Norther - N
Century Media Records - 9977722CD - 25 February 2008
By Jack Deming
Lately many bands in the same general boat as Norther have been entering the rank of veteran, and some have shown staying power while others have not. Whether they have abruptly gone downhill, faded away or worse, these are days when certain bands are being tested of their worth. Maintaining a definite sound while still progressing and keeping things interesting is a difficult and no doubt paradoxical challenge for a metal band to take on, the strongest example I can think of being Maiden's pre Blaze albums; their sound never drastically changed nor were there any sudden innovations, but the differences between albums are no doubt noticable.
Norther's latest effort N has a decidedly grittier edge to it in comparison to Till Death Unites Us, and while it is not as immediately catchy as TDUU, it is catchy in all the right places. There are of course the expected sugar coated bits; songs like 'Frozen Angel' and 'Always and Never' have a way of getting in one's head and refusing to clear out. This album was a grower for me; it nearly put me to sleep on my first listen, but I found myself enjoying it more and more with each successive play. Who knows, maybe I was just tired. All of the instrumentalists are right on their game, Petri Lindroos' vocals are as biting as ever, and Kristian Ranta's clean vocals bring up visions of the members of Duran Duran gangbanging Cher, but the results are strangely not unfortunate (his voice that is, not the mental image). I noticed a scattered early era Norther Mirror of Madness vibe throughout N which was a welcome and slightly nostalgic treat for me. The production, is of course absolutely phenomenal as always, and all of these pros make up for the generally boring lyrical content, album cover, and title. 'Down' is in my opinion the strongest track, best exemplifying the overall sound of Norther on N. 'Down' as well as 'Always and Never' include some surprisingly good lyrical hooks, which have become rare exports of the finns of late.
Here's the point in the review where I snidely discuss the 'Norther pride'/'we love ourselves'/'fuck everyone else if they don't like it' songs included in this release. Preceded by the deep, lyrical opus 'Fuck You' from TDUU, 'We Rock features lines such as "We're walking tall/Never gonna fall", and serves as a real testament to the dangers of bands taking themselves far too seriously. I think the Norther guys heard the Children of Bodom songs 'Hate Crew Deathroll' and 'We're Not Gonna Fall', and immediately ran with the silly concept. 'Self Righteous Fuck' is actually a somewhat enjoyable song with lyrics that include no more 'us against the world' concepts than usual, only randomly puctuated by shouts of "Self Righteous Fuck!, probably included mostly to be able to use the title. There is a time and a place for these things, but it's sad when bands tarnish otherwise acceptable songs with egotistical drivel. 'Self Righteous Fucks' indeed.
While N is a slight step down from Till Death Unites Us, it is still a slight step away from it and a strong one at that, which is reassuring in the wake of so many bands nowadays making the same albums over and over again. N leaves me anticipating more from the finns, and wishing them luck in their longevity.
Official Norther Website
Official Norther Myspace
Official Century Media Records Website
Century Media Records - 9977722CD - 25 February 2008
By Jack Deming
Lately many bands in the same general boat as Norther have been entering the rank of veteran, and some have shown staying power while others have not. Whether they have abruptly gone downhill, faded away or worse, these are days when certain bands are being tested of their worth. Maintaining a definite sound while still progressing and keeping things interesting is a difficult and no doubt paradoxical challenge for a metal band to take on, the strongest example I can think of being Maiden's pre Blaze albums; their sound never drastically changed nor were there any sudden innovations, but the differences between albums are no doubt noticable.
Norther's latest effort N has a decidedly grittier edge to it in comparison to Till Death Unites Us, and while it is not as immediately catchy as TDUU, it is catchy in all the right places. There are of course the expected sugar coated bits; songs like 'Frozen Angel' and 'Always and Never' have a way of getting in one's head and refusing to clear out. This album was a grower for me; it nearly put me to sleep on my first listen, but I found myself enjoying it more and more with each successive play. Who knows, maybe I was just tired. All of the instrumentalists are right on their game, Petri Lindroos' vocals are as biting as ever, and Kristian Ranta's clean vocals bring up visions of the members of Duran Duran gangbanging Cher, but the results are strangely not unfortunate (his voice that is, not the mental image). I noticed a scattered early era Norther Mirror of Madness vibe throughout N which was a welcome and slightly nostalgic treat for me. The production, is of course absolutely phenomenal as always, and all of these pros make up for the generally boring lyrical content, album cover, and title. 'Down' is in my opinion the strongest track, best exemplifying the overall sound of Norther on N. 'Down' as well as 'Always and Never' include some surprisingly good lyrical hooks, which have become rare exports of the finns of late.
Here's the point in the review where I snidely discuss the 'Norther pride'/'we love ourselves'/'fuck everyone else if they don't like it' songs included in this release. Preceded by the deep, lyrical opus 'Fuck You' from TDUU, 'We Rock features lines such as "We're walking tall/Never gonna fall", and serves as a real testament to the dangers of bands taking themselves far too seriously. I think the Norther guys heard the Children of Bodom songs 'Hate Crew Deathroll' and 'We're Not Gonna Fall', and immediately ran with the silly concept. 'Self Righteous Fuck' is actually a somewhat enjoyable song with lyrics that include no more 'us against the world' concepts than usual, only randomly puctuated by shouts of "Self Righteous Fuck!, probably included mostly to be able to use the title. There is a time and a place for these things, but it's sad when bands tarnish otherwise acceptable songs with egotistical drivel. 'Self Righteous Fucks' indeed.
While N is a slight step down from Till Death Unites Us, it is still a slight step away from it and a strong one at that, which is reassuring in the wake of so many bands nowadays making the same albums over and over again. N leaves me anticipating more from the finns, and wishing them luck in their longevity.
Official Norther Website
Official Norther Myspace
Official Century Media Records Website
