The Northern – “Hourglass” (Single Review) + Five Questions With

The Northern share their new single, “Hourglass”

Toronto, ON-based four-piece metalcore band, The Northern, have shared their anthem, “Hourglass.” The single was produced, mixed, and mastered by KonKrete Studios and has garnered over 30,000 streams on Spotify.

Review

Every time I’m asked to review metalcore, I get nervous as it’s not my go-to genre, but each time, I have been pleasantly surprised, and “Hourglass” by The Northern was no different.

Released last month via YEAHHHHHH Records, the track runs just under 4 minutes and is bursting at the seams with extreme metalcore vocals and intense riffs, and drum beats.

The track is well-balanced, with harsh screams mixed with melodic vocals. Although I’m pulled more toward the melodic verses, I certainly still appreciate the strength that is needed to produce such an expressive yet chaotic scream. I definitely couldn’t do it.

“Hourglass” is the band’s first release since their 2021 EP, Cloudburst, and I could hear growth in all aspects of the release.

Watch the lyric video for “Hourglass” below and learn more about The Northern via our Five Questions With segment.

Care to introduce yourself to our readers?

Hi! We’re The Northern, a Toronto-based metalcore band. We are comprised of 4 members; Adam Linka (drums and clean vocals), Mike Cutway (vocals), Eric Leblanc (guitar), and Jordan Gallant (guitar, general handsomeness).

We like video games, beer, and shawarma.

Tell us a bit about your most recent release.

We just recently released our newest single, “Hourglass,” a month ago! It’s a fast-paced song with lots of heavy riffs, crushing harsh vocals, djenty breakdowns, and a catchy chorus that’ll get stuck in your head immediately. We recorded this song with Jonathan Dolese at Konkrete Studios.

Where do you tend to pull inspiration from when writing?

In terms of lyrics, Mike and Adam usually tend to focus on something personal or emotional either are currently going through and then take it from there!

Instrumentally, Eric and Jordan are heavily influenced by other bands in our genre and write from the heart. You can really hear the emotion sometimes in Eric’s lead guitar parts. Our songs “Umbra” and “Porcelain Skin” are good examples!

Do you have any upcoming shows you’d like to tell us about?

We just so happen to have a weekend run coming up with our friends in Single Wound! We play Rum Runners (London, ON) on February 17th, Sneaky Dee’s (Toronto, ON) on February 18th, and The Brass Monkey (Ottawa, ON) on February 19th.

What’s your goal for 2023?

Since COVID stalled our tour plans entirely over the last couple of years, we would really like to get back out on the road as much as possible this year, along with releasing more new music.

Connect with The Northern:
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok

Jenna Melanson

I’m Jenna, the founder and editor of Canadian Beats. I have had a strong love for Canadian music, which started many years ago. I have a passion for promoting these talented Canadian bands and artists, and that’s how Canadian Beats came to be.

Canadian Beats has grown to become more than media, and what a journey it’s been.