Norris

Thunder Bay, ON technical beasts Norris have unleashed their third full-length album, The Great White North. This self-produced release marks a new chapter in the band's career. This album succinctly and intelligently fuses their technical mastery with sophisticated and melodic songwriting, drawing from contemporary hardcore influences, infused with their unique technical metal style. The Great White North features a constantly changing and unpredictable cacophonous frenzy of catchy twists and turns that keeps you on your toes. The most impressive feat is the fact that their technical mastery never takes priority over their emphasis on innovative, intelligent, melodic songwriting. Melody and emotion are carefully amalgamated with solid, crushing brutality and their intuitive songwriting overcomes the dull monotony technical music so often succumbs to. The album is creatively arranged into two parts: the first half features an introduction to the intensity, finishing of with "The Dregs," a passion driven-union of melody and ferocity. Marking the mid-point of the album is "Peasant," an eerily somber piano interlude that announces the progression into the introspective and emotionally aggressive second chapter. The Great White North is a musical accomplishment for Norris that leaves one hopeful and excited to see what these talented tech-metal mammoths will do next.