Customer Reviews

Sunrise in Riverland

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Although Insania sounds great, in terms of production, I'm not sure about their music. It certainly isn't top notch. I'd say that they're ALMOST that good. Edguy is the same way, in my opinion. The band comparison that came to mind is Edguy + Amorphis + Stratovarius. They can play fast (Stratovarius), very melodically (Edguy), and have not only Finnvox Studio Drums, but very, very good drums (Amorphis). The actual drum parts are exceptionally well written.

You get your money's worth for the album, since it clocks in at about 62 minutes. I found this music to be extremely original - something to keep in mind when making a purchase. Nobody else sounds like Insania, if you ask me, and I know my European metal very well. I also found that there's a hint of what Lost Horizon does in here, but I can't remember what made me think of that. What I can say is that the lyrics are somewhat fantasy. I don't think its epic metal, like Rhapsody or Skylark, but it certainly isn't like Stratovarius or any of your progressive bands. Not only are the drums of extremely high quality, but the keyboards are as well. They are few and far between, but the keyboards that are here are great.

This guitarring in "Angels in the Sky" (an 8:00 ballad) is the only part of an entire mix that I made for a friend that she liked. The song immediately after it, "Lost in Time", is perhaps the most original song I have ever heard. Its beginning will easily capture your attention. The opening AND closing songs are both very fitting for your first and last songs on the album. Neither of them stand out on their own, like my 2 back-to-back favorites, but they do their job on the album. No song should be removed from this album, meaning that there is no filler. On the other hand, there isn't all that much variation.

I often hear this band compared to Helloween and Stratovarius. Well, Stratovarius I can see, but... well, I only have "The Dark Ride" and "Keeper of the Seven Keys, Part I", but based on that, I don't know how Insania is so much like Helloween. You're going to want to play this CD a lot, but you'll get bored of it quickly. It isn't as great as I wished it to be - even with Angels in the Sky and Lost in Time being so fantastic.

All in all, this is a good purchase, but try getting it on ebay for less than the normal import price. If you really want a super great album, go for Stratovarius or someone else. This isn't THAT good.

When you get the time, go read some of my other reviews and say if they were helpful to you or not.

This is the first INSANIA album I have heard. The sound is good but they don't have consistency to their style. The Land Of The Wintersun is a very good song n' I think it's their own music style, but in the song Lost In Time their style is so like STRATOVARIUS n' the song Heading For Tomorrow is like Eagle Fly Free( HELLOWEEN ), the ballads song ( Angels In The Sky ) is a great music written by their drummer Mikko Korsback as the frontman of the band. I hope in the future album they can make their own style and of course METAL PARADISIANS RULES!!!!

The music on this album does not seem to be much innovative, my impression - kind of mix of Gamma Ray and Nightwish (vocals, actually, does not sound as good as of either of those two). But, is either Gamma Ray or Nightwish any bad?? So this "mix" is way not bad too: melodies are really outstanding (seriously!), skillful guitars and keyboards, nicely mastered sound. Really beautiful! A little more originality & uncommon musical ideas - and this band can be... well, it can get fifth rating star from me.

I think this band is a follower of Helloween. They are loyal to the 'European Metal Big Brother'. The band's playing reached to the respectable level. Especially in 6th track I feel some kind of power that touching me.
Certainly the band rooted their musical identity in European Metal Tradition--speed, melodical, classical, etc.--but the band's strength is in ballad.
In ballad a kind of disharmony, derived from the strong play and weak vocal, are solved successfully.

I'll be wait their next album, because I believe they are on the startline. And they have great potential. So I recommend this album as a new scale.

I would of gave this a five star rating,but the lead singer sounds way to much like Geoff Tate on the fast song's,and even more so on their other album World of Ice.And I really don't think Michael Kiske's vocals sound all that much like Geoff Tate's.In my personal opinion I think they sound a hole lot better.And someone who listen's to alot of Helloween album's with the legendary Michael Kiske on vocal's,notices that Michael Kiskes vocal's have a tendency to be even more of a strong focus than the music itself,which also happens to be very amazing sounding music in retrospect.I think it's because he has powerful pipes,and unlike Geoff Tate's pipes that are extremely overrated anyways,Michael Kiskes vocals tend to be way more ontop of the music,and not under it.Michael Kiske also doesn't hurt you'r ear after a while like Geoff Tates almost constant high pitch vocals do.So that's the only downfall with this album.Other than that their probably the most upfront Helloween copies out there,and I really praise them for that,because band's like Stratovarius,Edguy,Metalium,Labyrinth,are pretty much also Mid career Helloween copies along with many,many more,but I guess you kinda have to guess that they are,unlike Insania where the name Insania is a total reference to the song Twilight of the gods from Mid career Helloween's album Keepers of the seven keys part one.Chances are if you didn't know that,then you have alot of listening to do young grass hopper.Anyway's,if they can do something to make the leadsinger sound alot more like Michael Kiske than I think they'll be pretty close to recreating the same Power melodic speed metal mastery,that strongly sound's like the nearly undesputed lord's of all Power Metal Mid career Helloween...