Death Unlimited [Import]

Norther | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 4, 2006)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Spinefarm
• ASIN: B0001WU2IC
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #325,741 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

2004 album from the Finnish metallers. Features 12 total tracks. Spinefarm.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent death metal, September 25, 2004

By 

BAMF - See all my reviews

This review is from: Death Unlimited (Audio CD)

This album sounds great, especially at full blast. 'Death Unlimited' is much heavier than Norther's previous album 'Mirror of Madness'. The guitar work is much more intense this time (riffs, solos, even bass). Norther sounds like they are trying to kick some @ss on this CD. Keyboards are still around and complement the music very well to give the cool melodic feel. Although the 'Mirror of Madness' CD had some excellent songs, some sounded kinda cheesy maybe due to the production. The songwriting on 'Death Unlimitied' is much improved, although heavier. This is one of those albums that makes you want to play air guitar (nothing wrong with that).

Amazon currently sells 2 versions of this album, $19 and $50 versions. The $50 version appears to include one extra song, 'Tornado of Souls' (MegadetH cover?). Anyways, one might be able to get a cheaper deal off ebay or free through unlegal downloads. However, I had no regrets purchasing this album.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Caiman does not have this title in stock...., January 4, 2007

By 

Zombie Fanatic (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Death Unlimited (Audio CD)

This is a great CD from these death metal kings. To all people who are looking to purchase this CD, I must tell you that Caiman does not have this in stock. I ordered it from them one month ago and still haven't received it. When I contacted them, they said it was on backorder and then the very next day, they relisted it. So, if you really want this CD, I wouldn't order it from them because you will never get it. Just a warning so as not to waste your time...

5.0 out of 5 stars An album not to be without!, October 19, 2010

By 

Matt Stoessel (Tolland, CT USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Death Unlimited (Audio CD)

Norther released this album 7 months after what I consider their magnum opus, Mirror of Madness (an album I reviewed in September 2003). Back in those days, many bands gave us albums that sounded very much like the first 3 Children of Bodom albums, such as Norther, Skyfire, Imperanon, Mors Principium Est, and even Blood Stain Child out of Japan. I call this style "melodic death power metal" - melodic death metal bearing no resemblance whatsoever to the Gothenburg sound ala At the Gates, Dark Tranquillity, etc. but rather cleanly-produced power metal with death vocals and angry lyrics.

Norther released two albums in this "melodic death power metal" before this album. Dreams of Endless War and Mirror of Madness are two of the finest examples of this "melodic death power metal" I've ever heard. Keyboards are once again plentiful in every song (as on the first two albums), but this is the last time we hear such before the Solution 7 EP.

I love Death Unlimited. It was the last full-length album to be mastered by Mika Jussila at Finnvox Studios and the first to feature the extraordinary increase in heaviness of the guitars, often to the point of sounding thrashy. In short, I have viewed this as a bridge album ever since Till Death Unites Us in 2006. Petri's vocals begin to switch from the Alexi-like scream-growls to straight-up screaming, but not without the occasional chant (which is new to this album). I strongly feel that, more so than on any other album, Norther here provides the most diverse collection of songs. I won't go in to a song-by-song review, but I will categorize the songs briefly:

single/video: 3 - Death Unlimited

very fast songs: 2 - Deep Inside; 3 - Death Unlimited; 12 - Going Nowhere

slow songs: 8 - Day of Redemption; 11 - Nothing

intros/interludes: 1 - Nightfall; 9 - Beneath

covers: 13 - Tornado of Souls (Megadeth; Japanese bonus track)

Only tracks 4-7 and Hollow are left not fitting into one of the above categories, and boy do they ever stand out! Like, for example, Stratovarius's Destiny, Norther keeps the listener guessing as to what on earth the next song will bring. Norther switches from one speed to the next at the snap of a finger. Listening to this album start-to-finish is one exciting rollercoaster ride, but don't be afraid to listen to bits and pieces or to put single songs on your iPod, either. (The title track has the second-most plays in my entire iTunes at 61 plays, and that's out of 4,810 songs. Endless War from Norther's debut is #3 at 55 plays.)

The 1-2 combo of Deep Inside and Death Unlimited show you that Norther are here to leave the inferiors crying for their mommies and the lovers wanting to thrust horns till their heart's content. But what separates this album from others is what's in between most songs' second chorus and third chorus. Norther shines above others here. In these two openers, it's simple: blazing guitar solos. But in Chasm, it's a bone-chilling low-tone piano+keyboard rhythm solo that'll give even symphonic black metal bands goosebumps. A Fallen Star ends with a minute of just keyboards. The Cure has a rather groovy chorus to complement otherwise uptempo riffs. Then there's Hollow which gets super bass heavy and resorts to death chants like those found on Children of Bodom's Hate Crew Deathroll (title track) along with those low-pitched keyboards (are you familiar with Mors Principium Est's song Into Illusion?) that show you what Norther is really (or was) all about. And then we get Going Nowhere to remind us that Norther can always just pummel us in the face with roaring speed (as if the listener could possibly forget the light-speed assault of the first two songs).

I cannot emphasize enough how much I would like to draw attention to Day of Redemption and Nothing. These songs come at the end of the album, are each 6 minutes, and are like nothing else I have heard from Norther. They are lyrically enticing in a way that demands the listener to search for past experiences so he can identify with the song (like a gothic rock/metal song might; alert to all Insomnium/Omnium Gatherum/Eternal Tears of Sorrow fans), and just when Norther's got you, you'll get the Day of Redemption 2:42 atmo-keyboard/rhythm guitar solo to let you dwindle on your past failures or a repeated riff in Nothing to remind you that you're bound to continue on the path of loss that you've been on. Day of Redemption also features a piano solo 2/3 of the way through the song. Importantly, these two songs are +very+ different from one another; I never feel like I'm hearing even close to the same song twice. My only gripe about these two songs (and possibly the whole album) is that the central riff on Nothing is heard one too many times. Then again, one could argue that its purpose is only served by being heard so many times, like the repetition we hear in Darkthrone-influenced bands or Hammerheart-inspired Viking metal.

(A friend of mine who went to Wacken 2007 saw Norther's set and I remember him saying that he was particularly amazed during the performance of their closing number, Death Unlimited. I also recall him saying that Norther performing live easily slays a performance by Children of Bodom, and he had seen bodom two or three times at that time. I've never seen Norther live, but would +love+ to.)

The Tornado of Souls cover is one of the better covers of a Megadeth song I've heard; Norther puts the famous Finnish spice into it. This album is also Norther's last last to feature a [explosive!!] title track.

This would make a great first melodic death metal album. This would make a great addition to any metal collection. This should be shoved down the throats of anyone who steps foot in a HotTopic store. Okay maybe I'm going over the top. But I think you get my point - buy this @#$% album before you get hunted down for not having heard it.