Insomnium

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Finnish melodic death metal band

title: "Insomnium" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["insomnium", "1997-establishments-in-finland", "finnish-heavy-metal-musical-groups", "finnish-melodic-death-metal-musical-groups", "musical-groups-established-in-1997", "finnish-musical-quintets", "candlelight-records-artists"] description: "Finnish melodic death metal band" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insomnium" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Finnish melodic death metal band ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox musical artist"]

FieldValue
nameInsomnium
imageInsomnium Party.San Metal Open Air 2017 46.jpg
landscapeyes
captionInsomnium performing at Party.San 2017
originJoensuu, Finland
genreMelodic death metal
years_active–present
label{{Flatlist
associated_acts{{flatlist
website
current_members{{plainlist
past_members{{plainlist
::

| name = Insomnium | image = Insomnium Party.San Metal Open Air 2017 46.jpg | landscape = yes | alt = | caption = Insomnium performing at Party.San 2017 | origin = Joensuu, Finland | genre = Melodic death metal | years_active = –present | label = {{Flatlist|

Insomnium is a Finnish melodic death metal band formed in Joensuu in 1997. The sound and lyrical themes of their music portray darkness, sorrow, loss, pain, and nature. Their music includes elements of progressive metal and doom metal.

History

On 9 September 2011, Insomnium released the music video "Through the Shadows" from their 2011 album, One for Sorrow.

In November 2011, Insomnium embarked on their first headlining European tour with support from Before the Dawn and MyGRAIN. During April 2012 Insomnium returned to tour the U.K. as the main support act for British gothic metal band Paradise Lost. Vreid was also present on the tour as a supporting opening act.

On 19 September 2013, Insomnium released "Ephemeral", a single from their foreshadowed 2014 album, Shadows of the Dying Sun, via Century Media Records. It is the first track to feature new guitarist, Markus Vanhala (Omnium Gatherum), who replaced Ville Vänni in 2011.

On 29 April 2014, Insomnium released their sixth studio album, Shadows of the Dying Sun. On 30 April 2014 they made a guest appearance on Epica's CD release show at 013 in the Netherlands.

On 19 May 2016, Insomnium announced their seventh studio album, Winter's Gate to be released on 23 September. It is a concept album consisting of a single epic 40-minute track, and it is said to be about "a group of Vikings who set out to find a fabled island west of Ireland, despite the treacherous winter drawing near." This album was based on the short story by Niilo, "Winter's Gate", or "Talven Portti" in the original Finnish. This story won or was nominated for many Finnish awards.

In 2019, they announced their eighth album, Heart Like a Grave, would be released on 4 October 2019. With the album announcement they also confirmed that the guitarist Jani Liimatainen had joined the band as a full-time member, as he had occasionally filled in for Ville Friman on tours since 2015.

Insomnium released a new EP, titled Argent Moon, on 17 September 2021. Simultaneously, they talked about plans for the ninth studio album to be released in 2022. In 2022, they announced their ninth album, Anno 1696, would be released on 24 February 2023. Like Winter's Gate, the album is based on a short story by Niilo.

In March 2025, Niilo Sevänen confirmed that a tenth studio album by Insomnium is in the works and planned for a 2026 release. On 16 January 2026, touring guitarist Tomy Laisto was announced as an official member of the band.

Members

Current members

  • Niilo Sevänen – bass, unclean vocals (1997–present)
  • Ville Friman – guitars (1997–present); clean vocals (2011–present)
  • Markus Hirvonen – drums (1997–present)
  • Markus Vanhala – guitars (2011–present)
  • Tomy Laisto – guitars (2026–present; touring 2024–2026)

Former members

  • Tapani Pesonen – guitars (1997–1998); drums (1997)
  • Timo Partanen – guitars (1998–2001)
  • Ville Vänni – guitars (2001–2011)
  • Jani Liimatainen – guitars, clean vocals (2019–2024; touring 2015–2019)

Touring members

  • Mike Bear – vocals, bass (2015)
  • Nick Cordle – guitars (2022–2024)
  • Brandon Ellis – guitars (2024)

Timeline

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Colors = id:bass value:blue legend:Bass,_unclean_vocals id:clean value:red legend:Clean_vocals id:guitar value:green legend:Guitars id:drums value:orange legend:Drums id:album value:black legend:Studio_album id:other value:gray(0.5) legend:Other_release id:bars value:gray(0.9)

BackgroundColors = bars:bars

LineData = at:30/04/2002 color:album layer:back at:05/04/2004 color:album layer:back at:09/08/2006 color:album layer:back at:07/09/2009 color:album layer:back at:17/10/2011 color:album layer:back at:28/04/2014 color:album layer:back at:23/09/2016 color:album layer:back at:04/10/2019 color:album layer:back at:23/02/2023 color:album layer:back

at:05/04/1999 color:other layer:back at:15/09/2000 color:other layer:back at:19/11/2013 color:other layer:back at:17/09/2021 color:other layer:back at:03/11/2023 color:other layer:back

BarData = bar:sevane text:"Niilo Sevänen" bar:friman text:"Ville Friman" bar:partanen text:"Timo Partanen" bar:vanni text:"Ville Vänni" bar:vanhala text:"Markus Vanhala" bar:liimatain text:"Jani Liimatainen" bar:laisto text:"Tomy Laisto" bar:pesonen text:"Tapani Pesonen" bar:hirvonen text:"Markus Hirvonen"

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bar:sevane from:01/01/1997 till:end color:bass bar:friman from:01/01/1997 till:end color:guitar bar:friman from:03/01/2011 till:end color:clean width:3 bar:pesonen from:01/01/1997 till:30/06/1997 color:drums bar:pesonen from:01/07/1997 till:30/06/1998 color:guitar bar:partanen from:01/07/1998 till:30/06/2001 color:guitar bar:vanni from:01/07/2001 till:31/10/2011 color:guitar bar:liimatain from:16/07/2019 till:16/02/2024 color:guitar bar:liimatain from:16/07/2019 till:16/02/2024 color:clean width:3 bar:laisto from:16/01/2026 till:end color:guitar bar:vanhala from:31/10/2011 till:end color:guitar bar:hirvonen from:01/07/1997 till:end color:drums

Discography

Studio albums

::data[format=table title="List of studio albums, with selected chart positions"] | Title | Details | Peak chart positions | FIN | AUT | BEL (FL) | BEL (WA) | FRA | GER | JPN | SWI | In the Halls of Awaiting | Since the Day It All Came Down | Above the Weeping World | Across the Dark | One for Sorrow | Shadows of the Dying Sun | Winter's Gate | Heart Like a Grave | Anno 1696 | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 6 | — | — | — | — | 95 | — | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | 38 | — | — | 178 | 18 | 287 | 23 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | 27 | 124 | 92 | 184 | 19 | — | 17 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | — | 154 | 115 | 178 | 10 | — | 15 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | 15 | 165 | — | — | 5 | — | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | | | "—" denotes a recording that did not chart. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ::

Singles

::data[format=table title="List of singles"]

TitleDetails"Where the Last Wave Broke""Weather the Storm""Ephemeral""While We Sleep""The Conjurer""The Reticent""Song of the Dusk"
::

Demos

  • Demo 1999 (1999)
  • Underneath the Moonlit Waves (2000)

EPs

  • Ephemeral (2013)
  • Argent Moon (2021)
  • Songs of the Dusk (2023)

References

References

  1. "New Video – Insomnium- Through The Shadows". Metal CallOut.
  2. (10 December 2011). "INSOMNIUM | News".
  3. (2013-09-19). "Insomnium: New Song 'Ephemeral' Released". Blabbermouth.net.
  4. (19 May 2016). "INSOMNIUM To Release 'Winter's Gate' Album, Book in September". Blabbermouth.net.
  5. (19 May 2016). "Insomnium To Release 'Winter's Gate' Album, Book in September – Blabbermouth.net".
  6. Hartmann, Graham. (16 July 2019). "Insomnium Announce New Album 'Heart Like a Grave'".
  7. (17 July 2021). "Insomnium – Release 'The Antagonist' Song, Announce EP". [[Metal Storm (webzine).
  8. (8 August 2021). "Insomnium – To Release Ninth Studio Album Next Year". [[Metal Storm (webzine).
  9. Greg Kennelty. (4 November 2022). "INSOMNIUM Streams "Lilian," Announces New Record Anno 1696". Metal Injection.
  10. (31 March 2025). "Insomnium - Working On New Material". [[Metal Storm (webzine).
  11. (16 January 2026). "Insomnium welcomes guitarist Tomy Laisto as an official member". Lambgoat.
  12. "Update on Jani Liimatainen".
  13. "Discography Insomnium". Hung Medien.
  14. "Discographie Insomnium". austriancharts.at.
  15. "Discografie Insomnium".
  16. "Discographie Insomnium".
  17. "lescharts.com – Discographie at the Gates".
  18. "Discographie von Insomnium". GfK Entertainment.
  19. "インソムニウムのアルバム売上ランキング". [[Oricon]].
  20. "Discographie Insomnium".
  21. (January 2020). "Le Top de la semaine : Top Albums Fusionnes – SNEP (Week 41, 2019)". Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
  22. "Albumit 9/2023". [[Musiikkituottajat]].
  23. "Insomnium – Weather the Storm (Digital Single)". [[Century Media Records]].
  24. "Insomnium – Ephemeral (Digital single)". Century Media Records.
  25. "Insomnium – While We Sleep". Century Media Records.
  26. "Century Media Records – Insomnium: : Release Single & Video To "The Conjurer"".
  27. (21 May 2021). "Insomnium – The Reticent". Blabbermouth.
  28. (1 September 2023). "Insomnium – Song of the Dusk". Distorted Sound Mag.

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

insomnium1997-establishments-in-finlandfinnish-heavy-metal-musical-groupsfinnish-melodic-death-metal-musical-groupsmusical-groups-established-in-1997finnish-musical-quintetscandlelight-records-artists