ALBUM REVIEW: Alien – Northlane

It is no coincidence that a lot of music innately channels the experiences of its creators, given that it is often an outlet for personal struggle. With that theory in mind then, some of the subject matter narrated by frontman Marcus Bridge ought to make the latest offering from Australian favourites NORTHLANE a dark and sinister listening experience. Alien is presented as a milestone in the band’s career, acting not only as a chance for them to step away from their progressive metalcore roots, but also for Bridge to lift a burdening weight from his chest in truly explosive fashion.

Since their early days, NORTHLANE have always been seen as something of a trendsetter, having neatly infused metalcore with djent before expertly glazing their own finishing touch over the top. Ten years on from their inception, nothing much has changed, and it doesn’t take long for opener Details Matter to show us that although this album takes a different approach to a decade-old philosophy, it is very much built on the same foundations. Bridge‘s vocals cut through heavy riffs with a snarl, backed by subtle electronics and building a sensation of hostility. Contrary to this, Bloodline begins softer, choosing to grow into a gnarly chorus rather than starting out as an immediate onslaught.

There are less sweeping melodies than previous releases, and the overall tone of Alien is much darker than previous NORTHLANE incarnations, benefiting from a meaty bass-guitar crunch laid down by Brendon Padjasek. There are even traces of a more classic nu-metal style, with the early parts of 4D pulled straight from the LINKIN PARK locker. Groove goes toe to toe with lush crooning, offering us the first heart wrenching track of the album, before Talking Heads brings back the heaviness, showcasing a vocal style different to the NORTHLANE custom. Again, we hear an almost nu-metal low-growl, before a metalcore frenzy is summoned throughout gigantic choruses, largely thanks to the duel guitar attack of Jonathon Deiley and Josh Smith. The band have now long since profited from Bridge‘s impressive range, and the way that he effortlessly switches between unbridled aggression and achingly beautiful clean singing is more profound than ever. As if it were ever in doubt, the prominent drumming of Nic Pettersen is equally prolific.

Much of the album’s themes surround Bridge‘s struggles with abuse growing up, and his experiences of being party to a drug riddled household. Naturally, such experiences lead to a whole range of emotions – some that may be harder to deal with than others. This album does a great job of mirroring this confusing turmoil, by jumping between formats and creating an environment that actually feels uncomfortable at times. We see Freefall standing as the most ‘obviously’ NORTHLANE song, by far the one snippet that would sound most at home on their previous album, Mesmer. It is silky, smooth and emotive, whereas tracks like Jinn and Vulture are much more potent and angry. By contrast, Eclipse is more jovial – think ENTER SHIKARI at their bounciest – and Rift even starts leaning towards post rock territory.

Alien was self-produced by NORTHLANE, and for the most part the result is very clinical. There is the odd moment throughout heavier sections where certain details, most notably the more melodic riffs, feel a little lost in the mix, but this distortion may well be by design, and simply a result of personal preference. And that is one of the key points to take away from this release. They are now five album’s deep, and a lot of assumptions have been made as to ‘what’ a NORTHLANE album should be. This time, they are on a collision course with polarised opinion, and are set to create a real talking point amongst fans. It’s hard to imagine the majority seeing Alien as anything other than a success story, given its relentless and immaculate construct, but it could perhaps be a challenging listen for anyone looking to hear a more traditional NORTHLANE sound.

The main takeaway is that they have chosen to make a massive step forward, but in doing so they have not lost their soul. If anything, this is perhaps the most personal and inward album the band has written, one that moves away from their comfort zone of discussing world issues and instead explores their own minds. As the book closes with final track Speechless and Bridge‘s voice belts high above ambient instrumentals, NORTHLANE can boast that their risk has paid off. Alien might be a huge leap, but stands as evidence that the Aussies are still only just getting started on their road to world domination.

Rating: 9/10

Alien is set for release August 2nd via UNFD.

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