Peggy Clark

Northlane made an incredible album that tells a story. Alien mixes industrial metal with djent. The album has excellent dynamics, and is heavier and more intense than Mesmer and Node. The sound ranges from songs like Details Matter and Eclipse that show the band at their heaviest and most aggressive, to ethereal and beautiful songs like Rift and Sleepless. Other songs like Bloodline are somewhere in between. Jon Deiley did a great job with the instrumental ideas. Marcus Bridge's vocal performance is stronger than ever and he just continues to improve. While a dark album about Marcus' violent and abusive upbringing, it emphasizes that he made it out, and there is a message of empathy and hope for those who have gone through similar situations. Northlane took a risk and explored new territory, and it paid off. Easily a 10/10.