Northlane – Mirror’s Edge (EP Review)

Northlane – Mirror’s Edge
Released: April 12, 2024

Lineup

Jon Deiley // guitar, programming, bass
Josh Smith // guitar
Nic Pettersen // drums
Marcus Bridge // vocals

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Dreams, nightmares or, a memory shattered into pieces? Pick up the mystifying fragments and assemble them together one at a time, forge the Mirror’s Edge and look beyond, what will you find?

The puzzle is complete, it lifts from your hands and begins to glow, a low buzzing fades through your ears. Hypnotically rambling “Beyond the Mirror’s Edge” the voice grows with intensity for each approaching line, with blood cells bursting in your brain you scream it at the top of your lungs and begin your voyage through the Mirror’s Edge.

The aftermath of your decisions reigns down BWOW’s and chugs inducing a ground-trembling atmosphere, tightly surrounding ‘Afterimage‘ its entire way through. The Low C# string takes a hammering command over the groove, moulding it to sound even more dangerous. Using heavily reverbed lead octaves brighten the already blistering hot chorus vocals with such a killer singing melody. Navigating his own internal journey Ian Kelly (Karnivool) brings the flow and serrates his way in delivering nothing but a powerhouse of vocals, jumping between the portals of Marcus’s screams.

Offering to lend his powers Winston McCall (Parkway Drive) put all he had into his guttural performance of ‘Miasma‘. Together they invariably evolve on their electronic prowess, the trebling intro synth builds towards the heavier vibe the guitars display, emphasising that dark, uncomfortable tone that defines the song name. Retaining that strong sound that Obsidian held, ‘Miasma’ carries over the heaviness in every way with predominantly scream and intensive vocals as opposed to ‘Dante’s overall lighter touch. The bass tone was massively pungent in all the right ways, with guitars and drums being far more rapid and technical, especially Nic Pettersen smashing swift fills out like he eats them for breakfast.

There’s always a black sheep, and on this EP’s case that’s ‘Kraft’. Summoning more dance/EDM style beats to pave the next steps Marcus and ex-bassist Brendon Padjasek (Struc/tures) viciously roar line by line after one another spraying venom in every direction. Bopping across the open notes with a more hardcore flavour fitting Brendon’s screams to a T, and with the devilish spike of a slow beat-down to start the crowd-killing, you know this song is going to punish its live audience! A nice touch of singular reverb, delayed infused picking bookmarks one of their signature sounds commonly used among Northlane’s writing formula, adding the necessary etherealism that follows their legacy.

Ascending further up their evolutionary line of Jon Deiley’s heavy EDM influences ‘Let Me Disappear’ erupts the funkiest groove and a sky-high bouncy vocal pattern, if this song came in pill form, I’d double drop it. Leaving screams at the door, the alluring singing from Marcus Bridge slaps the top of his range boarding on strains, keeping up with the hectic energy striking off all over the track. Breakdown or drop? Whatever it was made me fly in the air like rough turbulence on a plane, so brutal.

‘Dante‘ was a perfect start to the next phase, last to be played and first to be released. Jetting through fret mutes in the beginning, it swiftly transitioned to a much more placid flow. This single was all about the grooves and that cathedral, spacey feeling. Accompanied by huge scenic choruses and magnifying high key vocals, reigning themselves in with the dance-filled rhythm puts your feet back on the ground to feel the thrill of the bass run through your bones. All aspects combined really shows off a professional, refined sound.

Taking in everything the Sydney gents have learned over their career, they still find new ways to bring excitement to their music any way possible. Whether a compelling, deep story of life’s negative impacts or the musical influences presented to open minds that accept them, they’ll always have something up their sleeve to keep things fresh, and that’s what I feel they’ve done with Mirror’s Edge. Feeling, Hooks, Heaviness, Versatility, they’re all there.

Take a peak, and see what’s beyond the Mirror’s Edge.

Rating: 9/10
‍Mirror’s Edge out April 12. Get it here
Reviewed by Ed Atlas @YourFavouriteMerchGuy