ROUNDHOUSE, SYDNEY
IN THEIR
NEGATIVE Energy documentary, released earlier this year, Northlane revealed there had been a lot riding on their 2019 album, Alien. Its predecessor, 2017’s starry, melodic Mesmer, had underperformed, leaving the band facing falling sales and dwindling crowds. Had Alien also flopped, you probably wouldn’t be reading this review, but luckily, it didn’t - the record was the biggest of the Aussies’ career, and the world tour that followed almost completely sold out across the board. This livestream focuses on the band’s crowning achievement: their capacity show at the Sydney Roundhouse in August 2019, and their biggest show to date.
Unsurprisingly, the setlist is heavy on the Alien material, which is groovier, heavier and fuelled by claustrophobic electronics, pushing aside Mesmer’s angular textures. On its release, many fans bemoaned Northlane’s departure from their more techy sensibilities, but the band seem energised by the second chance the newer material has afforded them, and as jagged opener Talking Heads explodes, like a chestburster erupting violently from its host, it’s clearly packing a more visceral punch.