Metal Underground.com

I was assuming Norther’s fifth album release, entitled “N,” might be something similar to “Mirror of Madness” (2003). At least, that was the last time I heard music from them. My assumptions were right. They hadn’t changed much, which is a good thing.

For the new album, it is definitely their most biblical, if one can get biblical at times, screaming and wailing about death and its angels. From the first track, you get the usual melodic-death-metal from Espoo, Finland. “My Antichrist” leads off with a beautiful, catchy riff into a very melodic, catchy chorus that would set the tone for the album as one epically-done album. However, some songs in the album, like “To Hell,” “Black Gold,” and “Tell Me Why” have almost no effect on the tone that is brought on by truly great songs on the album, such as my favorite, “Frozen Angel.”

The band uses its keyboarding and symphonic attributes well, not over or under doing it at all. I guess, as it seems by Finland’s metal standards, it’s a must now a days. You have to give them credit for even attempting what some might think of as a ballad on the track entitled, “If You Go.” I still love hearing the Finnish accent in many of the choruses sung by Kristian Ranta.

The band has put out solid albums their whole career and this album shows it’s another solid release. Of course, I would be thinking silly if I expected anything different from the chilling Norther in icy Finland.