Left Of Centre

They're the first band that's ever topped an end-of-year poll on weekly triple j programs The Racket and Short.Fast.Loud, an accomplishment that can't be taken lightly in an era where style is king. Northlane have done the improbable by crossing the heavy music divide, crafting a record of irrefutable heaviness and creativity with their 2013 sophomore stunner, Singularity.

“I wasn't expecting that at all because there [were] some crazy bands on that list that we were above,” remarks Northlane's frontman Adrian Fitipaldes. “I'm really flattered by the support that the industry has been giving us.”

If you want an insight into that diversity, you only need to look as far as Fitipaldes' iPod to gain a better understanding of where Northlane are coming from with their music. As well as rattling off Bring Me The Horizon's Sempiternal and Balance & Composure's The Things We Think We're Missing as some of last year's best records, the 22-year-old also mentions Drake's Nothing Was The Same immediately after, proof that solid songs, not just certain styles, are keeping the band inspired these days.

“As musicians, what I've been seeing lately in the Northlane camp is that music for us has become less and less about genres and more about music – good music, whatever the genre is,” he says. “We are learning how to appreciate music for music's sake, and not just our favourite genres. I've been listening to a lot of different music lately, ranging from reggae to Alicia Keys, [and] just really respecting good talent and good musicianship is what we're getting into these days.”

Therein sits Singularity's greatest strength – it holds complete disregard to expectations – and you understand that vibe in a little over 90 seconds. Opening stab Genesis twists itself into knots then unravels through the speakers, with sludgy, almost drone-like riffs exploding into a sonic maelstrom. It's unquantifiable, and Fitipaldes' vocal delivery is just as varied as the pounding chaos wrapping around it, setting the tone for an album that is jaw-on-the-floor good, even more so when you consider it was knocked together by five early 20-somethings from Blacktown.

“I like to think that Northlane does our own thing and that we are original and we are being recognised for that, being a bit different and left-of-field from the usual heavy bands,” agrees the vocalist. “I'm hoping it can open the doors to getting fans [in] that aren't necessarily just into heavy music, but that might be into more rock-style music or stuff that we're also interested in.

“[Heavy music] is really becoming more modernised now which I like,” he adds. “It's keeping up with the times and trying to become more modern, whether it's by exploring electronic sounds or [just] different avenues in general. I think it's cool that metal has been reborn into this modern 2013 era that we live in.”

Highlighting the band's reach is Northlane's spot on the full Australian run for Big Day Out 2014 – a more “mainstream festival”, as Fitipaldes puts it. It's a nod which shows how much respect the five-piece have already earned, Australia's flagship festival entrusting them to rattle bones alongside a big list of legends.

“I'm really flattered by [being invited], because it means they've accepted a band like us to be a bit left-of-field and add us to the line-up, just to change things up a bit which I'm really happy about. It's going to provide Northlane with an opportunity to play to a different type of crowd too, hopefully win some more fans over, and I'm just excited to watch Deftones every night because as soon as I found out they were on the line-up I put Koi No Yokan on and started head-banging,” Fitipaldes laughs.

Although they've only recently returned from overseas touring duties – where they're already generating sell outs and seeing barriers collapse under the weight of volatile pits – the band will be jetting off again after Big Day Out for North American and European dates. However, Fitipaldes also reveals that Northlane will be carrying out their biggest ever Australian headline shows later in 2014, admitting he's “got a feeling it will be one of the biggest heavy tours to ever hit Australia”. And after the year the boys have had, you'd be crazy not to back them.

“I'm all about the present moment and bringing attention to the here and now,” he finishes, “and I always tell my boys these are the golden years for Northlane; we've got to live it up and be present and really be happy where we are in our lives because one day when we're old men we're going to look back and be like, 'Fuck, I wish I was back on tour when I was 22 years old'.”