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Norther : No Way Back
Spinefarm Records 2007
Posted : 11.04.2007
Done by: Marta Molina

1. Frozen Angel 04:07
2. C.U.S. 03:13
3. No Way Back 05:20
4. Reach Out 03:38 5.
5. Close Your Eyes 04:37

Total playing time 20:55

So, here we have Norther’s new fatigue. And not even a year has passed from their last full-length, Till Death Unites Us. Prolific, are they not?
The new EP, named No Way Back, is born mainly for the presence of the band in the finnish movie “Vares 2 - Jââtynyt enkeli” (in English Dead Angel, even if the correct translation is Frozen Angel), where the band has a part both as actors and as soundtrack, with two songs from the EP, Frozen Angel and Reach Out, and is mainly the product of the front-man Petri Lindroos and of the axe-man Kristian “Kride” Ranta.
And it is with Ranta’s Frozen Angel that the EP starts, song chosen also as single. A nice and catchy song indeed, with good riffs and energy. Good was also the choice of the use of the voices. Lindroos growls are replaced by Ranta’s clean vocals in the chorus, in a solution the band is using more and more, but always with good taste and effectiveness, and never in excess. Both the vocalists has grown vocally, especially Petri, whose harsh vocals seems to only get better and wider, both live and on record. Nice solos, if not the better of the record.
Second song of the EP is C.U.S. (stands for See You Suckers), born from the hands of Ranta and Lindroos. A thrashy fast song, extremely fresh, with good solos from both the guitar players, and effective strong riffs. Weak point of the song is probably Ranta’s lyrics, but these guys have always showed us a good dose of irony, and with the right irony the lyrics should be taken.
Third song of this work is No Way Back, the title track. Real pearl of this EP, this Lindroos song is probably one of the best songs Norther ever wrote. Like few other Lindroos’s work, it’s a love song about a love when, of course, bad. A quite over-rated theme for sure, but the singer never fails at it, and rarely abuse it. To touching lyrics that’ll make Norther’s Evil Ladies melt, this song unites soulful melodies and good atmospheric melodic riffs, showing the band at it’s best. Some may complain about the absence of a proper solo, but this song is perfect as it is, no more, no less.
Reach Out, again a Lindroos work, wakes us from the muffled atmosphere of No Way Back, and reveals itself probably even more thrashy than C.U.S., even if more melodic maybe. After the good proof of No Way Back lyrics, we’d probably expect something more from this song, but nonetheless Lindroos words, once again of love, are fine, and perfectly balanced rhythmically. The solos are melodic, and of a great effect. Nice choice the change of tonality in the end.
Last song of the EP is Close Your Eyes, by Ranta, probably the second best song of the record, with dark, heavy atmosphere. Ranta likes the use of clean vocals and uses it, this time in combination with harsh ones, on the chorus. Musically this songs have a few very nice moment, one overall the small double guitar solo. Also, the drums deserve a special note on this song.
The drummer change was good for Norther. Toni Hallio, old drummer, and co-founder of the band with Lindroos, was a good drummer, but young Heikki Saari, who unlike most think makes his first appearance on this record, even if he was credited in Till Death Unites Us booklet, is in perfect symbiosis with it’s instrument, showing a very good technique, and a lot of musicality, showing up especially, as said before, in Close Your Eyes.
In conclusion, here we have a good work from a young band with a short but intense career. An EP all the fans should have, and a good start for those who do not know this band yet.