“Talking Heads” is one of Northlane’s darkest and heaviest songs yet

Northlane have given fans the latest taste of Alien, with their newest single, “Talking Heads.”

Having been one of Australia’s largest rising heavy acts over the last few years, Northlane’s upcoming album, Alien, understandably has an incredible amount of hype surrounding it. Having been described as their rawest and harshest piece yet, it appears to be a newer and more personal look at Northlane themselves.

The first single, "Bloodline", showed this effectively through its powerful lyrics, its angrier vocal tones, and its darker sounding instrumentals. Moving on from that, Northlane have given fans the latest taste of Alien, with their newest single, "Talking Heads".

Having witnessed this song being played live already at Good Things Festival 2018, I was buzzing to wrap my ears around it yet again. Opening with dark digital effects and leading into bouncy deep verses, this nu-metalesque sound is a healthy change for Northlane. Touched on and hinted at in "Bloodline", "Talking Heads" sees them take this ball and run with it, as the rough husky guitar and bass tones relentlessly grind in the background. This combines with the tough scream vocals and the technical drums to make for a destructive atmosphere filled with power and aggression. 

Inconsistent pacing and a constant shift in tone make for a sense of uncertainty. This supports the mood that the lyrics set, as the frustrated vocals tell a story of isolation, anguish, and torment. The speaker behind the words is trapped in a seemingly never-ending battle with their own mind, they try everything they can to fend them off, but the voices wear them down. The "Talking Heads" run wild on their insides, and shut them down completely as they win the war.

"Talking Heads" is one of Northlane’s darkest and heaviest songs yet, check it out ASAP: