Label: Century Media Records
Genre: Melodic Death Metal / Atmospheric Metal
Format: Vinyl / CD / Cassette
Description:
With Anno 1696, Finnish masters Insomnium plunge deep into a world of old Nordic sorrow, folklore, and supernatural dread. Inspired by tales of famine, witch hunts, and human desperation in the late 17th century, the album unfolds like a dark historical novella — heavy with atmosphere, tragedy, and haunting beauty.
Musically, Insomnium balances crushing melodic death metal with somber acoustic passages, cinematic orchestrations, and icy, sorrow-soaked riffs. Niilo Sevänen’s deep growls guide the narrative with the weight of centuries, while the band’s signature melodies swirl through every song like winter wind across a desolate landscape.
Featuring guest appearances from Sakis Tolis (Rotting Christ) and Johanna Kurkela, the album expands its emotional depth while maintaining Insomnium’s unmistakable sound — mournful, epic, and fiercely melodic.
For fans of Omnium Gatherum, Swallow the Sun, and Draconian, Anno 1696 is a deeply immersive experience — a journey into cold forests, doomed villages, and ghost-lit nights where history and myth bleed into one another. One of Insomnium’s most narrative-driven and emotionally powerful works to date.