Northlane - Mesmer

Mesmer debuted at number 1 on the Australian ARIA Albums Chart upon its release in 2017. This impressive chart performance demonstrated the Sydney-based progressive metalcore band's massive popularity in their home country. It was their second consecutive album to achieve this number one milestone.

The band released Mesmer as a surprise drop on March 24, 2017, without any prior official announcement or singles. They announced the album and released it simultaneously, which was a major talking point in the heavy music scene at the time. This strategy allowed fans to experience the 11-track record all at once.

The album features Marcus Bridge on lead vocals, marking his second full-length studio recording with the band since joining in 2015. His dynamic range combines harsh, aggressive screams with highly atmospheric, clean singing. Bridge's performance on tracks like "Quantum Flux" and "Citizen" solidified his place in the band.

The 2017 record builds on Northlane's established combination of atmospheric electronic textures and heavy, guitar-driven metalcore. It embraces a highly polished, futuristic sound that blends djent-inspired riffs with ambient synthesizer backdrops. This sonic direction helped define the modern, progressive edge of the Australian heavy music scene.