Polaris Guiding the Way for Fans of Hard-Hitting Metalcore with Spring Tour

To say that this tour has been highly anticipated would be something of an understatement. On February 21, 2020, Australian metalcore outfit Polaris released their second full-length studio album, The Death of Me, to widespread praise and acclaim. With a full European tour planned to promote the album release, the band would soon find their ambitions put on hold as the spread of COVID-19 brought the live music industry to a grinding halt. After more than two years the band has made their triumphant return to the US, stopping in Richmond, VA at the Canal Club with a stacked lineup of support bands to show that they are here to stay and metalcore is alive and well.

First up on the tour package was Invent Animate and from the very beginning, it was clear this was going to be a rowdy night. The crowd was buzzing immediately, and the energy was returned by the band from the stage. Vocalist Marcus Vik flowed effortlessly between punishing screams and powerful singing vocals against a backdrop of equally heavy and atmospheric music from the rest of the band. Brutal breakdowns complimented the technical prowess of the band and made for a high-energy kick-off to the evening.

Alpha Wolf was next to the stage and things immediately were taken up a notch. A bit of a stylistic outlier amongst the rest of the lineup, the band had less focus on melody and atmospheric elements and doubled down on heavy, punishing riffs and brutal vocals. In the first song, “Sub-Zero,” they prompted the crowd to split down the middle and open a wall of death. From that moment on, the energy in the room was unstoppable. Bodies flew around the room with reckless abandon, and it was a nonstop sea of moshing in the middle of the floor.

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In the direct support slot were the veterans Like Moths to Flames. The band took a step back toward a more atmospheric sound but not at the expense of the brutality set forth by the previous bands. Vocalist Chris Roetter was able to masterfully navigate through his ranges as the band’s music took turn after music turn and painted soundscapes for the audience that shifted throughout the set. One of the things that stood out about this group was how polished and tight they sounded on stage. Not to take anything away from any of the other bands performing that night, but Like Moths to Flames have very clearly been doing this for a long time and it shows in the quality of their live performance on both a musical and performance level.

As the headliners took the stage, it was clear that the audience was in for something different. The spacey, ethereal guitar work of guitarists Rick Schneider and Ryan Siew laid a haunting backdrop for Jamie Hails’ screaming vocals to start the opening track “Pray for Rain.” As the rest of the band joined, fans were pummeled by the technical and exacting rhythms of drummer Daniel Furnari laying the groundwork for the absolute mayhem unfolding in the pit. Like their support act, Like Moths to Flames, Polaris carried themselves like the veterans they are and their experience showed in every aspect of the performance from the precision with which they played to the interaction with the crowd during and between songs. It was truly a treat to see them connect with their US fanbase for the first time since touring with fellow metalcore titans Wage War in 2019.

All in all, the evening spent with this tour package at Canal Club was an enjoyable barrage of heavy riffs, atmospheric vibes, and high energy crowd participation that rivals any other tour I’ve ever seen assembled. It is clear that any fan of heavy music would be right at home in any venue where you can find this package and I would highly recommend making the effort to see any of these bands if they’re in a venue near you in the future.