Album Review: Northlane - Obsidian

As I have touched on before, my reviews come from my raw & unedited notes upon first listen, track by track.

This is Northlane - Obsidian:

Clarity

This song starts off with a very optimistic feeling. The electronics have taken the front seat from the get-go. This is very light and gentle to open. The exact opposite of the last record ‘Alien’ that started off with a bang. The intro to this song goes for a solid 1:30 before it kicks into heavy electronic gear. Bridge’s melodic vocals turn for screams as the technical riffs take over and NOW you’re buckled in for a Northlane record. A very strong start and a very strong opening song. Can see this genuinely opening the obsidian tour worldwide. This is a particularly long track at nearly 6 minutes but the slow build at the start means you’re so hungry for it by the time the breakdown hits at 4 minutes that it’s got you hooked all the way to the end. What I like about this track is that every instrument & member shines. You can hear each piece/talent, it doesn’t wash together. The drumming, especially in the second half, is a stand out here.

Clockwork

The first song we heard from Obsidian and number 2 on the hardest 100. There’s not much to be said that hasn’t already been said about this song and we know you love it. As far as a Northlane track it has everything you want. By no means is it the most adventurous but it’s comfortable and given it was their breakout track as independent artists, it has had its moment. The way Clarity transitions into Clockwork is a fun new way to hear the song. I always love to know where a single will sit in the story of the record. I initially would have thought of it as an album-closing track with the lyrical content ‘I’m running out of time’ but it’s fun to have at the start, giving the track a fresher feel. Considering it is SUCH a strong song so early in the piece, it gives me the idea that there is a LOT to go on this album. Strap in!

Echo Chamber

I have said it once and I’ll say it again, this is my favourite Northlane song ever. In my interview last month with Marcus, I touched on Obsidian feeling like the big brother to Alien and this track encapsulates what I mean there. It’s got SUCH a strong synth and dance element but it’s so heavy and the vocals are on a completely different level. This song covers the theme of being stuck in your toxic vortex online. Something most of us can relate to through the months of lockdowns we have experienced over the last 2 years. It has an angry feeling like the band is telling you they’re fed up with your toxic shit. And I fucking love it. I have said it once and I’ll say it again, this is my favourite Northlane song ever.

Carbonized

The latest single from Obsidian, hitting our ears just before (after?) Full Tilt festival. This song does feel a bit more experimental at the start. It has this slow tempo grungy feel in the intro & verse. Not the typical start to a Northlane track. This might be the best screams we have heard on the record thus far. There’s a completely different emotion you feel with this song. Usually, I get the urge to mosh, dance, scream, jump etc. Somehow there is a mood shifter with this track, I can imagine you’re listening to it a bit, numb, almost. Then the chorus kicks in and you’re back to life. I hate to sound like a broken record but hot damn Marcus can sing and displays that vocal range beautifully on the chorus of this song.

Abomination

Here we go. This is different. There are a lot of different sounds going on in the musical elements of this song. Interesting that a song that’s lyrically covering some self-reflection moments, referring to oneself as a monster & abomination sounds so different on the record. Like it flips perspective therefore so does the sound? The best part about this track is that it builds to what you’d expect to be a breakdown but instead get some kind of dance break. This song holds a DNB tempo throughout and after the last few songs that take you on a musical journey, it feels like a circuit breaker/palette cleanser a little!

Plenty

Another hugely strong already released single. We are at the halfway point of the album and this is the last song we will have already heard leaving the whole second half of the album to experience for the first time. Wondering if that’s intentional? This song takes some twists and turns musically, particularly in the second half. Similarly to Clockwork, it’s interesting to hear where it fits on the record because it stands out so well on its own. Plenty has been getting some huge triple j play and went off when the band played it live at Full Tilt last month. I would t be surprised if this becomes a standout staple track in Northlane's live performance for years to come and is what song people think of when they think of this album.

Is This A Test

Straight up I have 90’s vibes when this kicks in. When you hear it you’ll understand why but as a noob when it comes to musical instruments all I can’t account this too is that I can picture leather jackets and a 90’s rave scene in some kind of 90’s action thriller and this song is playing. Tell me if you pick this up when you’re listening! Again, a slight palette cleanser after Plenty given how much that song stands out on its own. Please do not mistake that with the fact that it’s a filler though, it certainly is not. It’s just a tempo change from perhaps a winding turning song into something a little calmer.

Xen

Keeping in tune with the twists and turns you’re catapulted back into heavy with this song to begin with, but welcomed to a lighter chorus as it continues. Again, in my chat with Marcus Bridge earlier this month I called out that this track was a standout. There is this key moment we discussed in this track where the music melts down and Marcus harmonises throughout the middle. It’s something we haven’t heard from Northlane before. And before they can send you to what might be a breakdown, it rips into a bloody guitar solo? Then back come the harmonies. This might not appear on the surface to be that experimental at first but given where this track takes you I think you’ll find it’s the most outside of the ‘metalcore’ box they have been so far on this record. Another long track that’s nearly another 6 minutes, it softens to an outro at the 4-minute mark that’ll leave you feeling like you’re in music bliss. Picture this as the pretend ‘last song’ before an encore in a live setting. Only we still have 5 more songs to go! 

Cypher

Love the way this has a long intro after the outro of Xen. There’s beautiful musicianship and a level of comfortability in what they’re creating when you’re able to create this freely. That’s what Cypher feels like. They let expectations go that they have to create a cookie-cutter song and just let the music speak for itself. Don’t get me wrong it’s still 100% Northlane, it’s just not a regular song. I like this one. Stand out. It ends quicker than I thought it would.

Nova

From the moment it starts, you know this is going to be the lightest sounding song on the record. It has a dreamy feel both musically and vocally. No one will ever be mad about being able to hear Marcus shine vocally. This will be where the pit lords go to get a drink and gear up for the rest of what’s to come.

Inamorta

I’m not sure how else to describe this song other than it’s just a beautiful, beautiful song. The dictionary meaning of ‘Inamorata’ is ‘a persons female lover’ and it is absolutely for all intents and purposes, a love song. You can feel the loving emotion poured into it. It’s SUCH a beautiful song.

Obsidian

Time for the title track. After two relatively lighter tracks, musically and vocally, this song starts lighter and you find yourself wondering if this is the tone of the second half of the record but this track rates into gear after the first minute. It builds up to a very EPIC feel. It gives a vibe of being sort of at breaking point. Perhaps it’s the track breaking down over the lyrics ‘we’re too far gone’ are screamed over and over. It has an explosive drum finish and feels like this might have been the last point for the band to take out frustrations on the record.

Dark Solitaire

We are at the end and have a 5-minute song to finish off. The whole first half of the record was explosive singles, the second half has been a bit more on the light side, sonically. And then this track feels like the love child of both. It’s picked up the tempo but the song starts light and builds you back to a flashy breakdown. They’re like ‘hold my beer I’m not done yet’ and launch into a final hurrah. The track then has this interesting outro that plays with a few sounds as Obsidian farewells you. Will be great to hear this on vinyl. Before you know it, that’s the end!

Overall thoughts are that this definitely feels like the natural progressive step for Northlane. They’ve matured without sounding foreign and they’ve explored without being jarring. It might feel a little long on first listen, but I know everyone will get something out of each song and pick their favourites to add to playlists and every song has its place.

The guys have been through a few line-up changes and a number of personal challenges, as we all have over the past few years, but it feels like they’re really a unit on Obsidian and honestly just made the record they wanted to make. If you’re looking for discoveries 2.0 you’re not going to get it. If you’re looking for fucking great bangers that give you different emotions, spotlight each member's phenomenal talent and musical growth that gets you god damn excited for a live show, that’s what you’ll get. Well played Northlane. I think this will do very well for you.

Get your pre-orders in HERE before release this Friday, April 22nd

Pick up a ticket to the remaining shows on the Obsidian tour here:

Re-visit our chat with Marcus here: