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26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Truely out of this world, September 29, 2003
This CD definetely has to be one of VERY few CDs in my opinion and collection that gets around 6,000 stars. I just can't find anything wrong with it! One thing that might catch you from the beginning is having a bonus video clip for the title track. It's pretty decent, but clips like "Kiss of Judas" are better. Many of you might be wondering just how much you'll love this album because you love Children of Bodom but can't figure out what they do that sounds like Children of Bodom. For starters, you'll think Alexi is on vocals - this guy sounds that much like C.o.B.'s main singer. However, this BEATS Children of Bodom in my opinion. Their new CD is thrashy and too heavy. Also, Alexi sounds more like a hardcore vocalist too often. Back on Follow the Reaper, Children of Bodom was a great death power band. Combine the style of older Children of Bodom keyboards with normal death metal music and you should get Norther. Anyone heard of Skyfire? They also fit into this equation of keyboard-death metal. You should find the music to be not too heavy, nor guitar driven. You won't hear Arch Enemy, Dark Tranquility, or Amon Amarth at all. This is completely melodic - no hardcore. For the most part, if Children of Bodom is your favorite band for that reason, then Norther is bound to be your new at least second favorite. The biggest way Norther sounds like Children of Bodom is that this is mainly power metal (Sinergy comes to mind here) with OUTSTANDING keyboards and a death vocalist. Also, the guitarring that is here is very melodic. The bass is not too heavy, which is Amon Amarth's and crew problem. Those bands also need more keyboards. The overall speed of the CD is much like Children of Bodom's new CD, Hate Crew Deathroll. Onto the cover art. It should set the stage for an arctic feeling, right? Well, it does! So imagine combining Sonata Artica's capabilities (I can't say to combine HOW Sonata Artica does it) with, again, Children of Bodom, and you arrive at the new wonder, Norther. Have you seen the Rocky movies? Particularly the first one, I believe. Norhter, on their last CD, did a cover of "Final Countdown". That might also help you in making your decision. Do me a favor: Did this review help you? If so, say so! Also, I've been reviewing albums a lot lately, so check out some of my other ones.
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great melodic death metal, March 8, 2004
Finland definately has some great bands that comes out from its fridgid temperatures yearly. Amorphis, Children of Bodom, Sentenced, Kalmah, are just a few. However, when I purchased Norther's Mirror of Madness, I found yet another great album and band from Finland.
Now, I should get this out of the way first and foremost before going on. Norther does sound like Children of Bodom on Bodom's album Follow the Reaper, but only in two aspects. Number one, the vocals. The vocals definately sound like Alexi Laiho, I mean, almost indestinguishable. Not that this is a bad thing, but people could get confused if they don't know who Bodom is to begin with. Like COB, Norther uses a dual guitar attack with melodic and harmonizing keyboards. Unlike Children of Bodom however, Norther uses their keyboards more as a seperate independent entity, meaning the keyboards are more in the background then in Children of Bodom, who uses their keyboards heavily to influence the guitars, especially the leads. Norther uses the keyboards not to necessarily flow with the guitars, but to compliment them in certain fills, and to be used as a completely seperate instrument.
As I mentioned eariler, vocalist Petri Lindroos sounds almost exactly like Alexi. However, he also plays lead guitar, like Alexi...but hes an excellent guitarist with some blazing solos on this album. Now even though he even looks like Alexi, could probably pass as his long lost brother, right down to the black painted finger nails, this is only a very eerie thing I am pointing out to anyone who watches the bonus video that comes on the USA version.
Now the music itself. Norther's music is much more mid tempo and mid paced then bands like Kalmah and Children of Bodom. Where as Kalmah is more black metal, and Bodom is much more fast paced thrash, Norther goes inbetween and blends very nicely, a mixture of mid paced, melodic thrash black metal. The guitars, like a lot of Finland bands, sounds like there is a lot of chorus or reverb on them to give them that special "Finland" sound. Even though some of the songs on this album are mid paced, Norther does pick it up pretty damn fast in songs such as "Blackhearted" and the title track "Mirror of Madness". The bass on this album is heavy hitting, with some impressive lines that compliment the hammering drums nicely.
The one thing that makes Norther stand above Children of Bodom are the lyrics. Where as Children of Bodom's lyrics are very short, not seemingly to be well thought out, and just thrown onto an album as an after thought, Norther's lyrics are much more in depth, and more well written.
Is Norther better then Children of Bodom? In my opinion no, but they sound great anyway and I look forward to many more releases from this band.
Memorable Tracks: Blackhearted, Unleash Hell, Mirror of Madness
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
excellent melodic death, May 13, 2006
When it comes to buying an album in the death metal catergory I always look for melodeath and clear strutured melodic riffs. I found all I wanted in this album. I was not disappointed at all as it was definitely an album that "caught my ear" as you might say. This is definitely a striking album well worth buying, which is what I am pleased about. The melodies combined within the music fit perfectly and are structured so uniqely. Mirror of Madness is one of my favourite songs here because it is so different in parts,almost epic. Unleash Hell, just from that powerful beginning gets my heart thudding.However this is not some of their heavy stuff , it is certainly amongst the most blatantly melodic and admirable.
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