Currently dominating the Australian album charts with their latest album 'Fatalism', Australian metalcore sensations Polaris delivered an earth-shattering and emotionally moving performance at Hindley Street Music Hall in Adelaide, to a capacity crowd.
With earnest homage paid to their late guitarist, Ryan Siew through virtue of the show going ahead, the night (10 September) was a testament to the band's enduring spirit and the profound impact of their music on their audience.The evening commenced with American acts Currents, Kublai Khan TX, and August Burns Red each pummelling the highly engaged onlookers, only igniting anticipation for the main event leaving many breathless and bruised.
Kublai Khan's brand of menacing hardcore stomped a groove into the room with moshpits incited into frenzy. With both guitarist and bassist Nolan Ashley and Eric English absent, duties fell to Andy Marsh and Sean Delander of Thy Art Is Murder to articulate the Texan's furious repertoire live.
Kublai Khan TX - image © Mike Lockheart
Stalwarts of the scene, August Burns Red delivered a raging masterclass in pure American metalcore with a 20-year, career-spanning set list that resonated spectacularly with the initiated.
Making a low key entrance onto the stage, Polaris immediately stepped up a gear leading the set with 'Harbinger' and 'Nightmare', both from latest album 'Fatalism'.
Jamie Hails' vocals, though at times strained, remained raw and visceral, showcasing a high degree of genuine and furious intensity.
Compounded with the soaring vocal talent of bassist Jake Steinhauser, the two led their audience in near-unanimous sing-alongs, with the initial moments of the set seemingly flying by in an instant.
Polaris - image © Mike Lockheart
Before performing 'Martyr [Waves]', Hails took a moment to deliver a heartfelt and moving speech about their musical brother, the late Ryan Siew. Ryan's guitars adorned the stage, specially illuminated – almost bearing witness to the impact the band's performance was having on the packed Music Hall.
The weight of the band's loss was palpable, but the performance of 'Martyr' and 'Parasites' was nothing if not pure catharsis, each performance seeing the band channel their anger and emotions into every note.
'Consume' showcased the band's remarkable technical prowess with whirring guitar melodies that were recreated live with punishing force.
It was during 'Consume' that Polaris demonstrated absolute command over their craft not only in its performance, but through evidently masterful songwriting. At once brutal, also ultra melodic and incredibly catchy, consistent traits of Polaris' output.
Polaris - image © Mike Lockheart
The party kicked up a gear with 'Dissipate' when the entire floor jumped in unison, reaching for the roof, with Hindley Street's trademark chandelier a target for some to launch their clothes in a game to see whose garments would remain trapped perilously above the grinding moshpit below.
Jamie's command that nobody in the room should be standing still were at this point redundant; it was impossible to resist the magnetic pull of this anthemic track and move.
Given the brutality of openers Kublai Khan and August Burns Red, it was remarkable then that 'Consume' also featured the biggest breakdown of the evening, perhaps even the most colossal breakdown ever to be dealt unto the room.
With their performance of 'Inhumane' following this, it became abundantly clear that Polaris has discovered a winning formula with album number three. Their brilliantly written and flawlessly executed metalcore is not just a distillation of the genre's finer parts, but a compelling, current, and truly relatable call to arms.
Polaris - image © Mike Lockheart
A standout moment came when fill-in guitarist Jesse Crofts flawlessly recreated an unreal solo note for note, adding an extra layer of virtuosity to an already masterful performance.
'Fatalism' is a record shaped by the sense of despair and dystopia that engulfed the world over the past few years, and the overwhelming accompanying sensation that humanity is powerless to change course.
This performance in Adelaide was a testament to their ongoing impact and resilience, making it an unforgettable night for both the band and their fans.
