An up-and-coming Belgian Melodic Death Metal collective is ready to strike armed with their incendiary debut offering.
A Belgian Melodic Death Metal collective utterly determined to forge something epic and memorable without following fleeting trends, Insolitus are ready to unleash hell armed with their debut offering, titled The Monumental Fall. With a sound built on a foundation of crushing riffage and articulate, driving percussion, layered with catchy and intricately intertwining melodies, the debut opus by Leslie Stroobant on vocals, Floren Van Stichel, Fré Clement and Kaatje Desmet on the guitars, and Dries Claeys on drums presents 11 original tracks inspired by the classic melodeath sound blasted by bands the likes of Amorphis, Nevermore, The Halo Effect and Soilwork, while at the same time offering a fresh twist added to their core sound by each band member.
The opening track Crossing Voyage sounds modern while remaining loyal to the foundations of Melodic Death Metal, with Floren, Fré and Kaatje already offering a triple riff attack tailored for fans of the genre; and their guitars kick off the electrifying A Dream Resonance, also presenting a Progressive Metal vibe while Leslie roars in great fashion, followed by Reclaim the Flame, as incendiary as its title, with Dries stealing the spotlight with his hammering drums. In Search For reminds me of some of the more modern creations by In Flames, with Leslie once again delivering sheer adrenaline through his harsh vocals, while Leap of Life presents another traditional take on Scandinavian Melodic Death Metal with a Belgian twist, and of course, their guitars re again breathing fire. And after such a solid tune we have Beneath a Thousand Eyes, showcasing the hammering drums by Dries accompanied by the slashing riffs by Floren, Fré and Kaatje.
Whisperbox is not as vibrant as the other songs despite bringing forward another striking, intricate guitar attack by the band’s trio. It could have been more ferocious and a little less melodic. Then back to a more aggressive sonority we face The Dying Light of Day, with Leslie’s vocals transpiring rage and fury until the very end; whereas Soar has a very cool and epic vibe, inviting us all to raise our fists together with the band in the name of melodeath. Of Time and Change sounds and feels just as epic as the previous song, with Leslie’s harsh vocals being nicely boosted by all clean and backing vocals. Lastly, the title-track The Monumental Fall puts an end to the album with its imposing wall of sounds, feeling like a climatic conclusion to an adventure movie.
Bringing melody-driven heavy music with both clean vocals and harsh vocals, and lyrics rooted in themes of authenticity, empowerment and emotional honesty, Insolitus are on fire throughout their debut offering, and you can give those talented Belgians a shout on Facebook and on Instagram, keeping an eye on their tour dates, stream their music on Spotify, and of course purchase a copy of The Monumental Fall from BandCamp or by clicking HERE. The Monumental Fall is just the first step for Insolitus, and based on the quality of the music found in the entire album we can rest assured we’ll hear a lot more form those Belgians in a not-so-distant future.
Best moments of the album: A Dream Resonance, In Search For and Of Time and Change.
Worst moments of the album: Whisperbox.
Released in 2026 Independent
Track listing
1. Crossing Voyage 6:36
2. A Dream Resonance 4:17
3. Reclaim the Flame 4:55
4. In Search For 3:41
5. Leap of Life 6:12
6. Beneath a Thousand Eyes 5:10
7. Whisperbox 6:16
8. The Dying Light of Day 5:48
9. Soar 4:48
10. Of Time and Change 5:28
11. The Monumental Fall 4:40
Band members
Leslie Stroobant – vocals
Floren Van Stichel – guitars, backing vocals
Fré Clement – guitars
Kaatje Desmet – guitars
Dries Claeys – drums
