Exploding out of the Western Sydney suburb of Blacktown in 2009 in a flurry of technical riffing, off-kilter time signatures, and melodic choruses, Northlane ascended quickly to the upper echelons of the Australian metal scene. Never ones to shy away from brutality–witness the savage attack of early song “Abrasumente” and the more anthemic yet blistering “Masquerade”–the quintet has somehow managed to get even heavier with age, while also broadening their musical perspective to include electronic elements. (Witness the feral, ugly din of songs such “Talking Heads” and “Vultures” off 2019’s Alien.) Following on from the success of 2013’s Singularity LP, the Sydney outfit pulled off the rare feat of becoming even more popular after changing vocalists, with Marcus Bridge taking over frontman duties from Adrian Fitipaldes in time for 2015’s Node album. Bridge brought with him a more personal lyrical focus, as evidenced by the bruising lyrical themes of songs such as “Bloodline” and “Enemy of the Night,” which detail his being raised by drug-addicted parents, a harrowing accompaniment to the band’s ferocious musical output.