Sydney metalcore five-piece Northlane have hit double digits in 2019 – it's ten years since they not-so-subtly announced their arrival on the then-burgeoning scene and were met with instant adulation and acclaim. Their output has yielded an album every two years, which brings us now to Alien. Setting aside the fact that their latest is every bit as brutal, technically demanding and elegantly produced as their past releases, the decision to turn the lyrical focus inward, rather than into the cosmos as the band has tended to previously, has revealed another facet to the rough diamond that is Northlane.

Vocalist Marcus Bridge boldly delves into his childhood for subject matter in many songs, most notably in Bloodline, where he sings “I can’t escape you/No matter how far I run/I can’t erase you/From who I’ve become," before unleashing his trademark torrent of spits and growls. Such an unravelling of personal history is clearly cathartic for the singer, but it’s a journey for the listener too. Musically there’s the usual onslaught of tight, sometimes arrhythmic guitars and kit, but there’s plenty of subtle moments that weave a web around the solid stuff.