On July 17th-2024; Northlane performed at the Masquerade in Atlanta, GA on their “Mirror’s Edge” North America Tour with special guests: Windwaker, Thornhill, and Invent Animate! This show was probably my top 4 shows of 2024. Each band besides Invent Animate is from Australia and we all know that Australia has the BEST musicians!
Opening the night was the band; Windwaker! Let’s talk about them! The band is from Melbourne, Australia that formed in 2014 consisting of; Liam Guinane (Lead Vocals) , Jess Crofts (Lead Guitar) , Indey Salvestro (Bass) , Chris Lalic (Drums) , and Connor Robins (Keyboards). I love this bands name because they named themselves after the video game Zelda: Windwaker and that game was for the gamecube. And when I tell you to this day, I STILL haven't finished that game because of how hard it is. Any band that are fans of video games like that are usually the most genuine people! Windwaker recently just released their newest album “HYPERVIOLENCE” in July and I am currently obsessed with the songs “Infinity'' and “SIRENS ''. The mixture of the cleans and heavy vocals with the electronic sound reminds me exactly of I See Stars! I’ve heard mixed reviews about this album from friends stating the band is trying too hard to be something they are not, but the way I look at it is that the band created a phenomenal album where you can bang your head, mosh, and also dance to it! At times during the show; some of the songs sounded like we were in a rave and that’s the type of music I can personally listen to every single day. The band set the tone for the rest of the night and Northlane did an amazing job choosing this band to come on tour!
Next up was Thornhill! I saw them for the first time when they recently toured with Silent Planet at the same exact venue. I prepared myself for all the screaming from the women at the barricade and I was right. The second Jacob stepped on stage; I swear the screams were louder than the music itself. Like I could feel my eardrums burst. I turned my head to my friend who was also at the barricade and you can just see it in her eyes the excitement she felt. It’s these Australian bands! They have a chokehold on everyone. I remember reading something about what bands influenced Thornhill and that one band was Northlane. So I bet being on tour with Northlane feels unreal. Thornhill recently released a 15 song album called “Live On Tour” consisting of songs being performed live. When they performed “Obsession” I fangirled a little bit inside because this song belongs in a vampire movie. Sounds so sinister, gothic, and seductive with the clean vocals and when the heavier vocals come in; it adds the intensity feeling. They also performed “Raw” and “Casanova” which had everyone going so feral in the crowd. If you want to see a crowd go insane; you have to see a Thornhill set. I couldn’t walk around the venue without people screaming and crying in my ear, especially the women. I honestly don’t know if it's the music or just people overly obsessed with Jacob. Either way; their set was phenomenal and I am so glad I got to see them again months later!
Next up was one of my favorite bands! Invent Animate! This show was my 3rd time seeing them live, but my second time photographing them! I remember one of my first major approvals when I became a photographer was their “Heavener” tour with Void Of Vision, Thrown, and Aviana! Invent Animate has that dreamy, but yet energetic vibe at the same time. You can't take your eyes off of them. Each musician dresses a certain way which makes the whole stage presence even better. Amazing light production. Crowd engagement for their set was so intense, we got removed from the photo pit because of how many crowd surfers were coming. I remember standing in the back attempting to get crowd shots and this guy next to me was at least 6’8 and he asked if I wanted to sit on his shoulders. If it was allowed; I would’ve done it in a heartbeat. The struggle of being a short photographer especially during a set that you want to get the best photos of! Invent Animate performed songs such as; “Shade Astray” , “How We Used To Say Goodbye” , “Purity Weeps” , “Heavener” , and they ended the set with their heaviest song on that album “Immolation Of Night” Marc (Vocals) is a beast with his vocal range and the amount of movements he does on stage. This is the band I would photograph constantly If I got the chance to because every single song they perform seems to one up each other. When you think one song is good live, they play another song that's even better and so on!
Finally it was time for Northlane! I’ve been listening to this band since 2013 when “Singularity” was released with “Quantum Flux” , “Worldeater” , “Scarab” , and “Windbreaker” being my favorite songs off that album. This album helped me survive my senior year in high school and me getting lost in music to not think about the fact I moved out while I was still in school. Yes; It was one of my biggest mistakes, but I would listen to Northlane during study hall everyday or walking home from school. Northlane formed in 2009 in Blacktown, Australia consisting of; Jon Deiley (Lead Guitar) , Josh Smith (Rhythm Guitar) , Nic Petterson (Drums) , and Marcus Bridge (Vocals) The band did recently release their newest EP “Mirrors Edge” and I haven’t got a chance to listen to that album yet! Like I always state in other reviews; I’m the type of person that would rather listen to the songs first live before listening to it on spotify. I’m more into the live performance of the song. At the moment; “Afterimage” and “Dante” are the most popular songs off that EP! I had to ask several friends at the show what songs were being performed off the new EP and they stated Northlane performed “Miasma” and “Dante” ! They also performed songs off of “Obsidian” released in 2022 such as “Carbonized” and “Clarity” The light production for their set was a photographer's dream with a lot of neutral lighting! I wish I was able to see this band when Adrian was the vocalist because I am still obsessed with the sound of his vocals, but Marcus’s vocals are also really good. His energy on stage was worth the 5 hour drive and he did not disappoint! I would see this band again. If they did a 10 year anniversary for “Singularity” I would be the FIRST one to buy a ticket because that album is a masterpiece.
Another show down with amazing performances! And another night of fun times with friends and watching all of them enjoy themselves and get lost in the music. It’s honestly beautiful to see what music does to people and being able to capture those moments at shows!
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