Northlane are one of the most internationally successful Australian heavy bands of the modern era. The Sydney quintet have spent over a decade building a reputation for djent-influenced progressive metalcore that combines extraordinary technical musicianship with genuine emotional depth and an ambitious approach to sonic experimentation. This is their story.
The Sydney Origins
Northlane formed in Sydney in 2009 around the core creative partnership of guitarists Jon Deiley and Josh Smith. The band emerged from the fertile Sydney progressive metalcore scene that had developed through the late 2000s — a scene heavily influenced by the djent movement that had exploded internationally around bands like Periphery, TesseracT and Animals as Leaders.
The band's 2011 debut album Discoveries established the core Northlane sound — technically complex djent-influenced metalcore with progressive ambitions and genuine emotional weight. The album earned significant critical attention within the international progressive metalcore community and established Northlane as one of the most promising young heavy bands in Australia.
The Singularity Breakthrough
The 2013 album Singularity was the record that transformed Northlane from promising Sydney band into genuine international contenders. Singularity debuted at number three on the ARIA chart — an extraordinary commercial achievement for a progressive metalcore album — and established the band as genuine festival headliners and international touring prospects.
Singularity demonstrated that Australian djent-influenced progressive metalcore could compete at the absolute highest level of the international scene. It was the moment Northlane announced their arrival.
Node and the Marcus Bridge Era
The 2015 album Node saw Northlane introduce new vocalist Marcus Bridge following the departure of original vocalist Adrian Fitipaldes. Bridge's combination of melodic clean vocals and punishing harsh vocals proved to be a perfect fit for the band's evolving sound, and Node debuted at number one on the ARIA chart — a genuine commercial milestone that cemented Northlane's position as one of the most successful heavy bands in Australia.
The 2017 album Mesmer continued the band's artistic evolution with a more atmospheric and experimental approach that drew comparisons to post-metal and ambient electronic music. Mesmer demonstrated that Northlane were not simply refining a winning formula but genuinely pushing their sound into new territory.
Alien and Obsidian
The 2019 album Alien represented a significant artistic leap forward. The record combined the band's djent-influenced heaviness with electronic production elements and genuinely vulnerable lyrical content about Bridge's childhood experiences with abuse. Alien was widely praised as one of the most emotionally powerful and sonically ambitious records in modern progressive metalcore.
The 2022 album Obsidian pushed the electronic influences even further while maintaining the band's metalcore foundation. The record demonstrated Northlane's continued willingness to experiment with sound while remaining connected to their heavy music roots.
Why Northlane Matter
Northlane are one of the most internationally important Australian heavy bands of the past decade. Alongside Parkway Drive, Polaris and The Amity Affliction, they have been genuine ambassadors for Australian metalcore on the global stage. Their willingness to experiment with djent, progressive metal, electronic music and post-metal influences has made them one of the most sonically adventurous Australian heavy bands working today.
For the Australian progressive metalcore community in particular, Northlane represent continuous artistic evolution without commercial compromise. They are the band that has shown how successful Australian heavy music can be while remaining genuinely experimental and artistically ambitious. Keep it heavy.