted in 1997 and has been steadily performing as a band without any major ups and downs. Musically or for reasons inside and outside the band, it gives a consistent feeling without saying anything. But if you're into mannerism, it's not like that. Just as the members changed little by little, the music also changed little by little. Each album consistently showed changes that would satisfy existing fans without feeling a sense of separation from the previous work. In fact, if you listen to them sequentially in chronological order, you won't notice much difference, but if you listen to the 2004 album and listen to the 2014 album, you will feel a noticeable difference. This is similar to Dark Tranquility, which is already in the master class. However, the difference is that the range of changes is not as large as that of DT, but by doing so, it was possible to maintain a fixed fan base and to ensure a smoother pursuit of popularity and a fan base as new fans did not feel a sense of separation from previous works. In fact, Insomnium continued to climb the Finnish charts and succeeded in occupying a position in the middle band.

    However, if you are complacent with this point, you are just a commercial musician, and you can no longer be called an 'artist'. Perhaps there was a series of such a sense of crisis within Insomnium. A 40-minute single is a great adventure. As I said in the interview, simply 'Shall we make it?' It would not have motivated the production at that level. They needed a work that would not be ashamed of the title of 'artist'. It would not have been a decision to take lightly while simply listening to EoS's . There was obviously a time of agony, and must have been the frame for what the next film would take. In fact, the fact that the original author Dan Swanö was brought in as an engineer shows that the plan was more elaborate than expected.

    There is no doubt that this album has excellent artistic perfection. Starting with the destructive part 1, the winning streak produced perfect music, but at the beginning of part 7, the main riff of part 1 appeared, taking care of the sumi-e. The lyrics are also written in easy words, so it is easy to read, but the more you chew on the lyrics, the more interesting it is to actively use metaphors and live oils. In particular, the gliding in Part 1 is very impressive, and the gliding method for nature has reached its peak, reminiscent of druidism.

    The musical perfection is also excellent, but surprisingly, it also achieved a great commercial success. It was the first to top the Finnish charts, and it was successful, surpassing previous works as well as 14-year-old , which was considered to be quite successful. It is a remarkable achievement for an album with a strong artistic purpose of a 40-minute single song.

    This album, which had such a great artistic and commercial success with the perhaps obvious material of winter, received favorable reviews from RYM and others. It is arguably the best of all melodic death metal, not to mention recently.    … Full Review »
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