Band: Northlane
Release: Singularity (Album)
Release date: Out now
Aussie metalcore artists Northlane have released their second full length album, ‘Singularity‘, a tirade of angst-ridden guitar parts, screams and distortion. While it does little to break from the fairly formulaic genre, its a strong release in itself, showing the power and emotion poured into each and every track.
Sticking resolutely to the scream-shout-scream pattern, the first two tracks ‘Genesis‘ and ‘Scarab‘ whirl past in a crash of distorted guitar and heavy drumming. Its an impressive start to the record, with the latter track barely pausing for breath with a few haunting cries in between the guttural growls.
‘Quantum Flux‘ is the most pop-inspired track on the record, though that doesn’t say much. Easing into the heavy part with a whispered verse and even when it reaches its climax, erring on the side of shouting rather than screaming, its a more accessible track for those with less of a heavy taste. Lyrically, its a touching piece, made even more so by the fact that the words are more clearly enunciated than in the previous tracks.
‘Masquerade‘ turns the angst-spotlight on the band’s friends, with the closest thing the band come to a catchy chorus. There’s hints of A Day To Remember in there, with enough of a beat to satisfy a packed rock-club.
‘Singularity‘ brings in a poignant introduction, with a low-key piano part and a recorded message breaking through the static. Its a lovely soft moment on such a full-blown collection of tracks. Its definitely worth a couple of listens, just for the message alone.
Aside from a few break-through tracks, this is a fairly standard release from a reasonably accomplished metal-core act. ‘Singularity‘ should satisfy the band’s existing fanbase, but it would be more impressive to see something that pushes the boundaries of the metal genre, rather than adhering so tightly to the standard formula.
6/10
Reviewer: Natalie Gardiner
