Album Review: Polaris - The Death Of Me

There is one major factor that makes Sydney five-piece Polaris distinct from many of their peers in an extraordinarily healthy scene. Yes, the songs on this, their follow-up to 2017’s highly successful debut The Mortal Coil, are very strong, memorable and dynamic (especially the short, ultra-sharp Hypermania and the inspirational Martyr (Waves)), the musicianship is tight and the production is punchy as hell. However, this is often the case, and there are a lot of bands out there, in Australia and across the globe, mining this type of musical terrain. And many of them doing it extremely well. What sets Polaris apart is their sheer commitment to the cause. You can tell they’ve given their absolute all and bled themselves dry in the creation and performance of this record. It veritably drips from every musical pore.

All of this is embodied in vocalist Jamie Hails, who belts out his impassioned vocals as if his very life depends upon it, from the throat-shredding screams to the soaring cleans. That said, all five players in this band deliver their parts with a passion that is a joy to behold. 

The Aussie metalcore/post-hardcore scene continues to go from strength to even greater strength, and Polaris are a major part of that.