August 2023 Featured Release - The Gateway Edition

Another month has come and gone, which means its time to choose our featured albums for the month of August. Since I have the honors in the Gateway clan once again, I am selecting Northlane's 2019 record Alien. I was quite interested in hearing older Northlane after including 2022's Obsidian in my short list for AOTY last year, so now I'm giving myself an obligation to finally listen to the album just before. Also it has ben exactly one year since Obsidian was the Gateway's featured album release; not really relevant, but kind of coincidence I guess.

https://metal.academy/releases/13876

I've done my review, here's its summary:

Alien is one of the best albums I've heard to blend genres from 3 of my clans; The Gateway, The Revolution, and The Sphere. And seeing how well-deserving their earlier albums are of The Infinite, it solidifies Northlane's reign as one of the most suitable bands for me. The band had already reached a decade since formation at that point. Continuing their quest for worldwide fame, they were able to overcome lineup/touring changes. Alien is a true definition of the new modern direction they're going for. Electronic synths become more emphasized, while the riff heaviness and breakdowns are still around. Marcus Bridge continues his vocal diversity. Bassist Brendon Padjasek, who's only in the band for this album, also performs noticeable screamed vocals in a few songs, alongside Marcus Bridge's cleans, and even a screaming duel between the two vocalists. Northlane continues to rise as the album Alien expands their style into different realms. The elements can evolve while the source stays intact. This album is highly enjoyable and can be treated like a journey from the dark Hell to the bright Heaven. A true masterpiece from the masters of futuristic modern metal!

5/5

I finally got around to listening to this album and it was interesting to hear where Northlane came from before they went full into alternative metal. The metalcore roots are still on display with Alien but they do not take as much from everywhere, which was commonplace in earlier Northlane records and other metalcore albums in general. Alien is far heavier than its later project, but the vocal stylings are more diverse and interesting thanks in part to a greater emphasis on harsh vocals and djent-y breakdowns. The album sure is mixed well and has more than enough solid moments to keep it above average, but knowing what we do now, its clear to see how transitory Alien was. As a result, some of the experimentation (especially on tracks like "Rift") don't hit at all and pull the album down as a result. Still, its a fine release and a clever one by a band who knew what they want to do and have carried on with refinement, much to the dismay of older Northlane/metalcore fans.

7/10