EP REVIEW: Northlane – Mirror’s Edge

’…for Northlane, this represents a solid but ultimately disappointingly safe release…’

Should a music project be reviewed in a vacuum, divorced of external context? Or, rather than just talking about the music quality, should it be reviewed in the wider scope of an artist’s canon, alongside perhaps even further external factors like time and culture?

Personally, I believe in the latter; if a band only has access to a limited amount of resources yet manages to produce something great, that should be considered. The inverse is also true; if a band has a wide range of resources, and a provable track record of great material, then that should also be considered.

Why does this matter? Well, whilst ‘Mirror’s Edge’ is a good EP, it also acts as a disappointing misstep for Northlane.

One of the many metalcore acts from Australia that found major success during the 2010’s, it’s been a rollercoaster for Northlane up until this point. Their first two albums achieved a cult following, before the band had to part ways with their vocalist due to medical issues.

For album three, the band were joined by current vocalist Marcus Bridge, and shifted their sound to a far more electronic and ambient influenced style of metalcore. Fans were divided, but the success that the band found with album four, ‘Mesmer’, proved that they had made the right choice.

All of this culminated in their phenomenal fifth record, ‘Alien’, which took a far more introspective approach lyrically, whilst pushing their sound in an industrial and EDM direction. It saved the band from financial ruin, and established them as one of metalcore’s finest outfits.

’Gee, Ry! That’s a lot of exposition,’ you may be thinking, but it’s for a very good reason; for a band this accomplished, with so many historical highs, this is an EP that, whilst being a solid release, is packed with baffling missteps.

Certainly, the singles stand out as the highlights here. ‘Miasma’ is a crushing metalcore beast with phenomenal guest vocals from Winston McCall, but ‘Dante’ is the track that truly captures what makes Northlane so special; not only are the vocals particularly compelling, the gorgeously luscious instrumental arrangements perfectly blend the band’s heavier and more electronic elements in a grand yet tasteful manner.

Alas, much of the rest of this EP feels like ideas that are a little undercooked; some nice chunky riffs, and some cool guest vocals, particularly on ‘Kraft’ with Brendon Padjasek, but much of the material just feels like it wanders around a little aimlessly, before ending without much fanfare. Stylistically, it also retreads similar ground to the band’s older releases, but without their signature flair; it’s good metalcore, but it’s not Northlane-good metalcore.

On top of all of that, aside from the singles, the mixing is varying of disappointing, which is a very strange flaw for a Northlane record. Much of the material feels muddy and lifeless, any electrifying elements obliterated and compressed into an unflattering wall of loud heavy metal. If a local outfit with barely any budget had this issue, it would be excusable; for Northlane, it’s a confusing oversight.

That mentality sums up much of this record. Yes, this is a good EP, but it’s JUST a good EP. If your favourite local act put out ‘Mirror’s Edge’, it would be impressive. But for Northlane, this represents a solid but ultimately disappointingly safe release that maybe could have used a little more time in the oven. Absolutely worth a listen for hardcore fans of the band and metalcore as a whole, but it’s unlikely to earn many new fans.

RATING: 73/100 – Good

For Fans Of: Void Of Vision, Periphery, Spiritbox, Bring Me The Horizon, Parkway Drive

Physical copies are available to be purchased here.

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