Oh no doubt they're very similar bands, but I feel Ghost Brigade have a level of complexity and diversity that Katatonia barely touch on. This new album is the closest they've come to that but I don't think it quite touches Ghost Brigade's best material.

Hey thanks for reaching out! You're definitely right and I actually caught myself in that error around the time I wrote the review. I quickly edited the MA version of the review but must have forgotten to edit the RYM version. The idea I was trying to get across was that Darkside is an incredibly restrained drummer by black metal standards, and aims for less typical patterns than straightforward blasting.

In any case, that band have become a favourite of mine in the past few months and a lot of it has to do with Darkside's drummer. One of the most "melodic" drummers out there.

Heyo! I've seen similar views on Jomsviking elsewhere too, it's always nice to see you're not alone in your opinion. :) Maybe fans of the band are finally seeing the truth in general! Oh well, even if they never make a good album again, they still have four great melodeath albums that easily rank among the best for me. :3

Interesting reviews, nice work

Not a particular one, I just saw your reviews on various MDM releases and I found them pretty well written.

Insomnium is my favourite melodeath band right now, first album I heard by them was SOTDS 2 yars ago but now I find it underwelming, Winter's Gate was pretty gteat though, definitely my melodeath AOTY. Their best album is still Above the Weeping World, it's the only MDM album I rated 4.5 stars and it will probably stay that way unless Crimson by Edge of Sanity turns out really that good.
And I was really pleasantly surprised by their debut, I expected it to be one of those underddeveloped albums like in case of most MDM bands, but it turned out really great, especially the final title track.

My second favourite band is Dark Tranquillity, they are just consistently great, though they have been losing it a bit in last few years. Their new signles were good but not great.

On third place I would rank Mors Principium Est, their music is insanely catchy with great riffs, they remind me of best parts of Kalmah and Scar Symmetry combined.

Be'lakor and In Mourning really frustrate me, they both really try hard to sound epic, but in most cases their tracks sound a bit overdrawn, Stone's Reach is the only album where that formula really worked well.

Omium Gatherum also frustrated me, but mainly due to their inconsistent input, they kept improving untile new World Shadows and then their quality went downhil..

I am really surprised though how Soilwork imrpoved over the years, they started as poor man's In Flames and turned into generic alt metal, but their last 3 albums were really good.

Also I would like to know what you think of this album, one of the best this year in my opinion.
https://anabstractillusion.bandcamp.com/album/illuminate-the-path

Hi, sorry I didn't write sooner but I was busy with lot of shit and got sick recently.

Well Atoma just came out and it's pretty much what I expected, good album, but nothign amazing by the band's standards. and I ahte that they chose 2 most interesting songs as bonus tracks, this happens quite often with DT.

My opinion on Insomnium is that they had strong sound since the debut that they kept developing and after they hit the peak they just kept reusing their formula, I also disagree with atmosphere, I think their early albums had more authentic atmosphere and on new they just try to create it by using some post-rock chord progressions.

And while the genre is pretty creatively stale, as I said I think bands like Soilwork and MPE have been improving.

But anyway I was never a big fan of melodeath until recently, my favorite metal subgenre is prog metal with my current fav band being Leprous.
This year wasn't that great with prog releases so far though.
I mean new Fates Warning album was pretty good and I enjoyed new Haken, though it was weaker than last 2 albums, comeback album by In the Woods was also pretty good and new Ihsahn album was fun, but most new albums by bands like Votum, Thy Catafalque, Myrath, Meshuggah, Circus Maximus, Borknagar, Novembre or Devy just left me slightly underwhelmed, they were solid, but not as good as stuff I heard by them before and better, that is barely progressive.
And new Gojira and Opeth albums were total bore and Perphery still suck.
I was really pleasantly surprised by new Slice the Cake album because they made deathcore which isn't total shit.

Anyway do you also listen to tech death, I really liked new Ulcerate album with its tense atmosphere, but didn't like much else, Obscura was ok but fairly standard and I thought Wormed would be decent if they didn't have such awful vocals.

Also final Dillinger Escape Plan album might be the best thing they have done yet.

Is there even anything this year to get hyped for?
I am really antipcipating new albums by In Flames and Metallica because I want to hear how hilariously bad they will get, but most likely Metallica will be just mediocre and In Flames are so far beyond redemption it's just sad.

After a few listens I gotta say that Atoma is definitely better than last two albums, the softer bonus tracks are great as well. Might be my second favourite MDM album of the year behind Winter's Gate.

Yeah, prog metal hasn't been in very good state now because almost every band either tries to be djent or copy Dream Theater and they all sound extremely generic and not progressive. Meshuggah are actually one of the few decent djent bands, mainly because they invented the genre.
I also prefer prog rock to metal, buty there weren't many great releases this year.
Pain of Salvation are releasing new album next year but I'm not sure about it since their last good album was over 10 years ago.
Persefone and Disillusion are releasing new album as well and I consider them the best prog melodeath bands.

Have you heard any good atomblack or atmosludge albums recently? I have never been a big fun of atmoblack and all bands in last years sound the same, the only bands I really enjoyed in last years were Saor and Panopticon for their folk bits which reminded me of Agalloch. Also Moonsorrow are fantastic though they are more epic than atmospheric.
I reallly don't like blackgaye though, most of it is just extremely mediocre and forgettable, especially insanely overhyped Deafheaven. Alcest are decent though.
I used to love atmospheric sludge and Isis are still one of my all time favoite bands, but the genre was really stale recently, the most interesting thing was new Cult of Luna album with female vocals.

So I guess you like classic death metal over melodeath and tech death now?

I honestly don't care for new Tool anymore, they have some decent albums, but they are a band with extremely pretentious lyrics and fans.

Alsso I pretty much lost track of non metal music this year, I liked Radiohead, swans or Bowie, but I got tired of most indie rock so I wonder f you liked any albums recently.

And I listened to new In Flames album and it unsurprisingly tourned out to be a total trainwreck, even worse than their last, it's honestly just sad at this point, the band should give up or kick out Anders who keeps ruining it.
New Metallica has some decent moments and better production, but overall it's extremely bloated.

Your review on "With Hearts Toward None" sums up my take on it perfectly.