Century Media Records has announced the signing of Finnish metal band
NORTHER.
The history of
NORTHER dates back to the year 1996 when
Petri Lindroos (who also joined
ENSIFERUM as lead vocalist/guitarist in 2004) and some friends started playing together under the moniker
REQUIEM. In 2000
Kristian Ranta (guitar) stepped in and the band released its first demo. It subsequently led to a deal with
Spinefarm Records and it did not take long for the guys to find
Jukka Koskinen (bass, also in
WINTERSUN) and
Tuomas Planman (keyboards) to finally create a stable lineup for
NORTHER. Within a few years
NORTHER became one of the most promising Finnish bands combining the best of death, black and thrash metal with haunting melodies. The albums
"Dreams of Endless War" (2002),
"Mirror of Madness" (2003, licensed by
Century Media Records for U.S. release),
"Death Unlimited" (2004) and
"Till Death Unites Us" (2006) helped to gather a worldwide fan base.
In 2007,
NORTHER left
Spinefarm Records to release the
"No Way Back" EP, which entered the Finnish charts at #1 and marked the debut for drum talent
Heikki Saari. Summer 2007 was highlighted by a successful
Wacken Open Air show, followed by an European headliner club tour in October and further progress on completing their new album.
The band's
Century Media debut was recorded and produced by longtime partner
Anssi Kippo (
CHILDREN OF BODOM) at
Astia Studios and mixed by
Fredrik Nordström (
DARK TRANQUILLITY,
ARCH ENEMY,
IN FLAMES) at
Studio Fredman in Sweden. The as-yet-untitled CD will be released in February 2008 and will be presented live at the renowned
Finnish Metal Expo on February 16, 2008 in Helsinki.
Commented the band: "
NORTHER is very excited to announce that we are now a part of the
Century Media family. We have been working hard on our new album for months now, and currently we are finishing the mastering and artwork. All members of
NORTHER are very excited about this new contract as well as the forthcoming album which presents a new found power that we all are very proud of. The album will be released in early 2008, stay posted for exact dates. We are anxious to get this album released through a big label and tour the world like never before. Looking forward to meeting you all at the shows!"
NORTHER lineup:
Kristian Ranta: Guitars, Clean Vocals
Petri Lindroos: Guitars, Vocals
Jukka Koskinen: Bass
Tuomas Planman: Keyboards
Heikki Saari: Drums
