Northlane - 'Obsidian' - Album Review

Impossible to pin down and frequently confusing fans and critics allong the way, Northlane finally enter that blissful time in their career where they can (and should) do whatever they want, free of public and label demands. With more than a decade worth of milestone releases and nothing left to prove, the Sydney quartet are already an established trademark of quality modern metal worldwide. An amalgamation of everything people love and hate about them, Obsidian is fresh, progressive and innovative selection of industrialised, djenty alternative metal (-core). In other words, it is exactly what what 2022 needs following what 2021 began.

If one follows their diverse discography from the very beginning, Obsidian is hardly surprising, and the most logical continuation of Alien (2019), a second volume of the same saga that is just so much bigger and bolder. A moderately futuristic release, it is a restless dystopian symphony, cold and alienating, yet dreamy and passionate; the perfect clash of metal and electronic music in a way that we have not heard in a while.

Obsidian is written to be diverse and multi-faceted and it succeeds on all fronts, pushing recent trends forward with sheer determination. There are furious metalcore grooves, there are ice-cold djenty riffs, and then there are bouncy industrial beats and chilled atmospheric vibes. It is as much modern Architects and Spiritbox, as it is oldschool Prodigy and Rob Zombie, but above all, it is Northlane and is a must-have self-released modern masterpiece, culminating in the Matrix-inspired world of the lead single 'Carbonized'.

Don't be fooled by me giving the "love and hate" narrative a spin so early, there really is nothing to hate here, and there is a very good reason why Northlane are widely considered as one of the flagmen of contemporary Australian metal, now six seminal records into their career. If old Northlane was amazing, new Northlane is arguably better, naturaly reflecting their own growth as both musicians and individuals. Local outlet Hysteria Mag has just interviewed enigmatic lead singer Marcus Bridge about how Obsidian came to life:

"We’re never trying to abandon our old sound or any of the elements of our sound that we’ve come up with in the past. We’ve always tried to keep it still sounding like Northlane, but then add these new things...I think what we set out to achieve with Obsidian was just to kind of expand what we’ve been doing and to push it as far as we can and see where that takes us. And I think that’s what I think has happened." It has, indeed.

Northlane often fall victims of their own underrated brilliance, raising the bar and pushing the boundaries so much that they inevitably leave a mass of confused ex-fans who just want to return to their last safe space Singularity (2013) and rant about how much alternative modern metal sucks. The band hardly need me to write their public defense, as their music speaks louder than words, so I'm gonna leave this here with an honourary mention of the edgy "I miss the old Northlane" pigeon in the video for 'Echo Chamber'.

Aside from reviews, critics and recommendations, the record is just great fun to experience in its entirety. Kickstarting the cycle a year ago, Northlane have already dropped four promo singles, giving a good idea of what to expect, and still delivering awesome surprises and hidden gems across its near-hour runtime. Heavily synth-led, Obsidian kicks off with the invigorating rager 'Clarity' and keeps you hooked until the very last notes of the moody finale 'Dark Solitaire'.

We have had almost a year to enjoy the ridiculously catchy 'Clockwork' and 'Echo Chamber', the record now following their direction with electrifying new bangers 'Cypher' and 'Inamorata'. Where 'Plenty' and 'Carbonized' unleashed Northlane's signature industrial fury, we now have 'Abomination', 'Xen' and 'Obsidian' opening the black hole of proggy djent madness. And then there is the gentler 'Nova', different and surprising, yet exactly where it should be.

The record is underlined with rage and desperation, born out of confinement and loneliness. Although an year later, it carries the tone and vibe of the dominant trends in 2021, expanding the soundtrack of the cold, dystopian world of isolation and global madness. And yet with all that these heavy themes lurking over its gloomy arrangement, Obsidian suceeds in being upbeat, invigorating and refreshing.

Long story short, Obsidian is deeply enjoyable from start to finish. I can already see how some people won't be impressed, and yet in the context of Northlane's previous releases and the overall direction of bands of such caliber and influences, it makes perfect sense. Carefully thought-out, meticulously executed and masterfully produced, it is a bold release by a band that has never shied away from writing their own rules. While it remains uniquely Northlane, it is different than their previous works in a new refreshing way that is catchy, vibey and heavy in equal measures.

Northlane - Obsidian

Country: Australia

Released: 22 April 2022

Label: Self / Believe

Tracklisting:

1. "Clarity"

2. "Clockwork"

3. "Echo Chamber"

4. "Carbonized"

5. "Abomination"

6. "Plenty"

7. "Is This a Test?"

8. "Xen"

9. "Cypher"

10. "Nova"

11. "Inamorata"

12. "Obsidian"

13. "Dark Solitaire"