Liste der Bands Metalcore The Northern Imperium

Hailing from Toronto, The Northern is a newcomer in the canadian metal scene and is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with, relative to their region. "Imperium" is their first released EP that they self-released and for a first record, its pretty damn good! However, there are some things that struck me as a negative aspect.

First of all, the overall musicianship is quite good! They seem to be very techincal, but very tight and accurate with their timing and tempo. The breaks between some of the phrases portrayed in the song "Purgatory" really struck me as something cool and interesting. The breakdowns played throughout the record are one of the most creative I've heard. Whether it was the guitars producing a moving line in the background or the having dissident chords in between phrases, The Northern really showed off their talent and musicianship in those breakdowns. However, some things struck me as odd. For instance, during the final breakdown of the track I mentioned earlier, "Purgatory", it is very drudgy and brutal, but right in the middle there is a REALLY slow bass slide and it didn't appeal to me. Minute details like this really take away from their true talent and takes the listener off track and doesn't make him or her interested.

The strings in this record portrayed techincal and melodic progressive metal that really shined throughout. The beautiful chord progressions in the title track, "Imperium", and the moving lines in the same track gave me a very celestial feel. The bassist gave a nice solid foundation for the guitar players to lay down their riffs which gives the music a nice bold and full sound. Most of what the guitars did was really cool and brought out a progressive feel to their overall sound that makes them unique and who they are.

The drums are really good in this record. He gives groovy beats to breakdowns and in between phrases like the ones in "Circadian Effect" and "Imperium". The work with the kick drums are fantastic but a tad banal. I wish he would have given the listeners a little more technicality or a bit more brutality to the music rather than matching the bass or rythym guitar line. However, i do believe that he is a great drummer and fits within the rest of the band very well.

The vocalist has this great deathcore-esque low growl that gives the music power and brutality even though the guitars are making a melodic riff. The same goes for his mids, he pushes those out and he gets a great sound. However, his highs could use a little work. In the final track "Midori", he attempts to let out a high screech but it sounds a little off and he doesn't put enough power behind it. He does some talking before breakdowns which in my opinion makes the breakdowns that much heavier. It builds up until he lets out a brutal low and lets the rest take care of itself, and it sounds great!

Though The Northern are newcomers, they have the potential to be a great powerhouse in the world of Candaian Progressive Metal. Each instrument shows off a quality of musicianship that exceeds many artists that are new to the community. However, i do think that as a band they need a little work. This record is good for a new band because it leaves a lot of room for improvement, but stills impresses their audience. As long as they continue to improve and refine what they have already set in stone, they will be a huge player in their genre and the Canadian metal scene. "Imperium" by The Northern gets a 14/20