Australia's eminent metalcore exports, Polaris are back on the road baby.
Daniel Furnari (drums), Jamie Hails (vocals, tambourine), Rick Schneider (guitar), Jake Steinhauser (vocals, bass) and Ryan Siew (guitar) returned to Brisbane's The Tivoli (23 February), with local Polaris fans frothing to see them live judging by for the long line of metalcorians queuing outside.This show is the first of three Brisbane concerts on this tour. Yes, I did say three.
As I approach the merch stall inside I see merch is flying off the walls, and in particular Alpha Wolf's (of which there is a lot), and into the arms of new owners. Punters are just ripping into it and I love seeing this form of support for bands.
A sea of black-tee bodies is now amassing in the venue and Gippsland's Mirrors are pretty much straight into it. These guys, who I confess I have never seen before, open up with a set that is absolutely cranking.
I'm a sucker for a good voice. Patty Goodman has great pipes, mid to upper mid-range and he climbs to those high notes with ease just as he can fluidly switch gears from unclean to clean vocals.
There are some huge guitar riffs in this set. On the whole I am impressed by this first encounter. I caught the title of 'Cold Sanctuary'; this song came midway in their short set and was clearly a punter favourite.
Live photos from the show.
Drums and guitars start out sombre atop the swinging melody, but from the drop they come in and kick ass matching with the vocals. I love that Mirrors' frontman is calling for an early circle pit and whad'ya know? A dozen punters gladly do his bidding while others moshed enthusiastically around them.
A short break before Justice For The Damned (JFTD) bound on stage. Just like with Mirrors, I'm popping my cherry with these guys and whoa, their sound is assaulting – in the good kind of way.
Lead singer, Bobak Raffiee reminds me of a bigger version of a young Chino Moreno – not vocally, but in how he stalks the stage and handles the mic with a similar composure and deliberateness.
Justice For The Damned - image © Clea-marie Thorne
Speaking of vocals, this guy is belting out lyrics and can scream like a demon possessed between some pretty cool melodic parts. With a crushing rhythm section, JFTD got the moshing audience raising a slight sweat and security started to sprinkle those in front of the stage with a little water.
A highlight of their set for me is the intensity of the opening riff and drumming throughout 'Pain Is Power' – it's an immense song and the crowd energy is heightened to a new level.
Third act, Alpha Wolf takes punters from a little sweaty to a whole lot sweaty as they commanded the stage and those before them. I am smiling. I am witnessing two years of pent-up energy and pandemic frustration being unleashed before and around me – it is glorious!
I notice that the mezzanine dwellers are a tad more chill than their brethren in the pit and are enjoying their vantage point. I see heads rocking on the necks of bobbing torsos that are lifted as heels leave the floor in small movements in time with the music, while a lot of the floor downstairs is much more animated.
Alpha Wolf - image © Clea-marie Thorne
As they play the likes of 'Acid Romance', 'No Name' and 'Ultra-Violet Violence' I see hands raised high emphasising the beat of the drums while many mouths are disgorging lyrics back at the band.
There has been an air of anticipation that is now erupting into a roar as Polaris take charge of the stage.
Leading off with two crowd favourites 'Pray For Rain' and 'Vagabond', they have the bodies on the floor of The Tivoli rising and falling in a rhythmical interchange.
I can see there are more than a few demonstrating their version of body slamming and some body surfing to the barricade, only to be politely escorted to side of stage. I swear the same dude has done a triple trip and every time he circles back to re-join his mates, he's wearing his smile from ear to ear!
Polaris - image © Clea-marie Thorne
With a 14-song set list Polaris and the crowd did not hold back – punters from the middle of the floor to front of the stage became wild and untamed entities as Polaris played unfurling their pent-up pandemic restrained energy to the masses.
Vocalist Jamie Hails is active calling for a circle pit a couple of times during their set, and asking for hands up high and for punters to clap along to songs during their set.
I reckon things went from hectic to frenetic from 'Hypermania' onwards – with its groove and beatdown, the crowd was thrashing and a guy standing on the edge of the pit looked like he was in a moving meditation, he was so engrossed in the experience he was oblivious to the guy beside him who got up on his mate's shoulders and was fully tearing it back at the band.
Polaris - image © Clea-marie Thorne
Momentarily, I felt like tonight's gig was almost like a normal live pre-COVID (aside from the odd mask here and there). You can tell the crowd is loving being back in a sweaty metal heaven.
'Landmine' and 'All Of This Was Fleeting' had punter pipes bleating to the beefy beats and melodic rolls. Hails stopped to give heartfelt appreciation to the other bands, the fans, a few times during the set. He also reflected on how great it is to get back to touring so they can channel all the anger and stress into positive energy.
Ryan Siew tears up solos like a madman, Jake Steinhauser claims those clean anthemic vocals across the chorus and ahead of breakdowns while keeping the bass thumping, and Rick Schneider and Daniel Furnari are solid throughout – it was like they'd never been away from the stage, it is that good!
Polaris - image © Clea-marie Thorne
Hails dedicated 'Masochist' to all those who blame themselves and the crowd was crazy for it. 'Lucid' follows and is embraced by the fans with cheers and yelps. I feel a real vibe of camaraderie in the air as punters sing-along loudly with emotion to this last song of the set.
As Hails explains to the crowd, live music is what unites us, it helps keep our mental health in a good place, it is therapy for the performers and punters alike; there are nods from the crowd.
He expresses how sh.t it has been without live music and how cool it is that we are out on a school night to experience it with them. Hey Hails, what's a gig on a school night to a metal crowd? A bloody gift! Of course we're there with you.
Turns out we get a double encore for our enthusiastic chant for "one more song". Returning to the stage, the lads launch into a live debut of the emotional wrangler 'Martyr [Waves]' with its moving guitar solo that flows over us.
Polaris - image © Clea-marie Thorne
Closing out the night is another well-known crowd favourite and there are not many in the room who are not singing 'The Remedy'. Its catchy chorus and killer breakdowns ensure we are ending our night on the highest of highs.
Tonight Polaris supported by Mirrors, Justice For The Damned and Alpha Wolf have given fans a hectic mid-week metal-fest and we devoured it. It has me believing that live music is returning in full force – the mosh is back folks and I want it to stay.
