Norther // Interview with Petri Lindroos

Interview by: Mary Evans via email (December 2005)
Photographs: Mary Evans
Label: Spinefarm

Originally written for Kristian Ranta, this interview was carried out with Petri Lindroos due to time constraints.

First of all I'd like to thank you for doing this interview for us. It's fast approaching Christmas and the start of a new year, how was 2005 for Norther?

Hey there, this is Petri from Norther and I´m doing this interview cos Kride is just too busy with his work at the moment!!!

Anyway, 2005 was pretty good year for Norther!! We only did a few gigs this year cos we were writing new songs in the spring and we had the studio booked for July in Gothenburg.

Our drummer left the band a few months ago and we have new drummer now, Heikki Saari, who plays in Virtuocity too… so we had a pretty busy year with some changes!!!

People are already talking about the new album, Till Death Unites Us, and there is speculation, as with any other release, as to how it will sound… is there anything you can tell us about Till Death Unites Us without giving too much information away?

Well, the sound is a lot harder and heavier and a lil bit rawer too than on the albums before this one!!! But the basic Norther sound is still there, that ain´t Going Nowhere!! And it was recorded is Sweden so that also gives it a different kinda sound too…When you hear it, then you know!!!

The album is scheduled for a January release… will you tour following this?

We really would love to do a tour cos it´s been few years since the last tour but nothing is confirmed yet!! Time will tell…

You've previously said that the band likes to vary its sound slightly with each release, is this still the case?

Hell yeah, like I said in the previous question - you´ll hear it when you get it!!! And of course we like to change our sound in each album so it will be more interesting to us and fans to listen.

You've recently introduced clean vocals and have focussed more on the keyboards… has this continued with the upcoming release?

Yes, it has!!! Kride did clean vocals for three songs on this album (Till Death Unites Us) and I have to say that those vocals sound a lot better than on the Solution7 EP. And keyboards have always been very important part in Norther´s music and still is…

Your lyrics tend to be very dark and you've talked about this being due to the fact that winter in Finland is very long and mention depression and frustration as factors… do you think you'd still write in the same way had you all been in a different environment?

Our lyrics has been always very dark and full of dark humor too, so please don't take those too seriously!!! Heh..I think that we would write our lyrics in the same way no matter where we are!! Would be cool to write the lyrics for the next album in Bahamas or Hawaii while laying in the beach and drinking very cool drinks and watching beautiful girls swimming!!! Or maybe not…

Kride, Jukka, Tuomas and yourself all have involvement in the writing process… is this democratic?

Yes, it´s very democratic and we all write our own songs at home and then bring them to rehearsals and then we compose it to it´s final form. That has always worked out very well in this band and it did while doing this album too!!!

Does the band have an obvious leader?

No, I don't think so!!! We all do interviews when we can and we all take care of the band´s business when needed. Even though I am the front-man, that doesn´t make me the leader of this band in any way!! We are a band, not a project.

I'd like to talk about Norther in the UK now… you recently played at the first Thirteenth Day Festival earlier this year… how do you feel that went for you?

It was very good for us, we weren´t expecting that much of it but we were very positively surprised!!! We didn´t have any idea that there were so many fans for us cos the albums haven´t been available there so good but after all, it was f****** great!!!

Obviously touring is very reliant on promoters but at this stage do you have any plans to come back to the UK in the near future?

I´ve heard rumours that we are coming there pretty soon again but like I said before, time will tell how it´ll turn out!!! But I hope we´ll come back there to drink your booze away and next time, make sure that you won´t run out of vodka!!!

Which do you prefer, writing and recording or touring? Do you find that you can write whilst you're on tour?

Those things are totally different to each other!! When we write songs, we really get into those songs and focus on´em but when we are on tour, we don't write anything there cos it´s only about playing the gigs and drinking booze as much as possible!!! heh..

The band has seen some line up changes but had been pretty stable up until earlier this year when Toni Hallio announced his departure from the band. I've read that this was amicable but was this a difficult time for you as a band?

He was talking about leaving the band when we were in the studio so it wasn´t a big surprise when he made that final decision. And the timing was very good for that cos we didn´t have any gigs booked or anything else coming up either. All of us understood his reasons to quit and we had no problems with that.

You recently released a dvd single but there has been talk of a full length DVD at some point. Are you any closer to releasing this?

No, we are not!! We need more material for that and we are working on it!!!

I'd like to ask more about the Finnish metal scene in general. It's widely respected as one of the best scenes in the world, how does it feel to know that you are a part of this?

It feels f****** great and I really think that Finnish metal scene is the best scene in the world!! We have the best bands in the world too heh... For real, we have really great bands right now and more are coming all the time!!

Is there any rivalry between bands or is it all quite friendly?

We are more or less friends with each other, this is a small country you know!! Everybody knows everyone through someone, if you know what I mean?!!

Are there any upcoming bands that you'd suggest people keep an ear out for?

I gotta tell you that I´m so out of listening to upcoming bands cos I just don´t have the time for that!!! But check out all kinds of Finnish websites for bands, there are a lot of good bands coming up!!!

I've asked this question to bands before, but always find it interesting to know… when writing do you write in English or do you write in Finnish and then translate to English later?

We always write in English, we have never even tried to write in Finnish and I think we never will!!!

If you had to describe Norther's sound to someone who had never heard you before what would you say?

Hmm.. I would say to buy our album and find out yourself..

And which album would you suggest they listened to first?

I would say Death Unlimited cos it´s more Norther somehow…

Which is your favourite Norther album and why?

Till Death Unites Us is my favourite album!!!! It is the best album we have done so far and it sounds like the real Norther now!!

Musically who are your main influences? Both personally and as a band?

There are too many to be mentioned... But I think you can hear those in our music...

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

It was the tour with Dimmu Borgir 2003, it was f******* great!!!

If you weren't in a band what would you be doing now?

Probably drinking my ass off in some crappy bar…

Do you have a message for your UK fans?

Well, get our new album when it comes out from dark Finland, keep on rocking like hell!!! We will do the same here…

Thank you once again for taking the time to answer these questions for us. All the best with the release of Till Death Unites Us and I'm sure I speak for all your fans in the UK when I say this, we hope to see you out here again soon!

Thanx to you too and see you soon!! Petri