Facedown Records has signed the band Northlander to their already awesome roster. The band play a moody yet inspiring blend of emo and alt rock while maintaining their post-hardcore tendencies. This band featuring members of Fallstar are an enlightening listen from start to finish. Head over to digital networks to listen to their two new songs “Cliffs” and “Heavy Fruit”. Fans of Everything In Slow Motion, My Epic, DENS, Silverstein, Anberlin, and Saosin take note. “Forces of Light” is out December 6th via Facedown Records. You can order the album on CD for just $3 right here (check out those shirts). Listen to two new songs, below.
Listen to the first two singles “Cliffs” and “Heavy Fruit” now on Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, and Amazon.
With Forces of Light, Northlander writes an emo/alt rock record that only a hardcore band could write. The songs set the bar for what it means for an artist to tell the truth in their music. Over the course of 14 songs the band travels through the story arc of a life lived with intention and lightness, and how that plays out in the midst of disaster and human failure.
Forces of Light was written from the end of 2015 until the end of 2018 and features additional production by Ryan Furlott (It Prevails, Defeat the Low). Before forming Northlander, all three members wrote and toured with Fallstar (Facedown Records) for the past 9 years and still continue to play overseas dates.
“There’s a lot of pain and growth that took place over the last 5 years leading up to these songs,” Ratzlaff says. “We could have easily wrote songs that help a listener brood and dive a little deeper into depression, but I’m so happy to be out of that place. And while I know what it’s like and I write a bit about unhealthy mental states, I’m also trying to help people out of the dark places, much like the music that helped me get out.”
“Forces of Light” releases December 6, but if you order now you’ll get instant shipping and receive it before the release date, AND you’ll get Thanksgiving sale pricing $2 download, $3 CD.
Always enjoy what these guys do musically. Good to see them back on Facedown in this form. Really curious where these guys are with their faith these days. I really enjoyed Fallstar years ago but when “Future Golden Age” came out they were definitely in a different place. Their Idobi interview back then with Chris Ratzlaff had some interesting and difficult things in it. Chris at one point said “I’m not sure there will be any sort of afterlife or heaven, but I believe we can live in heaven on earth by finding inner peace and harmony with God and… Read more »
This album was released earlier in the year on Bandcamp but it looks like they’ve taken it off the platform now. There’s nothing distinctively ‘Christian’ in the lyrics, but it does keep a positive vibe. The music is solid, well produced and enjoyable, without being particularly outstanding. Favorite tracks for me include ‘Heavy Fruit’, ‘I Come Alive’, and ‘Air’.
3.5/5
How do you NOT list GLASSLANDS in the TIYL list?