"N" CD by Norther

by Björn Thorsten Jaschinski (25.01.2008) N like north pole, please. Finland’s gangliest hat stand shares responsibilities: Petri Lindroos, also frontman of Ensiferum, further reduced the share of his croaking voice on the fifth album of his own band. In the opener, "My antichrist", he allows melodic backings to his guitar colleague, Kristian Ranta, "Frozen angel" – known from the "No way back"-EP, and "If you go" are completely softer. Will the nerve-racking comparisons with juvenile campers from lake Bodom finally stop now? If such Metal plants wouldn't be so successful, anyway, one could almost reproach Norther for commercial calculation – that's how mainstream "N" sometimes sounds. The keyboards provide wall-to-wall carpeting instead of complicated solos and all songs, except "Savior" have single formats – including the approved verse/chorus-scheme. So, what do we get on the single release, "We rock"? The Dio cover is surprisingly fast, has a short, pompous stadium chorus and singalong-compatible "hey hey"-parts. The rocky, thrashy "Self righteous fuck" sets forth "Fuck you".