Over the last decade Insomnium has slowly but surely made itself a household name among the melodic death metal scene. Formed in 1997 in the somnolent town of Joensuu, in eastern Finland, these stern men have ever since redefined the boundaries of the genre. Two highly acclaimed demos already set the standard and in 2001 the band signed to UK label Candlelight Records.

At this point the founding members Markus Hirvonen (drums), Ville Friman (guitars) and Niilo Sevänen (vocals/bass) attached guitarist Ville Vänni to the band. The triumphant line-up had been born. Their debut album “In The Halls Of Awaiting” (2002) introduced a young and fierce band that combined aggression and violent riffing with a melancholic atmosphere. Their sound can be described as a marriage between Scandinavian death metal and traditional Finnish tunes, catchy but progressive, melodic but brutal – these have been the Insomnium trademarks ever since. Their debut was praised all over the metal world but the band still remained Finland’s best kept secret.