Reviewing albums like Northlane’s Alien is always going to be a little problematic.
Fans have their steadfast opinions, and magazines will write things like, ‘not everyone will like their new direction, but there is no denying that they have taken a creative and rich path’ perhaps in the hope to be invited to a VIP show or something? I don’t know, but dear listener, if you’ve read my reviews before, I’m not about to start blowing smoke up your skirt – I’m going to call this as I see it.
The thing that struck me about this album was the distinct lack of guitar in the mix – even in the case of some of the breakdowns. Most of the melodies are carried by the synths, with the drums sounding much more like a drum machine than an actual drummer. Aside from 1 or 2 tracks, the bass guitar is relatively non-existent. The vocals are heavily reliant on effects, which I found really odd considering his natural distortion is pretty cracking. I will say though, that the production value is pretty sweet if not a little over distorted in places. With all of that being said, I need to point out that I just don’t relate to this recording as a metalhead. The release sounds a lot more like an alternative, industrial rock band from the 90s than a metal band from the 2000s. I don’t think this is a problem, it just doesn’t have the basic elements of metal. I know that statement is going to get some people off-side, but hear me out on this one. A better guide is needed for what we mean by ‘metal’, and I’m not getting into a genre war here, it’s important because when a reviewer like me listens to something like this and doesn’t connect to it, it’s because it’s missing some of the basic ingredients. Just having distorted guitars and the occasional scream doesn’t make your metal.
Metal is that visceral feeling in your gut – emotions of pure anger.
Sometimes it is mixed with sadness and disgust, but at the base of it is anger. And you can’t just have the odd 12-16 bars of it, otherwise, you’d be calling 12 Foot Ninja smooth jazz due to the outro of One Hand Killing. It needs to be the primary thing you are selling. Go on, point out that one ‘awesome breakdown’, but the truth still remains in tracks like Eclipse, Rift or Sleepless. No metal album has 3 tracks so far removed from their sound of anger. And don’t hide behind the term ‘progressive’, Opeth is progressive.
Devin Townsend is progressive. Northlane is Northlane, an alternative rock with a synth-base, and just isn’t metal. Suitable for those who wear t-shirts of bands that they don’t listen to.
Release Year: 2019
Label: UNFD
Category: Album
Country: Australia
Reviewed by Liam Frost-Camilleri