Solution 7

The short period of time between the release of Death Unlimited and Till Death Unites Us was one of great stylistic upheaval in the world of Norther. The band's 2004 album set new standards in both aggression and sheer production, but conversely suffered from an uneven progression and a lack of memorability at points. One of the more staggering inclusions to Death Unlimited were clean vocals, courtesy of Ranta. Considering the group's more mainstream leanings circa this point in time, it should come as no surprise that Solution 7 aims to increase the presence of Ranta's somber intonations while simultaneously earning mainstream appeal.

While Ranta's cleans do summon a unique, foreboding atmosphere on tracks such as "Day Zero" and the unanticipated remix of "Chasm", his accent is thick and he has the tendency to devolve into a nasal whine when he holds out certain notes. The caterwauling vocal lines of "You don't know..." during the chorus of "YDKS" become especially painful when paired with Lindroos' dessicated, churning roars. Ranta would, however, improve on later material; eventually becoming one of the last true highlights Norther had to offer during their waning years.

Of the four new songs, only "Hellhole" makes an exceedingly strong case for itself upon first blush. The remaining three tracks are all familiar Norther material insofar that they all rumble by without nary a change in tempo or velocity, content to just settle in upper-midpaced land for their entire duration. "Day Zero" features some of the best soloing, which even on a throwaway EP like Solution 7, Lindroos and Ranta still deliver in spades. "Thorn" contains some heavier riffs and a stomping groove, making it a historical precursor to the more deliberate, measured tempo of Till Death Unites Us. Regardless, these tracks barely pass muster in light of what came before them. "Hellhole" is a horse of another color altogether, evoking an atmosphere nearly identical to much of Death Unlimited. Tuomas makes his biggest contribution here, with some truly brazen piano arrangements layered behind the guitars. It would almost sound like a cacophony if it wasn't for the tiny bit of restraint holding the affair together.

The Astia Studio production job is admirable for an EP. It takes the abrasive sonic profile of Death Unlimited and beefs up the guitars and bass, taking some of the pressure off of Hallio's lame drumming regarding the band's rhythm backbone. The drums sound great, hampered only by the nonchalant performance. The keyboards are used sparingly, which was the preferred approach by the band by this point in time. Planman has a couple of ripping solos but his unusual choice of synth lead is almost too over-the-top to be taken seriously.

Finally, the decision to re-make "Chasm" with Ranta taking over on lead vocals is no mistake on the band's part. The depressive, gloomy atmosphere makes for an ideal backdrop regarding his gothic inflection and serves as a practical introduction to the man's voice. It is in this context that one can consider Solution 7 a success, simultaneously sating the fans' appetite for new material and stylistically evolving. Passable for what it is.

(Revised/Updated 1/9/14)

Solution 7 is a great EP and a fine taster of what can be expected from the next album. Norther has evolved into a whole new direction and the Bodom influences have changed into Gothenburg influences, especially Dark Tranquillity influence can be heard. The old power metal guitar solos are gone and the songs have been made more heavier, which might drive away some of the fans of older Norther, but the influences will most likely bring many new fans. The EP has five songs and unfortunately none of them are very long and at least I was left eagerly waiting for more.

The first song is called Day Zero and it is absolutely the best song on the EP and probably even the best song from Norther. The guitars and keyboards form a very catchy riff and also on this track Kristian sings some clean parts, among some other experimental effects. At first Kristians song sounded somewhat awful, but after a couple of times it sounds great and fits perfectly with the music. This song is truly a masterpiece although all too short. A song this good should be longer than three minutes, and I hope the enxt album will have a longer version of this song.

YDKS is a little bit more traditional Norther, at least for the hate-filled lyrics. Again, Kristian is singing some clean parts which greatly add some variety to petri's harsh vocals. The guitar solo on this track is a little out of place and doesn't really fit with the song. Also the intro is a bit clumsy, but at least the final metres of this song are good. All in all closer to the previous Norther material than the rest of the EP, but the song is a bit clumsy and forced at times.

Hellhole is another of those teenage angst filled tracks that Norther's material mostly consists of. The track is close to the old material, but the new influences are present. At first the song is very fast, direct and harsh, then it gets a little more melodic for a while, before returning to the heavy and harsh. The keyboards on this track seem a little disturbed and out of place at a couple of places, but I presume that's intentional. Most of the the time they fit with the music though.

Thorn is quite heavy and aggressive song, both lyrically and musically. Petri's voice transmits just the right emotions in this song, especially during the choruses which are somewhat stripped compared to the rest of the song, which works perfectly. Kristian does some backing vocals on this song too, but not as much as on the other tracks. All in all the song is a masterpiece.

Chasm is a remix of the song on Death Unlimited. It's basically the same, but Kristian does all the vocals, with Petri's shouting in the background. I like the original version and at first I hated this version, but now I like this more than the original. And as this song is still the same old song with new vocals, that awesome keyboard solo is still present. Oh I just love that solo. Unfortunately this song is the only song on the EP that's long enough, the others are all too short.

All in all a great EP and I don't regret at all wasting the money on this. If this is what the next album will sound like, I can't wait until the end of the year.