Whom Gods Destroy's 'Insanium' - Album Review

Supergroups are often viewed with suspicion, and with good reason, but every so often one delivers on the promise that its stellar line-up suggests - and the American progressive metal supergroup Sons of Apollo was one such band. I did not immediately pick up the band's 2017's Psychotic Symphony (although I did briefly talk about it here) but I did get around to it eventually - and found myself spinning it quite a lot. I saw the band live in 2018, too, and it was an impressive show - with some big names in rock and metal crammed onto a small club stage and letting rip in front of a dedicated crowd of prog lovers. 2020's MMXX (which I reviewed here) was a bit of a step down from the debut in my opinion, but I still enjoyed it a lot. With the pandemic hitting not long after the touring cycle for the album started, though, MMXX somewhat faded away. The band did eventually play a few post-pandemic shows in 2022 to complete a long-postponed South American tour - but it seemed that the band had somewhat run its course by then, with bassist Billy Sheehan and drummer Mike Portnoy returning to their blues rock trio The Winery Dogs. The latter has recently, and famously, re-joined Dream Theater, too, and that essentially seemed to bring with it the official confirmation that Sons of Apollo were over - with a little bit of a war of words erupting in the press about the whole situation. Clearly looking to continue working together, though, guitarist Ron 'Bumblefoot' Thal and keyboard player Derek Sherinian soon launched their new project: Whom Gods Destroy. I would imagine that the band had been in the works for longer than the time which has passed since Portnoy re-joined Dream Theater - but Whom Gods Destroy certainly feels like the sequel band to Sons of Apollo. That is how it is being marketed in any case, but I think that there are differences between the two groups. For me, Sons of Apollo were much more of a true prog metal band. It built on Sherinian and Portnoy's time working together in Dream Theater and the organic sound of 1997's Falling into Infinity - whilst adding some modern prog metal touches. It saw Portnoy returning to the genre with which he made his name, then, but Whom Gods Destroy is a much heavier beast. There are still progressive flourishes here, but overall the band's sound is much more metallic and concise overall. It is much riffier, with Sherinian's keyboards taking on a heavier and more growling approach, whilst the grittier vocals of frontman Dino Jelusick (Trans-Siberian Orchestra; Animal Drive; Dirty Shirley; Whitesnake) only add to that sense of toughness. Throw in Yas Nomura on bass guitar and Bruno Valverde (Angra) on drums and it is fair to call Whom Gods Destroy another supergroup - although I have to say I was not familiar with Nomura prior to hearing this album. The line-up here is perhaps not as star-studded as Sons of Apollo's was, but I think the success of the former band generated a lot of excitement for Insanium - Whom Gods Destroy's first album which dropped last month. Like many I was excited for the album, but I has taken me a while to get into it. I was not all that keen on it at first - but over repeated listens I have warmed to most of it, even if I wish that there was a bit more prog bombast here.

I would still still consider Insanium to be a prog metal album, though - it just goes about things in a different way. The musicianship here is still excellent but the playing just feels somewhat more reined in overall - which is perhaps not surprising given the absence of Sheehan and Portnoy. In the Name of War kicks things off and the track is a good representation of what is to come. It opens with some busy, minor key, piano melodies from Sherinian - which morph into a gritty synth lead when Thal's guitar kicks in and the song gets going proper. What always sets Sherinian apart from other prog keyboard players is his choice of tone. He rarely goes for bright and overly-synthy tones - with more organic textures prominent throughout. His keyboards often mix well with Thal's guitar riffing here - with the song's main riff feeling fat thanks to their link-up play and the verses have a nice depth thanks to some atmospheric chords. Thal's guitar is the album's driving force, though, and this is very much a metal album in that sense. There is less of his off-kilter approach here and his riffs are generally very in-your-face - as is the case here, although they do occasionally step back to allow for a keyboard hook to shine. Jelusick has proved himself as a strong vocalist over the years, particularly on Michael Romeo's War of the Worlds, Part 2 (which I reviewed here) in 2022. He utilises a similar vocal approach here, then, with a gruffer take which further sets this band apart from Sons of Apollo. I think sometimes the gruffness can be a bit overstated, though, and his verse delivery is a bit over-the-top. He tones it down a little during a later bridge section and I would have preferred more of this more melodic approach. That being said, though, he sounds strong throughout - and the song's chorus is pretty hooky despite the heaviness, although he does also somewhat tone it down a little here. Keyboard flourishes help the chorus to stand out, too, and there are lengthy guitar and keyboard solos later on - as if to remind the listener who is leading this band. Over Again showcases Sherinian's love of an organic keyboard texture with some Hammond organ early on - but again it is the mid-paced riffing of Thal which creates the song's early groove. The use of the Hammond is welcome, though, and it helps to add some old-school hard rock to the band's modern metal sound - although the chorus very much focuses on a more modern sound, with a Pantera-esque groove and a strange vocal from Jelusick. At times it sounds like he is going for more of a harsh vocal approach without really doing so - and I am not sure that these verses really work for me. Jelusick sounds strange and the overall approach feels bit rooted in the late 1990s/early 2000s. The chorus is more typical, though, and it opens up a bit more to allow for a more organic vocal approach - which is relatively hooky. For me, though, the best part of the song is the lengthy instrumental section which opens with a shredded guitar solo from Thal which gradually transitions into a full-blown keyboard extravaganza from Sherinian. The playing from the two of them here is some of the album's most explosive - it is just a shame that the rest of the song does not do a huge amount for me. I do not like the verse approach that much - and the chorus is decent whilst not exactly being stellar.

The Decision is a longer piece, so it naturally feels a bit more progressive. It opens up with a strong groove conjured up between the guitar, bass, and drums - over which Sherinian lays down some atmospheric and soundscape-esque melodic playing. After the full-blown heaviness of the previous songs, this track's more diverse approach is welcome. Songs like this are more what I expected from Whom Gods Destroy - and I wish that the album focused on this sound more. Nomura's bass playing gets some time in the spotlight here, particularly during the more stripped back verses. His popping groove is a simplified take on how the song opened, whilst Valverde's drumming is tight and Thal takes something of a step back to deliver some chiming guitar melodies. The track builds towards its chorus, too, which is heavier - but it still retains an atmospheric approach whilst also introducing some anthemic vocal harmonies and a larger overall arrangement. Jelusick sounds a lot more natural during this song, too. He still sounds gritty, but he sounds much less forced here. The melodies flow in a more natural way, then, and I much prefer him operating like this than trying to sound like Phil Anselmo. The length of the track also allows for some more soloing and there is a great showcase for Thal here - who reins in some of the shredding of the previous songs to go for something more structured and flowing, even if his playing does speed up as it progresses. In my opinion, songs like this showcase the band's songwriting and character far more than the overly tough sound of the previous track - and I hope, if this band is to continue, that we hear more like this. Crawl opens in a pretty chaotic manner, with some busy keyboards and percussive drumming - which soon morph into a pretty fast-paced, riff-led opening with double bass drumming and a heavy tone. Like the previous song, though, the arrangement here is a bit more dynamic - which is welcome. Once Jelusick starts to sing, the verse feels a bit more atmospheric - with a busy drum groove leading the charge whilst Sherinian's atmospheric keyboards add depth. The verses grow in stature, though, and I like how the song generally retains its heaviness despite these more atmospheric diversions. The heaviness here feels more natural, too. The riffing is more rooted in prog metal, especially given Sherinian's keyboard melodies which flit in and out of the piece, and Jelusick also remains in a more natural vocal range. The use of atmosphere throughout really helps the song to sound big, too. I do not feel it is as expansive as the previous cut, but there is still a welcome diversity here - with Thal and Sherinian often adding dual melodies to spice things up.

Find My Way Back slows things down further and acts as the album's ballad. There is still a toughness to the track overall, but it is easily the gentlest of the album's nine songs - and it allows Jelusick to showcase a much smoother and more emotional vocal approach. Despite my dislike of his overly tough performances earlier in the album, I generally think he is a great singer - and songs like this show why David Coverdale brought him into Whitesnake to help out vocally. In fact there are shades of big ballads by bands like Whitesnake throughout this song - although the riffing and drum punch is generally tougher. Sherinian's keyboards add plenty of atmospheric depth, though, and the chorus is a bit of a hark back to the 1980s overall in structure and melodic construction. I could imagine Coverdale himself singing it if the 'metal' was toned down about 20% - and the slower piece is a good mid-album pause for breath which allows the band to show a more emotional side and Thal to deliver some bluesy soloing. Crucifier returns to the band's core, heavier sound - and comes roaring out of the gate with some double bass drum grooves and busy keyboard melodies which morph into massive Hammond chords. After the ballad and a couple of more dynamic pieces the relentless heaviness here is actually welcome - and it is also pleasing that there is relatively little of the forced heaviness found elsewhere. There are occasional vocal lines which have that Anselmo feel, but overall the track is hooky and groovy - benefitting from a tighter arrangement and shorter length. The verses can feel a little over-the-top at times, with some overly-gruff vocals, but the chorus is one of the album's best - with a snappy riff from Thal playing nicely off Jelusick's strong vocal hooks. There is not much prog to be found here but the song is a powerful, driving metal anthem which harks back to the 1980s just enough to give it a soaring quality. The soloing is more explosive and concise here, too, with everything seemingly hanging off the chorus - which impresses with each rendition. Keeper of the Gate goes for more of a mid-paced, groovy approach - with an opening guitar riff that flirts a little with Eastern melodies. The band have not morphed into Myrath here, but there is something Phrygian about its tone which helps the song to set itself apart from the others here. This is one of the tracks that stood out to me from the off and it has remained a favourite - likely due to the hookiness of the opening riff, which forms the basis of the song's verses, and the more melodic approach taken overall. There is none of that forced heaviness here, with Jelusick sounding more natural and powerful throughout, whilst the interesting mix of guitar riffing and off-kilter Hammond organ playing gives the song something of a modern Deep Purple feel - albeit much more metallic. Again, this is more what I expected from Whom Gods Destroy. I do like most of this album, but some of the forced heaviness throughout does strike me as unnecessary and perhaps the sign of a band trying a bit too hard to be something that they are not. Whenever they operate in more what appears to be their typical range the song in question feels more successful. This track is not even all that progressive, really, but it is well-written, hooky, and includes enough musical twists to help it to stand out - with a groovy chorus thrown in for good measure.

The album's penultimate track, Hypernova 158, is a busy instrumental piece that allows for some all-out soloing from Thal and Sherinian in particular. I expected an instrumental to be included given the players involved, but I had assumed that it might be a fairly lengthy one. This track is just over three minutes long, though, so it gets in and gets out somewhat - whilst including a lot of busy playing. Nomura and Valverde hold everything down with a consistent and driving groove, with the odd off-kilter percussive stab, whilst Nomura even gets the chance to solo a little latter on with some busy bass runs. His playing is not generally as prominent on this album as it could be, likely due to the overall heaviness of the guitar and keyboard tones, but he stands out quite a bit here - whilst the soloing from both Thal and Sherinian is a bit more proggy overall given the room to stretch out. The album then comes to an end with its title track - which is the longest piece here at around eight and a half minutes. I had expected an epic here but, again, I had expected it to be longer. This shows the more concise sound which the band have been targeting here, but Insanium does still allow for some stretching out. The opening riff certainly feels more proggy, with some strange guitar harmonics thrown in, whilst the overall arrangement feels more of a hark back to the two Sons of Apollo albums. There is less overt heaviness here than there has been elsewhere on the album - with Jelusick feeling more dynamic vocally. This is particularly evident during the song's big chorus, which might not be the hookiest here but it is one that creates a strong atmosphere that pulls the listener in. This song is also one which pushes soloing in a big way. There are lots of short bursts of lead playing from both Thal and Sherinian - and there is also a lengthy solo section later on, which is backed by a much more melancholic arrangement and bookended by some of Jelusick's most emotionally-charged vocals. The song is generally on the heavier side, but there is plenty of light and shade throughout - and I really like the slower-paced mid-section with Sherinian's smouldering keyboard solo that sits at its centre. It helps the song to sound more powerful when it kicks back in - and the closing rendition of the chorus feels massive, especially as the song then slowly moves towards a riffy, and relatively doomy, close. I think it is fair to say that this album has not hit me like I thought it would, and I prefer Sons of Apollo's albums, but Insanium has grown on me quite a bit. I think it will continue to grow on me but there are some sections of this album which feel forced - possibly in an attempt to not sound like Sons of Apollo. Where the band focus on their strengths, though, the album really hits home - and there is still a lot to like here in my opinion. Whether we hear more from this band remains to be seen, but if there is to be a second album I am hoping for more of the band's dynamic approach and less of the forced heaviness which drags parts of this album down.

The album was released on 15th March 2023 via InsideOut Music. Below is the band's promotional video for In the Name of War.