INSOMNIUM complete again: fifth member confirmed, a new chapter begins

Finnish melancholic death metal is changing its lineup once again. INSOMNIUM have officially confirmed the addition of Tomy Laisto (HATEFORM, PAIN CONFESSOR) as their third guitarist, definitively closing the chapter surrounding the departure of Jani Liimatainen, whom the band had been unable to reach for quite some time.

Laisto is no newcomer. Fans know him well — over the past two years he has regularly toured with INSOMNIUM and gradually became a natural part of their live lineup. Now it's official.

The band states:

"With great pleasure, we welcome Tomy Laisto as the official fifth member and third guitarist of INSOMNIUM. Many of you have already seen him on tour, but with the upcoming album it was time to bring the band back to a five-piece and make this fine gentleman from Turku a full-fledged member."

Laisto himself takes joining INSOMNIUM very personally — and it's clear this connection runs much deeper than a simple "tour fill-in."

"At the end of 2023, I jumped in at the last minute for a show in Zurich. It went well, so more offers followed… and suddenly I was playing with them all over the world," he recalls.
"Last year the guys told me they'd like me to join the band permanently. I didn't hesitate for a second."

Interestingly, the ties between Laisto and INSOMNIUM go all the way back to 2005. They shared a rehearsal space, Laisto even lent equipment for the recording of Above The Weeping World, and INSOMNIUM's then-guitarist Ville Vänni was his bandmate in another project.

"After more than 25 years of friendship, joining INSOMNIUM feels like coming home. I'm looking forward to seeing you all again on tour."

Meanwhile, the band is working on a new studio album, though it is still in a very early stage. Their latest release remains the dark conceptual work Anno 1696 (2023), inspired by some of the bleakest chapters of Finnish history — famines, witch trials, and werewolf myths — later expanded with the alternative ending Songs Of The Dusk.

The new material is still shrouded in mist, but one thing is certain:
INSOMNIUM are complete again. And when this band draws breath for the next step, it's usually slow, heavy… and devastatingly powerful.