Northlane - Obsidian (2022)^{Release ID: 36032}

I may have recently relocated to Queensland but I’m still well & truly a Sydneysider at heart which is why it seems almost insane that I’ve never heard a full Northlane record before. I mean these guys have been pretty much a staple of the local scene for more than a decade now but I have to admit that they’ve always sounded like the they’d be none of my business & I perhaps didn’t give the material I did hear much of a chance. Anyway… Andi’s feature release submission has seen me rectifying that situation & I’m really glad that I did because “Obsidian” isn’t what I was expecting at all.

The first thing I noticed was that for a release that’s tagged as industrial/alternative metal there’s a lot more going on than that. In fact, there’s absolutely zero industrial metal here so I have no idea where people are drawing that tag from. The combination of alternative metal, nu metal, trance, djent, metalcore & trip hop that we do get is extremely hard to tag. The djent component is very strong throughout however this record doesn’t belong in The Infinite so I wouldn’t opt for it as a primary on that tag. Overall, I’d suggest that calling this record alternative trancecore is about as close as I can come up with but the result is so much better than that sounds on paper.

You see, “Obsidian” is a beautifully comp[osed, executed & produced effort from a classy artist that knows their sound & how to best present it very well. The band are in complete unison, the breakdowns are thick & chunky, the trancey crescendos are glistening & epic & the vocal hooks are tasty & memorable so the album delivers on everything that this sort of poppy metal release promises on the cover. Front man Marcus Bridge is the clear focal point & the highlight of the album (as he should be with records like this one). The chorus hooks on wonderful tracks like “Dark Solitaire”, “Plenty”, “Cypher” & the brilliant album high point “Carbonized” are nothing short of breath-taking & draw on the very best that Linkin Park had to offer for inspiration. In fact, I’ll be surprised if Northlane’s star doesn’t rise across the globe at a great rate of knots off the back of this record.

“Obsidian” isn’t my usual type of metal record by any means & it took me keeping an open mind in order to leave myself open to its charms but once I did I was transported to somewhere I didn’t know existed, certainly not from an artist from my home town. The idea of the Trance Metal subgenre has always left a very bad taste in my mouth & my experiences with it to date haven’t proven to be anything other than negative however if this record is anything to go by then there are avenues it can take that can be not only successful but genuinely captivating.

For fans of Enter Shikari, Motionless In White & Linkin Park.

In a complete contrast to the new Enterprise Earth album, Obsidian by Northlane has attracted some controversy in the metalcore community while the critic community are quick to throw praise at it. This one is far more expected than the Enterprise Earth album since we have seen this song and dance time and time again; a metalcore band who drops more heaviness with each subsequent release and starts writing actual songs with form rather than breakdowns with interludes. It happened with Bring Me The Horizon, it happened with Architects, and now it's happening to Northlane. 

Those people clearly didn't actually listen to the record. Barring the final four tracks on Obsidian, this record contains most of, if not all, of Northlane's tropes over the last five years. The breakdowns are still as punishing as ever while still being musically involved with the rest of the compositions, the djent elements are technical and robust, and the industrial elements don't sound like this album was recorded in a car manufacturer. And to say this record is lacking metal elements is disingenuous to say the least.

The only moment where this is applicable is "Nova", which might be the most interesting track on the album. It reminds me of a late era Linkin Park song and the atmosphere is quite refreshing following all the djent-y and industrial goodness. Where this record loses me is some the heavier tracks, mostly "Clarity" and "Xen", which sound less like Northlane exploring their desired sound path and rather as a ploy to get useful idiots on board. The way I see it, if Northlane want to drop the heavier portions of their metalcore roots, just do it. Those who would immediately drop you because you are not heavy enough aren't real fans. And there is actually a lot to like here, more so than the new Enterprise Earth album, but like with that record, this band should stick to their lane.

Best Songs: Clockwork, Abomination, Is This a Test?, Cypher, Inamorata

With all this recent talk about Northlane, and me enjoying one of their earlier songs to bits in one of my Revolution playlists, I decided to check out their latest album Obsidian to see if I really do have a chance with this band, and YES I DO!!! They were named after a song from metalcore band Architects and once known for their djent-fueled progressive metalcore sound. While experimenting on their untouchable sound in recent albums might alienate their fanbase, for me, it fits well with my current clans!

Here we have some f***ing bangers filled with emotion and talent in their music. If Obsidian can get you get as excited as I am, d*mn right it will! I'm here to provide usual track-by-track, and while it might not do the tracks in this masterpiece justice, it's all about my reviewing journey.

"Clarity" starts optimistic-sounding, all light and gentle in the electronic without immediately starting in a bang while many other albums in a similar style would. After one and a half minutes, BOOM!! The heaviness kicks into high gear! Switching from melodic vocals and electronics to screams and technical riffs, you're buckled up for this wild ride like no other. A very strong starter track! Building through this 6-minute track, it's not until the 4-minute mark when the breakdown the more hardcore fans are hungry for strikes and gets you hooked in the remain two minutes. Every member shines with the instruments in their own ways. The drumming especially makes that song a standout! "Clockwork" is the second track but the first single, released over a year before the rest of the album. I probably love this as much as any Northlane fan who has listened to it before. Not as adventurous as the opener, but I'm highly comfortable with this breakout track. If you thought this would end the album with the "I’m running out of time" lyric, you're mistaken! It sounds so fresh and strong, and there's more to come in this album soon... "Echo Chamber" is my favorite song here and shows how big the sound can be. There's strong synth-dance bits while staying heavy and vocally diverse. I sometimes feel like I'm in an online vortex where my goals have a hard time being reached, and that's what that track relates, along with the virus lasting for a couple years. Again, that track is the f***ing best! "Carbonized" is another single, this one starting with grungy experimentation in the intro. The screams giving you a moshing urge. The moods often change. Then the chorus adds more life with Marcus Bridge's d*mn beautiful singing.

"Abomination" has different elements and interestingly covers self-reflection to fit with the monstrous sound. When you expect a metalcore breakdown, instead you get a DNB-like dance section! It's great that this journey has something to break the circuit. "Plenty" is one more single as we approach the end of the first half of the album, so the second half would have songs that originally appeared in the album and not before. The second half of that song has plenty of twists that make an interesting standout. I definitely see that as a live staple!  "Is This a Test?" is a test of 90s nostalgia. You can for sure understand when I say that this would fit well in the soundtrack for the rave scene of an action-thriller movie set in the 90s. When you listen, you can hear the palate being cleansed with fresh ideas. There's certainly never any filler, though the tempo change seems too calm for one. "Xen" twists your way back into heaviness in the beginning verses before a light verses. Yet another standout! Your heart would melt by the harmonizing music and vocals, especially when they take a detour away from breakdown territory, into a f***ing searing solo! More harmonies await in that experimental alt-metalcore track! It's another 6-minute track, but the softness is reserved for the two-minute outro. That can be considered the last track before a 5-song encore...

"Cypher" has a long intro following up from the previous track's outro. Beautiful music shows comfort in their creation. They've made an easy song that still speaks more than words. Not regular, but an enjoyable standout! "Nova" is, from start to finish, the lightest song here. It sounds so dreamy in the music and vocals, where Marcus can really shine. So get yourself and gear up for more coming... "Inamorata" is a beautiful song that's the closest we have to a modern metal love song. Oh the beautiful emotion! The title track starts by once again following the light path of the previous two tracks. But after the first minute, we start to witness a climatic epic buildup and wondering if they will ever reach their breaking point. That occurs in the "we’re too far gone" breakdown and final drum collapse. "Dark Solitaire" is the 5-minute ending track summarizing the heavy and light sides of the album. It switches back and forth from a light section to a furious breakdown, and finally ends in an interesting farewell.

The band has been plagued with lineup changes and other problems over the years, but they've never given up. Obsidian is the album they've pretty much dreamt of making, and much different from what they had 10 years prior. Well done, Northlane! You've served a masterpiece for the new modern metal age!

Favorites: "Clarity", "Clockwork", "Echo Chamber", "Plenty", "Xen", "Cypher", "Obsidian"