It’s been almost five full years since we last saw a full length release from these samurai spirited street soldiers, but it’s safe to say they’ve not lost their fire in the time they’ve been away. In fact it seems they’ve gone all in on making new album Showdown their hardest, most sonically charged collection of songs to date, tapping back into the band’s hardcore roots while still retaining some of the nu-metal identity they explored on 2018 release The Legacy Of Shi. The band once again bring Japanese anime inspired lyrics and their own fictional universe into the frame, with vocalist Vithia displaying a honed improvement on his gutturals, used within the music to represent the demon spirit that possesses and battles the band in their own lore.
In keeping with the band’s penchant for high energy, hyped up music, intro track ‘The Anthem’ wails in with gang vocal chants of “NORTHSTAR, NORTHSTAR”, ending with the demon spirit growling: “is fucking back”. These style of demonic vocals remain present throughout the record, almost as if this spirit is always lurking, haunting the tracks themselves, adding a new level of depth to what would otherwise be a fairly straightforward listening experience. Slamming riffs, big drum beats, and stylishly hip-hop infused vocals run throughout the record, from the previously released title track all the way to closing track ‘Rise’. It may sound fairly trivial when written down, but it’s fair to say there’s not a single band out there quite like Rise Of The Northstar.
From their incorporation of both French and English in their music, to their striking imagery of streetwear mixed with Japanese martial arts gear, highly stylised music videos and the underlying narrative that they’ve been building over the past few albums, it’s honestly astounding that this band haven’t exploded in worldwide popularity alongside the likes of Sleep Token and Ghost as a band that puts their absolute all into not just the music, but their imagery and stage presence too. Perhaps it’s that ‘underground sound’ that the band carry throughout their music the keeps them niche, tracks like ‘Crank It Up’ and ‘Clan’ really tap into their hip-hop influence, the band having cited the likes of Wu-Tang Clan and Mobb Deep in the past, alongside beloved metal heavyweights like Rage Against The Machine, Biohazard and Slayer, where that heavy and thrash influence can be heard on tracks like ‘Golden Arrow’ and ‘Rise’.
It’s worth mentioning that Showdown was mixed by Gojira‘s Johann Mayer, and the production value of the record is glimmering as such. From the scratchy nu metal noises and constant switch up of vocal styles, to the layers of the drum beats alongside the groove-laden power of the guitars, everything can be heard crisp and clear, despite the sheer amount of elements that’d otherwise be battling with each other within the mix, there’s no detraction to be found here. It’s fair to say a lot of time, passion and care has been put into a record that comes directly inspired by some of the most visceral and raw sounding artists in the game. This record is bursting from the seams with ROTNS unparalleled blend of street culture, fictional lore-building and out-and-out star power. Showdown is easily the band’s strongest body of work to date, and should be an essential listen for any fans of heavy music and stonking great heavy metal riffs in 2023.