Music: Speed/Power Metal
Country: Finland
Web site:www.norther.net
Cool Songs: Going Nowhere, Deep Inside, A Fallen Star
Taking a cue from KALMAH and WINTERSUN, NORTHER plays a hybrid style of power and speed metal that is synonymous to its native Finland. CHILDREN OF BODOM can be attributed to erecting and making this style popular. The COB influence is strong on Death Unlimited. The reasoning for this goes beyond the fact that COB is one of the most trendy bands in Finland. The two groups are close friends. COB front man, Alexi helped NORTHER secure a recording contract and has done much more in helping the band further their career. Basically, you are a fan of COB, you will dig Death Unlimited. The said album recalls COBs early work. It is full of speedy rhythms and guitar and keyboard virtuosity.
Deep Inside introduces slamming rhythms that build into straight-ahead chugging guitar rhythms. During the chorus, these chugging guitars open up and keyboards add character. Later into the track, guitarists Petri Lindroos and Kristian Ranta show off their skills, quickly working their fingers up and down their guitars neck and reaching peak pitches through whammys and string bends.
A Fallen Star is one of the more epic, mystical tracks on the album. Even though the group uses a harsh, semi-black metal vocal style, the keyboards throughout the album, especially this track, gives the band a flexible sound. These keyboard sections make it so the band could find a home on stage with the type of bands that play the ProgPower festival in Atlanta, Georgia every year. A Fallen Star even has small moments of clean, Nordic-style vocals, giving the track a touch of Viking metal.
NORTHER has found its niche in the global metal scene. They may not have the popularity as COB, but the fans of COBs older material that quit paying attention when they donned a more commercial style, are bound to find favor with NORTHERs style. Although NORTHER shares stylistic similarities to all the bands mentioned above, Death Unlimited shows the band is still able to find its own identity.
note: 7.5/10
Tracklist
1. Nightfall
2. Deep Inside
3. Death Unlimited
4. Chasm
5. Vain
6. A Fallen Star
7. The Cure
8. Day of Redemption
9. Beneath
10. Hollow
11. Nothing
12. Going Nowhere
Total playing time 51:06
Line-up
Petri Lindroos – Guitars & Vocals
Kristian Ranta – Guitars
Toni Hallio – Drums
Tuomas Planman – Keyboards
Jukka Koskinen – Bass
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