Review Summary: Discoveries this is not.
Metalcore is such an ugly word. Probably because as a genre it has become so over crowded and worn out by so many bands with their slightly different styles, each filled with the same similar problems. Its no wonder that any band that follows this style has trouble standing out in a genre so incestuous. But that is probably why Northlane’s first album ‘Discoveries’ was such a breath of fresh air. With its blends of tech, atmosphere and use of soundscapes instead of standard song structures that even managed to make breakdowns interesting again. Considering most bands in the genre that favour technicality over verse and chorus structures, (ala August Burns Red) seem to have become a victim of their own prowess. Northlane originally managed to create an album that managed to consistently impress with its ever-changing song structures and wide range of influences.
Fast forward two years and we have ‘Singularity’, the sophomore effort from a band who still have everything to prove. This however, is probably what makes Singularity such a frustrating album. Gone are the carefully layered soundscape based musicianship and has been replaced in favour of low tuned groovy riffs, and more traditional song structures. On paper there is nothing really wrong with Singularity from a commercial standpoint, it features a more appealing track listing to the ever-hungry metalcore fans, with more use of straightforward riffs and clean vocals, even the drumming has taken a back seat.
That’s not to say that Singularity is all that bad, in fact it is generally quite good up until the half way mark. The first real track ‘Scarab’ happens to be the best on the album, probably because it feels more akin to Discoveries with its technical prowess and interesting progression. Unfortunately Singularity is plagued constantly from almost every angle afterwards. Simply because it just feels incredibly lazy in almost every way which is something a sophomore album should be doing everything to avoid. The biggest (and possibly the most disappointing change) is the lyrical content. While Discoveries did feel quite preachy at times, it did also give us an insight into who these kids were, with songs filled with their experiences, but most importantly it felt passionate and genuine. Singularity however is filled with average almost cringe inducing lyrics that just feel forced and at times, are genuinely laughable (Masquerade: You’re nothing but a lying two-faced piece of s**t, yuck). Not to say that Adrian Fitipaldes puts on a bad performance. If you’re familiar with his style from Discoveries you will be pleased to hear it hasn’t really changed for better or worse. His interesting shouts have taken a back seat in favour of his more lower, guttural style.
Big singles Quantum Flux and Worldeater put on an admirable performance that feel correctly placed on a track listing that should be a promise of what is to come, not show the highest points of the album. Worldeater outstays its welcome by barely progressing beyond its breakdown-riddled structure, which is such a shame considering it starts out so well. Quantum Flux can barely be taken seriously after some of the most questionable lyrics of the album in a clean passage towards the start of the song. Possibly the only other interesting song on the album is ‘The Calling’ thanks to its strong vocal performance, every other song on Singularity unfortunately feels instantly forgettable in its second half. Other attempts at experimentation expand into other tracks such as the self titled track ‘Singularity’ with its radio style announcement then leading into a musical section. I would consider this highly original if only Heart Of A Coward had not done a similar thing on their debut. The sheer lack of progression feels like a knife in Northlane’s back considering it was what made Discoveries so promising.
Guitar work is still relatively interesting, if you’re into lots of low tuned grooving riffs, if not, then you should probably give this a miss straight away. Being more akin to a Bring Me the Horizon album (sort of) than a band trying to distinguish themselves from the crowd. While discoveries featured interestingly layered guitars, which took influence from metalcore, hardcore, tech and even post metal. Singularity feels like it has an identity crisis caught on recording. The bands obvious love for technical prowess but desire to appeal to a wider range of audiences just feels awkward and just hinders an album that would have been better off without the need to throw in melodic sections where they simply do not fit.
Production wise, Singularity does sound fantastic, guitar tone is excellent, drums sound tight and vocals dominate through the mix. Bass however is, as usual practically inaudible without high-end speakers. Production does only get you so far however when your songs feel overly similar and actually sounds like a step-back from a discography standpoint. This however will probably not stop the ever-hungry metalcore fans from lapping this up. I’m not saying that Singularity is a bad album; it is just unfortunately an incredibly forgettable one. If anything, it’s probably better to just go give Discoveries another spin.
