Insidious is the fifth album from melodic death metal titans Nightrage. Since the release of Sweet Vengeance in 2003 they have been crafting landmark albums that use and build upon the classic Gothenburg sound. Insidious is no different. Living up to its name, this album pulls you right in. It crawls inside your mind and steadily grows stronger.
The music on Insidious is just as complex as it is straight forward. Nightrage bring forth a serious blend of death, thrash, and prog metal. The sweeping melodies and driving riffs pulled me into each song without hesitation. The guitar work is excellent and inspired on each track. “Poignant Memories” has a dark, lilting melody atop a solid groove that sets a good example of what this album offers. It’s hard to resist these songs. They build upon and expand the band’s already tried and true recipe for success. Each track marches forward in ferocious determination while still infusing plenty of amazing melody into the assault.
A few interesting guest appearances occur throughout the album. Apollo Papathanasio of Firewind and Tom S. Englund of Evergrey contribute fantastic clean vocals to a few songs. The appearance of guitarist Gus G. and ex-At The Gates vocalist Tomas Lindberg make this the first album to feature the original Nightrage lineup since Sweet Vengeance. I love the tracks featuring Lindberg. My favorite being the title track “Insidious.” That track just oozes with the Gothenburg style I know and love. The back and forth between Antony Hamalainen and Lindberg’s distinctive vocals is pretty damn awesome as well.
Insidious is a powerful Nightrage album that will stand the test of time much like their previous works have. The excellent guitar work accompanied by ample melody and groove makes each song great. It will get inside your head and take over for a while.
Rating: 8.5/10
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