My own association with Norther goes back to 2002 and their debut album “Dreams of Endless War”. Tracks like “Released” and then “Betrayed” on the follow-up “Mirror of Madness” captured the pulsating, breakneck-speed, melodic and typically Finnish Death/Thrash Metal style which made their albums fresh and entertaining. The standard comparison was always with Children of Bodom, compared to whom Norther have been considered a poor relation. I never got that one. The sound was similar, but whilst there’s no doubt that Mr Laiho and co can play, so can Norther and you don’t get the trite lyrics, standing on cadillacs and the blatant showmanship with them. So it was always Norther for me and it gave me great pleasure to listen to their early works again in preparation for “Circle Regenerated”.
Things have moved on, and for those interested this release is far from being a re-enactment of a Bodom album. Clean vocals had already joined the aggressive element. Since the 2009 album “N”, the long standing Petri Lindroos has been replaced by a new vocalist and guitarist. “Circle Regenerated” starts with “Through It all”. The fast and melodic beat sounds familiar. The chorus and guitar virtuosity sound like it’s business as usual but wait … the chorus has clean harmonies. It’s an interesting beginning. “The Hate I Bear” is similarly fast, melodic and croaky. It’s the pounding rhythm which creates the excitement. Clean harmonies go with a hardcore chorus. Although “Truth” starts in a similar vein, the album branches out from this point. The chorus is gripping but now it’s both emotive and aggressive. The track has the punching beat of a hammer drill. After a seismic guitar solo we return to the amazing chorus. Be prepared while listening to this album to make fast movements of the head.
A standard pattern develops of fast melodic Thrash developing into a guitar solo. The choruses vary but are largely clean, and even border on sounding like Soilwork. Above all the thunder and excitement are there. I can’t claim to like every track on this album though. “Believe” is an aggressively delivered track in a melodic framework, but I didn’t find it especially pleasing. Unlike those vintage early Norther works, it’s neither hooky nor was I swung along by the aggression. “We Do Not Care” is thrashy and urgent, rampaging on aggressively but with the melodic chorus that we’ve become used to. It hammers on but it’s the standard formula and doesn’t take us anywhere new. By contrast excitement is created on “Falling” through the combination of elements. This time it’s slower and more dramatic. Aggression contrasts with a soft and melodic chorus, hardened by the appealing sound of the electric guitar. A break signals a change of direction and it beefs up again before the piano comes in and plays a soft melody. This is a well-constructed track. My favourite track of this album was “The Last Time”. Musically this is template Finnish Melodic Thrash Metal. The harmonious chorus sounds uncannily like Soilwork, even to the extent of the aggressive vocals which directly follow the harmony. As a track it’s exciting and toe-tapping, even speeding up and delighting us with an action-packed cascading rhythm. To finish, “Closing In” is typically insistent. The emphasis is on aggression but the track also features a deeper, Classic/Progressive passage. In line with the newer, more expansive Norther style, there are several elements to it.
Of course if you like Children of Bodom, you’ll like the style of “Circle Regenerated” because it has the generic style. At the same time it’s purer and Norther have extended their repertoire. I wasn’t convinced by all of it, I have to say, and on balance I prefer the all-out adrenaline rush of the band’s earlier albums. Nevertheless it has many good moments and passages and I’d suggest it’s worth a listen.
http://www.myspace.com/norther
http://www.norther.net
http://www.centurymedia.net
