Words: Ryan Getz

Northlane’s new release Node is what I’ve hoped for from a heavy band for awhile. I realize that is sort of a vague introduction to this review, but frankly it’s true. The more entrenched I get into music exploration the more my appreciation grows for atmospheric elements in music. Combine this newfound love with my roots in heavy music and it really shouldn’t surprise anyone that Node works for this writer.

I can picture the lyric videos in my mind for this band, even though I haven’t seen one. Wonderfully abstract and otherworldly visuals to go with the vibrating text we often see in these sorts of creations.

And, forgive the streams of consciousness format of this review, but the drumming in “Leech” really stands out. The breakdown is creative. The buildup to the breakdown is fun and suspenseful. If breakdowns can be atmospheric purely from the percussion’s standpoint, “Leech” accomplishes this.

While a lot of Node has a prog-metal feel, at times the band opts to go more in the direction of Circa Survive – such as in “Weightless.” While listening to this song, you really do feel like you’re floating, especially as we approach what we think will be a thrilling conclusion. Instead of getting predictably loud after the bridge, the band opts to let us hang in the void they have created, left to ponder our own thoughts and feelings that have just been conjured. And of course, the more mysterious, the better. I mean, they follow up “Weightless” with a song named after the Egyptian sun god. It doesn’t get much more mysterious in a geeky sort of way than that.

Northlane is the sort of band that I could be becoming the Tame Impala of metal in the US. That is, an Australian band with epic soundscapes widely lauded as being one of the best in their genre.

Score: 4.1/5

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/177218512″ /]

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