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Well, this turned out to be better than I expected. As much as I couldn't get enough 8-9 years ago, nowadays I tend to run in the other direction when I see the mention "Melodic Death Metal." Across the Dark actually sounds fresh and somewhat original, which is a feat in a genre that quickly became over-saturated. The band mixes the upbeat, almost "happy Power Metal-ish" Gothenburg-inspired sound with an almost equal dose of Doom – or I should say they mix in a doomy atmosphere, for this is not Doom Metal at all – but you do get that little Doom feeling while listening to the album. This alternates between upbeat and somewhat sad, sorrowful at times – these parts of course played at a rather slow pace and with a healthy dose of heaviness for additional effect.

The vocals are the expected "light growls" associated with the genre, but again Insomnium flirt a little bit with Doom, the vocalist often reminding me a little of the vocals from Mourning Beloveth (take this with a grain of salt – I haven't listened to these guys in years, but this is what instantly came to mind…) When accompanying the more quiet passages, the marriage of music and vocals is downright sublime, just flowing along flawlessly. Great stuff.

Atmospheric Melodic Death Metal with a doomy vibe, Insomnium sure have something good going on for them here, setting them apart in a very crowded genre. It's not an album that'll rock your world – it's actually pretty relaxing and, if I dare say, "beautiful" in some ways. If, like me, you had given up on the genre, this might just be the cure you didn't know you were waiting for.