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NORTHER are one of these bands that seem to book their holidays in the studio. Since their freshman release they have put out a full length or at least an EP every year and that for six years now. Amazingly enough, the band managed to develop their sound further with every release, from a fresh and wild DREAMS OF ENDLESS WAR, which was dominated by many keyboard and guitar solos, to a more riff-based TILL DEATH UNITES US, which delighted the fans with a good groove. With the follow up EP NO WAY BACK (which has only been officially released in Finland so far) they made one step into fusing old with new and further did the almost impossible of creating a metal ballad without clean vocals. So expectations were high for the 2008 album which they simply named N.
Just to get this straight, I’ve always been a big fan of the bands first release and I couldn’t fully appreciate the turn they were taking. So I hoped for at least one step back to the old days but the fast and furious times are surely over now. So instead of the aforementioned fusing on NO WAY BACK, NORTHER have started experimenting with their sound. They’re implementing some occasional electro elements for intros here and break through the circle of using clean vocals for refrains only but instead mix them with the screams/growls on “My Antichrist” and or even switch the growls/clean vocals duties on the soft “If you go”. “Down” on the other hand captivates with its fast beat and reminds vaguely of the former masterpieces like “Mirror of Madness” and only “We Rock” and “Always& Never” show the same greatness and catchiness. The rest of the album spans all emotions from total boredom to indifference. No more keyboard solos, almost no guitar solos, not even Pete’s screaming delights me as it used to. Worst of it all, one mid-tempo piece hits the next. Guys, hit the speed paddle, you don’t want your listener to fall asleep!
N proves my theory that NORTHER can’t make good albums, only good songs.
| Tracklist |
| 1. My Antichrist |
| 2. Frozen Angel |
| 3. Down |
| 4. To Hell |
| 5. Savior |
| 6. Black Gold |
| 7. We Rock |
| 8. Always & Never |
| 9. Tell Me Why |
| 10. If You Go |
| 11. Self-Righteous Fuck |
| 12. Forever And Ever |
: 48.55
| Buy other Norther albums |
