Project Description

Polaris

‘The Death of Me’

(Album Review)

Out February 21

Reviewer: Dani Brown

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“…I’m calling it right now – album of the year contender.” – Wall Of Sound, 10/10

“There are moments of depth and cleverness that will warrant repeat listens and the explosive presence of the band is undeniable. This is the music people create that rattles your heart and then some.” – Hysteria Magazine, 9/10

“On The Death of Me, the band has used their talent to position themselves at the top of the Australian metal hierarchy. Next step: world domination.” – Blunt Magazine

“Yes, the songs on this are very strong, memorable and dynamic, the musicianship is tight and the production is punchy as hell.” – themusic.com.au, 4/5

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Sydney five-piece Polaris’s rise has been meteoric, to say the least. Over the last two-and-a-bit years, the metalcore men have found themselves on a quick climb to the top of Australia’s heavy scene, having released the masterpiece that was their debut album The Mortal Coil and supported the likes of Parkway Drive and Architects on their Australian tours.
After the huge success of The Mortal Coil, the build-up towards the release of their second album, The Death of Me, has been big. With three different-sounding singles put out into the world before the album’s release date of February 21, fans and critics have been intensely waiting for it to drop. But has it lived up to the hype? Here’s what Dani Brown thinks of it all.

A haunting guitar melody and atmospheric synth builds into the first lyrics on The Death of Me, when co-vocalist Jamie Hails’ voice rings loud and clear in the opening track, Pray for Rain. It’s minimalist right up until the second guitar melody comes in, and it reflects the story of loneliness and desperation told in the lyrics. It’s reminiscent of a combination of Parkway Drive and Architects – both bands Polaris has opened for in recent years – but Polaris have taken those elements and made them their own. This will be a bit of a surprise song when listeners hear it for the first time.

Speaking of Architects, the second track is Hypermania, which was debuted when Polaris went around with the UK band in August 2019. Hails launches straight into this one, and co-vocalist and bassist Jake Steinhauser’s response to his brother-in-arms’ call is brilliant. The chorus has the swagger of a 2000s metal band – think Lamb of God or even Slayer – but with grungier, more pronounced guitars. In the back of this song, we get to hear drummer Daniel Furnari go off, and it is glorious. More spotlights on drummers, please.

Back to a calm entrance for track three, Masochist, which you would have heard if you’re a fan of the band or a frequent triple j listener. This is quite possibly the best single Polaris has ever released – and that is coming from the gal who bumped nothing but The Remedy for six weeks straight. This track is cohesive, progressive, and so dang catchy, especially “Am I addicted to the misery? / Is this how I’ll always be?” at the start of the chorus. The guitar lines are an absolute highlight in this, but it is impossible to not mention just how good Steinhauser sounds in this track. Bloke’s got pipes.

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Landmine was the third and final teaser listeners tasted before the album release. This one feels like Polaris of old; it’s heavier than the tidy metalcore we became accustomed to on The Mortal Coil, and it’s almost like a more mature version of 2013 single Aspirations, sound-wise. Lyrically it looks at various struggles our world is facing today, and the fight against them – “Everybody’s wasting away here / Watch us bloom and decay” – I guess you could say this is Polaris’ political track. The “hey, hey” chorus lines will have fingers pointed in the air when the band rips through this one live, then the guitar solo will have those same fingers wiggling towards Ryan Siew’s guitar for a full 20 seconds.

While a lot of the album has been anger, frustration, fear, and sadness, hints of hope shine through Vagabond. The Cambridge English Dictionary says ‘vagabond’ means ‘a person who has no home and usually no job, and who travels from place to place’, which is precisely what Hails and Steinhauser discuss in this song. The chorus of “Find your peace in a place unknown and see the world in shades of monochrome / You don’t have to walk alone to know what it feels like when nowhere feels like home” by itself could be a reference to touring life, but the surrounding verses tell a different story. A little twinkle of a tambourine is a nice touch and a reminder that there are a lot of subtle little things bringing this album together. Another glorious guitar solo rounds out this track.

I struggled to connect with Creatures of Habit. That’s not to say it’s a bad song, because it’s not; it just a bulk of the song feels a little too straight-down-the-line, and I love Polaris for its rough, unpolished edges. You can bust out a solid two-step at the start, but after that it feels a bit lacklustre until Hails descends to drag out some devilish lows at the 3:30 mark, and the build back up from that point is what saves the song from flat-lining. I’ll be interested to hear what other fans think – I hope it’s just me missing the point here, and not Polaris missing the mark.

Above My Head is an assault on the senses in a good way. During the first verse, vocals, drums and guitars feel like they’re all on the same noise level, and you don’t know what to focus on so you have no choice but to hear it all at once, before Steinhauser’s crisp cleans cut through to break it up. I love hearing Hails at this pitch, and the percussive annunciations are perfectly executed. I’m a big fan of the guitar outro, too, and I think this is an early contender for my favourite track on The Death of Me. I feel like this is one of the more relatable tracks on the album and I see it becoming a fan favourite – and potentially even a future single.

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Polaris is really enjoying the mellow openings to songs here. Martyr (Waves) is one which features this, but that’s the only similarity it has to any other song on this album. This one feels built for more mainstream radio play – it’s more stripped back than the others. And although I wouldn’t say it has a signature Polaris sound, it is one of the best songs on this record. While listening to this song, I picture a butterfly coming out of its cocoon. With every raw, passionate line sung, more light shines into the cocoon, until a poignant guitar solo and Hails’ strong voice bursts through the walls and everything is free. There is a great sense of realisation and acceptance in this song: “Sorry I can only be who I am”. It’s a real beauty and I hope it sees the light it deserves.

All of This is Fleeting starts out almost like a Hellions or You Me at Six song, but is soon moulded into a kind of Polaris-shaped track. Hails really puts his vocal range on show in this, and that breakdown? Furnari, Siew and guitarist Rick Schneider go ham on it together and hooo boy, I would not want to be caught in the middle of the pit during that. I like how Polaris has experimented a bit and pushed boundaries throughout the song, but I’m not sold on it being the band’s best route – I might need to give it a couple more listens though.

Coming up to the last track, I feel like I’ve ridden a rollercoaster of emotions already. That all explodes as The Descent is unleashed. It’s wild and desperate, and with jagged riffs and certain off-beats hit by Furnari, it’s almost unsettling. The darkness with all its embellishments is theatrical, and Hails’ storytelling is the hero of the only track on the album that is longer than five minutes.

The rollercoaster ride comes to an end and I’m left in a state once again thanks to Polaris. The band’s passionate, provoking and powerful second album is an overall success. While there are some unconvincing parts of the record from the point of view of this reviewer (and fan of the band), there are many incredible highlights which override the few lows. There is a huge number of issues covered throughout this album, some are incredibly tricky to navigate. I see this The Death of Me propelling Polaris further forward rather than holding them back, and I cannot wait to see them continue to take the world by storm – but first, I will be seeing them on their national tour, which starts in Adelaide on album release day, February 21.

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triple j, Destroy All Lines And Resist Records present

POLARIS 
THE DEATH OF ME
AUSTRALIAN TOUR

WITH SPECIAL GUESTS: WAGE WAR (USA), CRYSTAL LAKE (JAPAN) & ALPHA WOLF (AUS)

FRIDAY 21 FEBRUARY: THE GOV, ADELAIDE LIC AA SOLD OUT!

SATURDAY 22 FEBRUARY: THE FORUM, MELBOURNE 18+ SOLD OUT!
Tickets available from www.ticketmaster.com.au

SUNDAY 23 FEBRUARY: ASTOR THEATRE, PERTH LIC AA*
Tickets available from www.ticketek.com.au

MONDAY 24 FEBRUARY: THE GOV, ADELAIDE LIC AA
Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au

FRIDAY 28 FEBRUARY: ENMORE THEATRE, SYDNEY LIC AA SOLD OUT!
Tickets available from www.ticketek.com.au

SATURDAY 29 FEBRUARY: THE TIVOLI, BRISBANE 18+ SOLD OUT!
Tickets available from www.ticketmaster.com.au

*Crystal Lake not appearing

Tickets are on sale now from polarisaus.com

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THE DEATH OF ME
TRACK LISTING:

01. Pray For Rain
02. Hypermania
03. Masochist
04. Landmine
05. Vagabond
06. Creatures Of Habit
07. Above My Head
08. Martyr (Waves)
09. All Of This Is Fleeting
10. The Descent

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AMNPLIFY – DB