Norther (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1996 in Espoo, Finland |
| Defunct | 2012 |
| Headquarters | Espoo , Finland |
| Products | Studio albums, EPs, singles, music videos |
Norther was a melodic death metal group originating from Espoo, Finland, established in 1996 and dissolved in 2012. Throughout their career, they produced six studio albums.
History
The band initially formed under the name Requiem in 1996, with members Lindroos, Korpas, and Hallio. Their first full-length album, Dreams of Endless War, released in 2002 through Spinefarm Records, attained the 17th spot on the Finnish charts. Starting with performances primarily in the Helsinki vicinity, their subsequent 2003 release, Mirror of Madness, climbed higher to number 11, which facilitated touring opportunities alongside bands such as Dimmu Borgir and Hypocrisy.
In 2004, the album Death Unlimited also reached number 17 on the charts. Following an active period of live shows in 2005, they issued the EP Solution 7, which achieved a peak position of number 5. During this time, vocalist Kristian Ranta became part of the lineup.
Recording sessions for their fourth studio album, Till Death Unites Us, took place in summer 2005 at Studio Fredman in Gothenburg with producers Fredrik Nordström and Patrick J. Sten. After drummer Toni Hallio exited the band, Heikki Saari assumed drumming duties. The album was released in January 2006 and attained number six on Finnish charts. That same year, Norther composed the track "Frozen Angel" for the Finnish movie V2: Dead Angel, also making an appearance in the film.
In February 2007, they released the EP No Way Back exclusively within Finland and Japan; it topped Finnish music charts. Later that year saw the release of Amoral & Drone alongside a European tour. Their fifth studio effort, N, followed in February 2008.
Lead vocalist Petri Lindroos departed from the band in February 2009 and was succeeded by Aleksi Sihvonen (formerly of Imperanon) in April. To commemorate this transition, Norther re-recorded "Frozen Angel" featuring Sihvonen’s vocals. Their sixth studio album, Circle Regenerated, was launched on 19 April 2011.
Norther’s concluding live show occurred at the Brutal Assault festival held in the Czech Republic on 10 August 2012.
Band members
- Final lineup
- Kristian Ranta – guitar (2000–2012), clean vocals (2004–2012)
- Tuomas Planman – keyboards, synthesizers, electronics (2000–2012)
- Jukka Koskinen – bass guitar (2000–2012)
- Heikki Saari – drums (2005–2012)
- Aleksi Sihvonen – harsh vocals (2009–2012)
- Daniel Freyberg – guitars, backing vocals (2009–2012)
- Former members
- Petri Lindroos – harsh vocals, guitar (1996–2009)
- Toni Hallio – drums (1996–2005)
- Roni Korpas – guitar (1996–1999)
- Tuomas Stubu – bass (1996–1997)
- Joakim Ekroos – keyboards (2000)
- Sebastian "Knight" Ekroos – bass (2000)
Studio albums
- Dreams of Endless War (2002)
- Mirror of Madness (2003)
- Death Unlimited (2004)
- Till Death Unites Us (2006)
- N (2008)
- Circle Regenerated (2011)
Demos and EPs
- Warlord (demo) (2000)
- Solution 7 (2005)
- No Way Back (2007)
Singles
- "Released" (2002)
- "Unleash Hell" (2003)
- "Spreading Death" (2004)
- "Spreading Death" (DVD, 2004)
- "Scream" (2006)
- "Frozen Angel" (online single, 2009)
- "Break Myself Away" (online single, 2010)
Videography
| Video Title | Corresponding Album | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| "Released" | Dreams of Endless War | 4:12 |
| "Mirror of Madness" | Mirror of Madness | 4:32 |
| "Death Unlimited" | Death Unlimited | 4:55 |
| "Frozen Angel" | No Way Back / N | 4:07 |
| "We Rock" | N | 3:57 |