Insomnium @ Baltimore w/ Omnium Gatherum & Wilderun

Way back in the distant year of 2020, Insomnium and Omnium Gatherum arrived in the US to play a tour with the US symphonic group Seven Spires. Unfortunately, the tour was slated to run from mid-March to mid-April and was instead canceled after a single show in Philadelphia due to the growing concerns over COVID-19. After returning safely to Finland, the bands quickly pivoted and began working on a livestream concert to recoup the lost tour costs, which aired on April 10, 2020. The changes to the music industry (and everything else) were wide-ranging during the pandemic, and the various ways bands addressed the loss of incoming from touring have fundamentally changed the scene. The canceled 2020 tour with Seven Spires, along with one of the 2021 Wilderun shows with Swallow the Sun, launched a butterfly effect that led to my personal start in concert photography/reviews, so to say this show was a special one to me would be a massive understatement.

Returning to the present, Insomnium and Omnium Gatherum have just completed their re-scheduled joint tour, joined by the progressive folk metal band Wilderun. All three bands have been very active in the intervening years, hosting assorted livestreams and tours. In 2023, Insomnium and Gatherum played separate US tours with Enslaved and Eluveitie, respectively, while Wilderun played a European tour with Soilwork.

Wilderun started the night with a set from their two most recent albums, Epigone and Veil of Imagination, both on the more progressive side of their songwriting. Leading the night with “Distraction II,” the middle song or a three part suite, they quickly grabbed the attention of the growing crowd at Baltimore Soundstage. The band keeps things lively by moving around the stage and headbanging throughout the set, and guest bassist Alon Mei-tal brings his incredible energy to the band. They closed on their most popular song, “Far From Where Dreams Unfurl,” to chants of “HO-LY SHIT” from the audience.

Wilderun Set List:

Distraction II
Identifier
The Tyranny of Imagination
Far From Where Dreams Unfurl

Wilderun

Wilderun shot by Mar Morannon

Next up was Omnium Gatherum, who always bring an immense amount of energy and happiness to the stage, matched with incredibly tight playing and choregraphy. Watching their set feels more like hanging out with your friends at a house party than being at a concert, as they gallop across the stage goofing off and making faces at each other and the crowd. Their setlist spanned the last four albums, mixing in new songs, like the title track from their 2023 EP Slasher, with older favorites like “New Dynamic” (Beyond) and “Frontiers” (Grey Heavens). There were a couple of special treats on this run, like “White Palace,” which had only been played live a few times prior to this tour, including in a special Beyond full album set on 70000tons of Metal in January.

By the time Omnium had started, the crowd was really starting to fill out, especially for a Thursday night, and the band’s energy was reflected back by the audience. A pit started up for a few songs, and a couple of people crowd-surfed across the raised horns at the front of the venue. Despite being at the end of a month-long tour, they seemed like they were full of the excitement of the first few days, keeping the crowd engaged with clapping, fist pumping, and Jukka’s classic metal horns handshakes.

Omnium Gatherum Set List:

Slasher
Paragon
Reckoning
Soul Journeys
Gods Go First
Planet Scale
Frontiers
White Palace
New Dynamic

Omnium Gatherum

Omnium Gatherum shot by Mar Morannon

Closing out the night with an extensive 75-minute setlist, Insomnium played tragic songs about the human condition with all the upbeat and exciting stage energy of Omnium Gatherum. Brandon Ellis from The Black Dahlia Murder is joining for this tour to play guitar after the sudden absence of Jani Liimatainen early in the year. Though he is playing with Insomnium for the first time on these dates, he fits right in and has great chemistry with the rest of the band. The crowd at Baltimore went full force for Insomnium, with a mosh pit running for most of the set, especially during “Lilian” and “Mortal Share.” The atmosphere across the venue was very comfortable and friendly, and it seemed like the area has a really strong metal community.

This is Insomnium’s first (full) headlining tour in the US since 2018, and the extended set time gave them the opportunity to play songs from across their discography. For the throwbacks, they brought back the same two songs from Above the Weeping World (2006) that they played last year with Enslaved, “The Gale” and “Mortal Share.” They also debuted the title track from the late 2023 EP Songs of the Dusk. Insomnium’s show is fantastic, with plenty of dramatic guitar solos and fun stage bits, like Markus Hirvonen (drums) and Markus Vanhalla (guitar) sharing a beer together mid-set.

The entire lineup was amazing from start to finish, and this show was well worth the four-year wait!

Insomnium Set List:

1696
Ephemeral
White Christ
Only One Who Waits
Lilian
And Bells They Toll
The Rapids
The Gale
Mortal Share
Song of the Dusk
Encore:
The Primeval Dark
While We Sleep
Heart Like a Grave