2015's Node was a great way to open up the second chapter in the band's trajectory and featured a fantastic performance from new singer Marcus Bridge, but definitely felt like a transition album for a band that had forged such a signature sound and was in the middle of great change. Mesmer immediately feels a lot more comfortable than Node for a bunch of reasons, which is to be expected now the band has been touring with Bridge almost non-stop for more than two years. While the production on Node didn't quite fit the sound they were going for and seemed a little flat across the board, David Bendeth (who has credits like Bring Me The Horizon, Paramore and A Day To Remember against his name) managed to produce something incredibly dynamic and punchy. The bass is further forwards in the mix and adds a really nice warm bottom end to the bouncy, groove-based riffs that are literally all over Mesmer. There is a definite Karnivool influence on a lot of these songs, in particular songs like "Colourwave", "Solar" and "Veridian", and they even draw from the Meshuggah bag of tricks on the bruisingly heavy opening riff on album closer "Paragon". Synths make more of an appearance on Mesmer than any previous Northlane album, and while they can sometimes feel a little contrived for the most part they serve to create a unique and moody atmosphere (the middle section of "Citizen" is a great example of this).
Lyrically Mesmer is a lot more personal than Node, and while it does definitely explore the existential themes Northlane are known for it feels like the band has opened up to more personal topics and experiences as well. There are songs about personal loss and death, as well as "Paragon" which is an emotional tribute to the late Architects guitarist and songwriter Tom Searle. The band has spoken about how David Bendeth facilitated and encouraged a process of breaking down their protective walls and making them more willing to bear their vulnerabilities and insecurities between themselves and in their music.
For me the one of the best things about Mesmer is how well Bridge now fits in their sound. Like I said earlier, Node felt like a transition album, and while that album is still pretty great and has some awesome songs on there, it definitely sounds like more of a presentation of Bridge's voice than a Northlane album. They hadn't quite reconciled the immense talent of their new singer with the instrumental style that Northlane were so well known for, and there was a distinct lack of symmetry between the vocals and music. I suppose this was always destined to be the case coming straight after 2013's Singularity on which previous singer Adrian Fitipaldes was at the top of his game and the band were on the exact same page as him in every aspect. Given the time to grow into his role in the band, Bridge seems much more at home on Mesmer, and there is a much more tasteful use of singing and screaming. His screams have more warmth and grit to them, while his singing voice is still just as stunning as we already knew it was. Where Node didn't seem very consistent in the way it was split between singing and screaming, Mesmer has a better grasp of the ebb and flow between the two and the space between the two.
The final area that Mesmer betters Node in is the consistency of the quality of songs. Songs like "Leech", "Rot" and "Ra" off Node are among the better Northlane tracks, but there is the occasional dip in quality over the run time, and they have become more apparent as time goes on. These were audible to me on first listen, and having listened to Mesmer four or five times now there aren't any of these blemishes to be found. Each track goes somewhere fresh and new while maintaining the Northlane 2.0 sound they have established; comparable to the way the excellent Singularity followed up on the dynamic but flawed Discoveries by taking the blueprint and realising it fully in striking colour and life.
Whether or not it sits above Singularity will have to wait for time to pass and tell, but Mesmer is a bold and confident step forward into the unknown, and one that is extremely enjoyable to listen to. The riffs, the grooves, the soaring choruses, the crushing breakdowns, the hypnotic lyrics and ambient guitars are all there in equal shares, but they come together to make a sum far greater than its parts.
Mesmer is one of the most exciting heavy records in years; something that demands repeated listens but also is instantly memorable.
Favourite Songs: "Citizen", "Colourwave", "Intuition", "Zero-One" and "Paragon"
Least Favourite Songs: uuuuhh...
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