Insania is a power metal band from Sweden formed in 1992, releasing five albums during their career to date – ‘World Of Ice’ (1999), ‘Sunrise In Riverland’ (2001), ‘Fantasy (A New Dimension)’ (2003), ‘Agony – Gift Of Life’ (2007), and 2021’s ‘V (Praeparatus Supervivet)’. Originally founded to play covers of bands such as Helloween and Iron Maiden, the band soon began to write their own songs, culminating with their ’99 debut.
The band has seen a few line-up changes since its formation and has been on hiatus for the past fourteen years.
Reformed and raring to go, the new album is an incredible sixty-four minutes of blistering power metal. The energy and oomph of the album are off the charts, opening with the title song ‘Praeparatus Supervivet’ – a raging firestorm of full-on and in-your-face power metal. Sweden is a country well known for producing a long line of great metal bands, and it’s fair to say that Insania is part of that line too. The energy and pace of the opening shot are carried forth with ‘Solur’, expanding upon the melodious intent of the first song. The force and finesse of European power metal have never been so great – Insania taking a leaf out of the Helloween songbook. For ‘Solur’ has definite leanings toward the German legends sound. With a sudden slowdown, ‘Prometheus Rise’ takes on the mantle of an epic power ballad with hymn-like leanings. Also, the anthemic metal style is brought to the fore as well, the chorus a chant-like affair that an in concert crowd are surely gonna go wild for.
A little injection of the symphonic metal genre takes ‘Moonlight Shadows’ on a soaring path high above the clouds. The pace is electrifying, the headbang ability off the charts, and the infectious level beyond anything they’ve reached previously.
Insania is turning in a fairly breathless performance – although ‘My Revelation’ begins with a power ballad feel, quickly hardening like quick-setting cement, to become a furious flourish of all-out power metal. The pace and power of ‘My Revelation’ are top-notch, providing all the headbangers of the world an excellent opportunity to get those heads moving fast. And heads will move even faster, with the blistering pace exhibited by ‘We Will Rise Again’. Displaying a heavier feel once more, ‘We Will Rise Again’ is a hearty, feel-good romp of party-styled power metal. Facial grains are gonna be a mile wide that’s for sure. Exquisite keyboards give life to ‘Like A Rising Star’ – before wham, bam, and fucking slam, scorching pace takes over, and ‘Like A Rising Star’ becomes a fiery red hot speedster. Insania displays its prowess at delivering a rousing power metal rampage.
And still, the pace and power remain at levels that are gonna make noses bleed – ‘Blood, Tears And Agony’ racing on like a world champion sprinter heading for glory. The purpose and intent of ‘Blood, Tears And Agony’ are sky high, with the sing-along ability out of this world. And with absolutely no let-up in pace still, the album powers on with ‘Entering Paradise’, the fastest song heard so far – Insania launching a ferocious tirade of speed-inspired power metal. Heads are gonna be just a blur as they rock back and forth at a phenomenal rate. The breathtaking intensity, power, and pace show no sign of relenting, as ‘Power Of The Dragonborn’ takes over the baton, proceeding to pummel and pound the senses with an aural attack of thunder. Yet all delivered with the highest level of melodious intent. And as we approach the hour mark, we find the album’s final song heading into sight – ‘The Last Hymn To Life’ a mammoth seven and a half minutes in length. The heaviest and most “heavy metal” of all the songs on offer, ‘The Last Hymn To Life’ is a traditional metal/power metal blend that just excels. ‘V (Praeparatus Supervivet)’ has been a breath taker from start to finish, and unusual for a modern-day power metal album doesn’t contain a single power ballad. And I for one am not complaining.
Overall, a breathtaking scorcher of pace, power, and intensity – Insania delivers an hour of searing power metal.
TRACKLIST
Praeparatus Supervivet
Solur
Prometheus Rise
Moonlight Shadows
My Revelation
We Will Rise Again
Like A Rising Star
Blood, Tears And Agony
Entering Paradise
Power Of The Dragonborn
The Last Hymn To Life
Insania: Facebook
Release Year: 2021
Label: Frontiers Music s.r.l.
Category: Album
Country: Sweden
Reviewed by Iron Mathew for Frenzy Fire, Metal Gods TV, and Metal-Roos.
