Released by: Sharptone Records
Release Date: September 1st, 2023
Genre: Metalcore
Links: https://www.polarisaus.com/
Tracklist:
1. Harbinger
2. Nightmare
3. Parasites
4. Overflow
5. With Regards
6. Inhumane
7. The Crossfire
8. Dissipate
9. Aftertouch
10. Fault Line
11. All In Vain
Australian Metal band Polaris has been through some troubled times over the last few months. Just before their new album “Fatalism” was scheduled to be released, it was known by the band via social media circles, that their insanely talented guitar player Ryan Siew had passed away at the mere age of 26. No details were given as to the cause of death, and to respect his family’s privacy that was very much understandable. I can’t imagine how tough this must of been losing not only a friend but such a creative piece to their music. We wanted to express our deepest sympathies to the guys and Ryan’s family.
The guys decided to eventually go on with the release of their new album which has since been released officially on September 1st. They will also be on the road again and hitting North America soon with Currents here in the States.
The band has been known to tackle very personal issues of mental health and has never been afraid to tackle tough issues in their writing. Fatalism leaned heavily on concepts of dystopia and uncertainty during the last few years. We feel that vibe in the opener “Harbinger”, with such poignant words as “I’m staring down the barrel, I’m cutting to the marrow, right through the bones”. A cool short melodic number. The next one raises the bar with a more traditional nu-metal core groove, the chorus here is pretty catchy and feverishly climbs the ladder. The pounding track “Nightmare” circles the metalcore grounds with more aggressive riffs and your typical genre screams, still sounding melodic with the clean vox, the guys deliver another catchy tune. The more tuned-back aggressive styling in “Inhumane” features a nice slick guitar solo midway through, with some haunting melodies on the chorus side, This one brings intensity and meticulous rhyme and groove to the fold. Polaris drummer Daniel Furnari speaks of influences from early nu-metal, the likes of KoRn and Limp Bizkit come to mind, yes I can see that.
The last track on here “All In Vain” eclipses with some strong lyrics.. speaking of futile lives in the metaphor of it all. A stark closer and fitting If I may so in the grand scheme of things. The cool syncopated rhythm here is of note, it adds different levels to the structure of the tune.
In the end, is nice to hear Polaris has decided to push forward given the unfortunate events in the band. While they will play live with heavy hearts and in memory of Ryan, don’t forget to give them your full support if you get a chance to see them live, as their new release is pretty freaking solid.
Written by: Shadow Editor
Ratings: 8/10
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