When you talk about Metal exports from the fertile country of Finland, INSOMNIUM must be mentioned in the first sentence. Formed in 1997, this seasoned band had previously released six studio albums, and are one of the very few bands that I believe got better with each new release. "Winter's Gate" is a forty minute concept album with just the self-titled track. It's a concept/story album, centered around an award winning short story by Niilo Sevanen, about a group of Viking raiders who search for a fabled island full of treasure, even though winter is drawing near. The lead in to the opening riff is slow and cautious, like an impending storm that builds ominously. When that riff hits, you absolutely know you are listening to IMSOMNIUM, mostly from the interaction of guitar and drums, and Niilo's signature vocals. The guitars build beautifully, like a skyscraper poking into the clouds above. The layering is really quite stunning.

It's a while before the original pace that was set changes. About a third of the way in, much of the sound drops off, and a three note pattern brews quietly, with whispered clean vocals and a mood-setting background ambiance. The mood ranges from somber to hopeful, one thing that this band has always straddled well. The melody is delicate, but soon segues into a thudding, low riff, sounding like a legion of Norsemen on the move. It reaches full mass as the horses crest the hill and ride right at you. Mid-way through the song now, a brief acoustical passage accompanies clean vocals and a pause that allows the tale to move forward with renewed vigor. Caution is then abandoned in favor of an energetic riff and clean vocal harmonies that are absolutely captivating. At the 24 minute mark a haunting piano melody provides a light interlude to the next passage, a dark and heavy riff that is ushered in with the sounds of thunder in the background.

A sense of hope builds in the guitar and bass parts while the vocals lash out at you with warning. The final ten minutes loom, leaving you eager with anticipation as to where things will go from here. You feel a sense of culmination as the sound increases in velocity and fervor. But before it reaches a zenith, it drops back to another acoustical guitar passage where distorted lead guitars dance in and around, filling the space in front of you with color and texture. The finality of the tale is realized during the final five minutes, as dark skies loom and snow begins to fall, violently, creating an absolute white-out of all of your senses. The storm passes and the tale ends with subtle and ethereal melodies from guitar and piano, and a fading voice of consciousness. What a splendid and epic song they have presented here. Taken at face value the tale can be followed with the order of the music and the way the passages are connected. But you need a few listens to really gather the full strength of the complexity and intelligence of their songwriting. "Winter's Gate" will surely go down as one of the best songs of 2016.