“The things that we love just hurt us in the end.”
Northlane’s trajectory over the years has proven to be one of the most fascinating in metalcore. Finding their footing with two of the most beloved 2010s djent records in Discoveries and Singularity, the subsequent induction of vocalist Marcus Bridge in 2014 saw the group shift gears toward a new direction. This shift resulted in two records, of similar intent, but certainly not of equal execution. 2015’s Node always felt like the awkward middle child of the band’s discography to me – caught uncomfortably between what was expected of the group, and what they actually wanted to do. Mesmer, by contrast, felt like the Australian group fully realising the sound they were going for; embracing huge choruses and more unique textures, whilst also maintaining a steady throughline of proggy goodness that the group seemed intent on retaining.
There was another shift yet to come, though, and one that proved to be far bolder and fairly unexpected in nature. 2019’s Alien ushered in a new era of reinvention for Northlane, diverting their aim from their fairly broad-reaching brand of ethereal progressive metalcore, into a darker and wilder take on the genre. Don’t get me wrong, their djenty sensibilities still remained – and if anything were heightened here – but their shift toward embracing their love for EDM, industrial, nu-metal and beyond led to what I believe to be one of the greatest rug-pulls in heavy music.
Alien was, by all intents, not for everyone as a result. What it represented, though, was a rehabilitation of Northlane’s image; and a bold redefinition of what they sought to bring to the table to boot. Textured synth and pad work; a darker, heavier sound replete with primal grooves and ferocious riffs; topped off with the most personal and vulnerable lyrical content the band had embraced yet. This was the new ground zero – the new status quo for Northlane – and that was only further bolstered on their 2022 goliath, Obsidian.
Obsidian sought to dive even further into the band’s influences and admirations, providing an even broader sonic palette that, while some may decry as having spread itself a tad thin, I personally found quite an affinity for. Elements of trip hop and trance made their way into Northlane’s expanding sound, and the record as a result truly felt like the most logical and natural progression of their newfound creative ethos. They found great success within Alien and Obsidian, too, with both records containing a significant number of their biggest hits to date.
I feel it’s important to demonstrate the lineage of this group, not simply for context leading up to Mirror’s Edge, but also to demonstrate just why I have been so enamoured with Northlane for so many years of my life. I believe their dedication, especially in the past five years, to an unwavering and unflinching level of creativity and boldness within the genre space they occupy is above and beyond many of their peers, and that they deserve significant credit for that in a genre that can at times be dishearteningly complacent.
Mirror’s Edge is an undeniably complicated release. Their shortest mainline release to date, and one that, unfortunately, perhaps marks the first misstep in their progression since Node, Mirror’s Edge represents an interesting dichotomy. Interesting in that I believe what made Obsidian such a strong project through its broad-reaching identity and willingness to try to integrate seemingly anything and everything into Northlane’s steadily snowballing sound, actually harms a project that clocks in at under half its length. There’s certainly still a great deal to dive into and love here, but it’s the first time since 2015 that I’ve left a Northlane project feeling as though more could have been done – that they were so close to the finish line, but didn’t quite cross it, and there are clear indicators as to why, even through its many strengths.
A notably collaborative project, Mirror’s Edge marks the band’s first release since Singularity to contain any vocal features – and there are a lot here given the project’s length. Karnivool’s Ian Kenny, Parkway Drive’s Winston McCall and Structures vocalist/former Northlane bassist Brendon Padjasek all make appearances across the EP’s 24-minute runtime, and actually all make a significant positive impact on their respective songs. Mirror’s Edge also marks the first time that famed producer/’guy who is fucking everywhere’, Will Putney, has returned to the helm of Northlane’s production since Node.
After a brief introduction, “Afterimage”, featuring the aforementioned Ian Kenny, ushers in a simple, groovy, down-tuned riff that sets the stage well, if perhaps standing as a tad mid-tempo for their standards. This track instrumentally embraces much of the same nu-metal influence seen on Alien, feeling like a spiritual – in more ways than one – successor to a track like “Bloodline”. Bridge and Kenny trade off vocals across the track’s punchy verses and floaty, earworm chorus, proving to be a highly synergetic and fitting collaboration. The track’s brief, choppy djent breakdowns amongst textured ambient synths feel aptly Northlane, even if, as a whole, it feels more like a safe retreading of past ideas than something quite as new and refreshing as the opening numbers from Alien and Obsidian.
A problem begins to emerge here with Mirror’s Edge’s production, though, and especially through to mid-EP cut “Kraft” – the vocals are simply too quiet at times. The chaotic layering and production elements have a tendency, especially on “Kraft”, to bury much of the vocal presence, when often they feel that they need to be front-and-centre. It’s a tad frustrating, as the case could certainly be made that “Kraft” is one of the strongest cuts here with its fierce riffing and absurdly cool rap-flow vocals that see Bridge and Padjasek bounce off each other in swaggering fashion. It’s undeniable, though, that the frequent lack of clarity in the vocals here makes a significant hit in such a vocal-centric song.
Further, while the track contains much to adore in its unabashed heaviness and chaotic guitar work, “Miasma” at times feels like a failed opportunity. The riffs on display here contain so much groove and frenetic energy, that often doesn’t feel capitalised on by Nic Pettersen’s drumming. To be clear, Pettersen is a world-class drummer, who has provided so many of my favourite grooves over the years, but his work here feels intentionally avoidant of groove, and I believe it harbours a significant detriment on the songwriting and performance across “Miasma”, and much of Mirror’s Edge as a result. This is especially evident in the track’s initial breakdown, where it feels like it’s begging for a more open, driving groove, but stays awkwardly seized, locked and metered for long periods.
The ultimate issue with Mirror’s Edge, is that while many of these songwriting and production choices seem intentioned, they still often feel underdeveloped or not nearly explored enough to justify themselves. The key example of this is in “Let Me Disappear”, a contender alongside “Kraft” for the strongest track on the EP to be sure, but one that is still mired at times by strange production and songwriting choices. The stellar vocal delivery across this song provides one of Bridge’s most impressive performances to date, yet its awkwardly mixed EDM-to-djent whiplash in its breakdown saps a lot of life out of what could have been a truly effective moment, potentially akin to the breakdown in Obsidian’s “Cypher”, due to what feels like a lack of balance in the mix undercutting the heavy guitars, making them feel lacking in presence. It’s emblematic of a larger issue with Mirror’s Edge, as each track truly does contain something to love, but often contains an equally frustrating choice that undermines much of its own intention.
The most truly consistent track here stands in the EP’s lead single and closer “Dante”, which sees Northlane embracing a far more subdued and melodic angle to their sound, influenced in equal measure by progressive metal and drum & bass. It’s a gorgeously composed, well-mixed and, perhaps uncharacteristically, straightforward track for the band in terms of songwriting and exploration, but it displays relative strength in its simplicity as a result when compared to the mix bag on display across Mirror’s Edge, which often falters for the sake of experimentation. The concession here is that, “Dante”, for all its relative strength, still feels like a stark downgrade in emotional effectiveness or impact when compared to traditional Northlane closers, lacking in the depth, creativity and rawness the band has set a standard for on previous releases, even if it does cap of Mirror’s Edge on something of a good note.
None of this is to say that Mirror’s Edge is a particularly negative experience overall – and this criticism certainly comes from a place of love – but as someone who has admired Northlane’s progression over the years, this feels like a poorly intentioned step back at times. With some further time to develop and hone in on the ideas on display here, Mirror’s Edge would have the opportunity to be something truly special, but it feels as though, for the first time in years, the band aren’t so intent on pushing the envelope in the same way they have been, and are being held back in equal (if not heightened) measure by a lack of polish in the production end that is truly and puzzlingly unbecoming of the band at this stage in their career.
6.5/10
Mirror’s Edge is due for release this Friday, April 12th via self-release, and you can find pre-orders here.