Band: Norther
Title: Circle Regenerated
Label: Century Media Records
Distribution: EMI
Release date: April 18th 2011
Review: CD

The Finnish band Norther once started as Requiem (2000). They did record a handful of full lengths before (mainly through Spinefarm; they signed to Century Media as from the (disappointing) album N on), which were pretty positively received within the Finnish scene, as well as abroad. In the early years, Norther were often compared to Children Of Bodom, yet somewhat heavier, and throughout the years, the band evolved into a more melodic and catchy form of COB-alike modern Death / Black Metal.
For the first time without frontman Petri Lindroos (replaced by Naildown’s Daniel Freyburg and former Imperanon-member Aleksi Sihvonen), the band worked, again, at the Astia Studio with producer Anssi Kippo (Behexen, Kaliban, Impaled Nazarene, Children Of Bodom, Tunrida etc.). The result is a logical next step in Norther’s existence for combining Children Of Bodom-inspired Metal with more catchy and rockin’ energetic stuff in the vein of that specific and overcrowded Finnish scene. This goes for the keyboard lines, acoustic guitars, clean vocals, tempo-changes and emotive harmonies too, yet whole the way it is modestly created from an own point of view. Yes, despite the predictability and poppy safe-modus, Norther are more varying and less ‘typical’ than before.
The variation has one positive element: the chance on more convincing parts – which indeed is the case from time to time. The craftsmanship of this sextet shows, and when it comes to the song writing: Kristian Ranta (who formed the band together with Petri) and his Rock Brigade know what the big audience wants to hear.
The better part is too goody-goody; even most harsh pieces are too carefully performed. The Astia Studio certainly is not an underground studio, yet known for quasi-hit potent combos (with a few exceptions, of course). And like so many bands from the Land of a Thousand Lakes, Norther won’t satisfy me either. But I can imagine some people will adore this album.
Anyway, at least Norther’s strongest recording

70/100

Ivan Tibos.