Live review: Omnium Gatherum + Insomnium, at home (stream) 10/4-20

8/10

Omnium Gatherum and Insomnium were supposed to come to Stockholm on May 3rd, and I would have been there to watch, enjoy – and review it. But, since #everythingiscancelled – that is not going to happen (like their North American tour that got to a brutal stop after only one show).

Instead a live stream was announced for Friday last week.
Perfect, I got the ticket (luckily before the PayPal payment issues happened), and waited eagerly by my computer.
And waited.
And waited.
There was a problem with the third part, a k a the American streaming service provider who apparently couldn’t handle all the fans. So, about two hours later, it was announced that the livestream would not happen, but that we would get two recorded shows to watch again and again the following days.

First up – Omnium Gatherum, starting their show the same way their latest album ”The Burning Cold” starts, with the flowing instrumental intro ”The Burning” fading into the intensive ”Gods Go First”. And then jumping back and forth through the years/albums for an hour, and also give us the cover of the Death song ”Crystal Mountain” – and with the amazing ”Be the sky” as the best song of their set. Another truly great song is the ending one, ”The Unknowing”, gratefully dedicated to all ”our loyal, lovingful super super metalheads, my brothers and sisters”.

One of the guitarists of Omnium Gatherum, Markus Vanhala, also plays guitar in Insomnium – and I have to say I am totally impressed by him. He never drops his energy, he is just completely present in every moment of both shows. Amazing.

And then it’s time for Insomnium……and as an intro we get a Finnish song by Tapio Rautavaara, one of Finland’s best singers/actors/athletes of all time, ”Peltoniemen Hintriikan surumarssi” (Hindrika Peltoniemi’s march of sorrow – voted in 2006 as the most depressive song in Finland).

Insomnium had a setlist song poll, so all songs on the setlist were voted by the fans, starting off with ”Valediction” and ”Pale Morning Star” from last years brilliant album ”Heart Like a Grave” and then jumping to an older one, ”Through the Shadows”.

There is a beautiful atmosphere of calm through the whole show, as they are switching between older and newer material. Guitarist Jani Liimatainen handles the clean vocals while singer/bass player Niilo Sevänen growls, and it’s a working combination. Another great combination that is a joy to watch, is the two guitarists having fun and goofing around, while still being very professional.

In before mentioned setlist poll, the song that got the most votes is one I have loved since the first time I heard it and I will forever love it, ”While We Sleep”, and that finally comes towards the end of the show, followed by a very humble thank you to crew and fans.

The last song of the evening is ”Heart Like a Grave”, and it’s just the perfect ending.

Summing up both around one hour shows, the sound is slightly better during the Omnium Gatherum one, while the lights are better during Insomnium.

And it’s absolutely amazing to see the amount of energy both bands are able to bring up in an empty venue and after all the fuzz and extra hours of waiting… And the overwhelming gratitude towards the fans. Beautiful, just beautiful.

And this streaming thing isn’t all bad… You can have bathroom breaks without missing a single note, and you actually get to see all the members properly, EVEN the drummer. Sometimes this is like a drum cam = extra points in my book. There is such beauty in watching drummers play, to see and feel the powerful energy.

But there is absolutely no doubt I’d rather have seen this live.
I look forward to the day I can, when we can all do it again.
Be THERE, feel the atmosphere in the company of fellow metalheads and completely alive in the moment, the here and now.

Who: Omnium Gatherum + Insomnium
Where: at home stream
When: 10/4-20
Rate: 8/10