Lately, there’s been a legion of bands who are reviving the traditional New York hardcore/metalcore sound in some way. Bands like Madball, E Town Concrete, Hatebreed, Life Of Agony, and Leeway obviously loom large, but so do elements of hip-hop, nu-metal, and more traditional modern metalcore. Enter France’s Rise Of The Northstar.
The band’s 2014 debut full-length Welcame is basically what would happen if you threw Leeway, Life Of Agony, Suicidal Tendencies, Cypress Hill, Attila, and Japanese anime influences in a blender, and forced that concoction to listen to all of Hatebreed and Slayer’s mid-period work, you’d have something that resembles ROTN. At first listen, one might think this combination wouldn’t seem authentic, but one listen to debut album Welcame and you’ll soon realize that the band is for real. Essentially, it combines all the things the band likes (80’s thrash, 90’s hardcore/hip-hop, Japanese anime and fashion) into a volatile concoction that makes Rise Of The Northstar a unique entity.
Welcame isn’t an old album (barely even 3 years old), but if you’re looking for a very unique musical experience that combines both old and new, Rise Of The Northstar is your new favorite band. Much like contemporaries Turnstile, the band has been buoyed by signing to a high-profile label (Roadrunner in the case of Turnstile, and Nuclear Blast for ROTN), and it’s clear bigger things are on the horizon. Listen up, because Rise Of The Northstar has something to say.
