Album Review: Rise Of The Northstar – CHAPTER 04: RED FALCON SUPER BATTLE! NEO PARIS WAR!! (Kuromaku Corp)

Rise of the Northstar, the crossover metal, hardcore, rap and hip-hop band, will release their highly anticipated new album ‘CHAPTER 04: RED FALCON SUPER BATTLE! NEO PARIS WAR!!’ on November 14th, 2025, via Kuromaku Corp.

There’s nobody quite like them, is there? Love them or loathe them, that fact is undeniable. They are one of the most unique bands in the world, and once again, they challenge all perceptions and expectations with their brand-new record. It’s CHAPTER 04: RED FALCON SUPER BATTLE! NEO PARIS WAR!! and it is something.

All cards on the table, I don’t always love or even like what Rise of the Northstar do, and even with one hell of an open mind, they challenge me. However, when they’re on, they really do it for me and a lot of this album does it for me. It’s not perfect, far from it, and there were a couple of times where I was left scratching my head, but as far as pure infectious energy and crossover appeal goes, I can’t say anything negative about it.

In fact, who really wants to say anything negative about a band as dynamic as this? Their genre-bending ways on display from the start with a trio of tracks that showcase the breadth of the band’s sound, and then some. From the cinematic Turbo-Intro to the punchy old-school nu-metal vibes crossed with modern rock groove that Payback and Neo Paris offers, there’s an immediate feeling of passion coming from the band and it is infectious as f**k.

One obvious highlight is Falcon, even though it is as straight-forward as it comes for the band, and all because it is so anthemic. Hyperactive throughout, you just know that this track will slay live, especially when the chorus hits.

The album features two guests, and they’ve both big names in the modern metal scene. First, we have Landmvrks featuring on the stompy Back 2 Basics, a hardcore infusion that blends the old and new school nicely. Then, later, we have ten56.’s Aaron Matts featuring on the beastly Nemesis. Both are guests that make a difference and feel integral to the song rather than just a part of it, and both tracks are pretty badass.

It’s all really enjoyable stuff, provided you can look past the familiarity of a lot of it. A much as I can enjoy the likes of Pressure. A.I.R. Max, No Turning Back, and Desolation Hawk, I’m not going to claim that we’re hearing anything ground-breaking, especially by this band’s standards. However, I’m also not going to claim that I don’t get a kick out of their collection of catchy riffs, thumping beats, and ‘in your face’ vocals. I am here for crossover metal that has energy, groove, and catchiness.

As I said though, there are moments that don’t hit, and Under, while super-short, does little for me. All because the deck-scratching is just annoying, but I do like the intensity of the rap vocals, especially as they’re in French. I also didn’t really think much of Solitary Homeboy, the heaviness proving to be a bit bland and the chorus feeling really out of place.

That’s Rise of the Northstar for you, a band who like to challenge, even if this isn’t their most experimental release. If you’ve loved what they’ve done to date, you’re likely to love this too.

Rise of the Northstar – CHAPTER 04: RED FALCON SUPER BATTLE! NEO PARIS WAR!! Track Listing:

1. Turbo-Intro
2. Payback
3. Neo Paris
4. Falcon
5. Back 2 Basics (ft. Landmvrks)
6. Under
7. Pressure
8. Nemesis (ft. Aaron Matts)
9. A.I.R. Max
10. Solitary Homeboy
11. No Turning Back
12. Desolation Hawk
13. 75 Outro

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