2013 has certainly been an exciting year for heavy music fans the world over, with Bring Me The Horizon, Soilwork and Killswitch Engage releasing some of their most diversely impressive material to date. So how do the Aussies weigh up against the titans of International heaviness? In the case of Northlane they certainly not only hold their own, they surpass expectations. Singularity was recorded in a shroud of secrecy late 2012 with Will Putney at The Machine Shop in New Jersey.
Musically, Singularity is absolutely awe inspiring and sonically devastating. Discordant and sometimes jarring riffs are punctuated by surreal melodic undertones; Vocalist Adrian Fitipaldes brings so much positivity within his lyrics and even his vocal delivery. This is such a refreshing thing in a sometimes negative music genre. The lead single, ‘Quantum Flux’, showcases a prime example of such positivity with lyrics like “Feeling all the love I swear that it’s in the air leaving me; floating forever into infinity”. Beautiful, right? Don’t fret, it’s not all daisies and rainbows in the Northlane camp, with the searing and bitter animosity that oozes out of tracks like ‘Masquerade’, which features a crushing guest vocal from Drew York of soon to be tour mates, Stray From The Path. The real test for Northlane would be to pull off these amazingly complex sounds capes in a live setting.
All in all, Northlane certainly have stepped up the ante for bands in the Australian Hardcore scene and have sent a powerful wakeup message to all the International bands that our scene is vibrant, crushing and ready to take on the world. Djentleman, Watch this space.
UNFD
9/10
Reviewer: Luke Cowan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tq11nVljASw