Review: Polaris @ The Hordern Pavilion
Review by Natasha Christian & photos by Jordan Munns.
Without a doubt the most emotionally intense tour of 2023.
It’s the last night of the Fatalism tour and an emotional homecoming for Polaris.
In the wake of the tumultuous months that led to this, these beloved boys from The Shire look like they’re ready for a big hug and a home-cooked meal.
There’s so much to celebrate:
They’re #1 on the ARIA chart.
They’ve just marked 10 years together.
They’re selling out their biggest shows yet - a far cry from their dingy, sticky floor beginnings at the Agincourt.
They’re headlining a show with 3 heavy-hitting international bands - a major flex for Australian metalcore.
Yet life is cruel, and as the theory of equivalent exchange suggests, the highest highs tend to be met with the lowest lows. This time the low is the tragic loss of guitarist and long-term bandmate, Ryan Siew, who died in June, aged 26.
Polaris - who aren’t strangers to exploring loss in their music - have been forced to navigate the unforgiving stages of grief in a very public way. Standing near the stage at The Hordern Pavilion on Saturday night, it was difficult not to feel like I was privy to something that should be private. As I held my drink surrounded by a bunch of drunk fans barking (will get to why later), I couldn’t help but notice a guy at the side of the stage, overcome with tears and broken by grief. The juxtaposition between fans and family at this moment was stark, and the tonal shift between the Fatalism tour supports to the headliner was weirdly unsettling. It was like listening to 3 hours of Joe Rogan and then diving straight into The Caretaker.
I arrived at The Hordern an hour early, naively thinking there’d be no line. Instead, I was met with a long queue of Vans and Element-clad Sydney metalcore fans keen to catch djenters Currents. To kill time, I lined up for a Mary’s burger and listened to a guy overconfidently claim that it was “the new Frankies”.
This was the first time I’d seen the 5000-strong Hordern Pavilion packed for the first act - Currents had the pit alive and jumping as soon as they came on stage. In another high-low for the metalcore scene, the band recently welcomed back guitarist Ryan Castaldi, following his shock cancer diagnosis last November. Castaldi brought so much energy to this set and it was heartwarming to see some fans in the front row jamming air guitars with him during Monsters.
“Wow, his hair is so shiny”, gushed an admirer of vocalist Brian Wille as he led us through new tracks The Death We Seek and Remember Me. It took me a bit to work out where I’d heard the backing keys on TDWS before - once you realise it’s Burzum’s Det Som En Gang Var, you can’t unhear it. I’ve added it to the Outsiders Journal playlist.
Wille’s vocals showed signs of strain, particularly when reaching for the higher notes. This is kinda expected for the last show of the tour, and I wondered if they turned up Christian Pulgarin’s thundering bass to compensate. The band unlocked the night’s first circle pit with Into Despair, which had fans waving their arms with abandon. As Currents left the stage, the crowd complimented them with a collective plea of “one more song”.
“WOOF!”
That’s the best way to describe the Kublai Khan TX live experience. The Texans were helped out by a couple of familiar faces from Thy Art Is Murder for this tour. Frontman Matt Honeycutt immediately filled The Hordern with an unapologetic surge of “bro energy”, commanding his audience with chest-beating and dog barking, while wearing a cap and singlet formerly known as a ‘wife beater’. As he barked “You will never know, you will never ever know” from The Hammer, members of the audience donned merch emblazoned with “security” and “let your balls swing” as they let their inner two-stepping dogs out.
If Fred Durst and Stone Cold Steve Austin ever had a love child, it would surely be Honeycutt. He is what’s long been missing from metalcore - a frontman unafraid to be divisive and controversial. Regardless of whether you agree with him or not, his stage presence is magnetic and impossible to ignore. Even moments that could come across as cringe, such as his commentary about the crowd’s “100% Aussie blood” or declaring he “didn’t come here to fuck spiders”, had fans lapping it up.
During Resentment, he taunted the crowd to deliver the biggest circle pit of the night. While I couldn’t see it, I watched multiple fans enthusiastically take off their shirts and dive in, so he probably got his wish. For Theory of Mind, the band poked fun at the meatheadedness of it all - welcoming crew on stage to dance to “monkey see, monkey do” while wearing yellow bucket hats and eating bananas.
If you haven’t witnessed Kublai Khan TX live yet, it’s a must-see, especially if you ever had a Throwdown, Hatebreed or Bury Your Dead phase. My friend Mitch said he felt compelled to “go pump some iron”. After the set, the crowd spontaneously erupted into a Neil Diamond Sweet Caroline palate cleanser. When I walked outside to get a break from the blanket of body odour, the first person I saw was wearing a Stone Cold shirt.
Metalcore’s finest August Burns Red graced the stage next, elevating the night with their captivating lighting and production. Unfortunately, it seemed like the crowd had spent all their energy on the last two bands as the reception felt somewhat subdued. I was also a bit worn out, but this show held special significance for me as Constellations was the first album I reviewed as a wannabe music journalist. Among the sea of sweat and weariness, I noticed one young fan who didn’t stop dancing the entire set. While I contemplated my body aches a few feet away, she was having the time of her life.
Still, ABR worked hard to win back the crowd and Jake Luhrs’ ferocious screams during Invisible Enemy jolted me back to life. To the band’s credit, they managed to get a few crowd surfers, bouncing soles and circle pits once they dived into old favourites from Messenger and Constellations.
Our first glimpse of Polaris came as frontman Jamie Hails took to the stage with a flare. This poignant signal of distress and vulnerability appeared to be a silent plea for emotional rescue. It’s been a long, hard road to get to this 5000-strong crowd.
The band launched into Fatalism opening tracks Harbinger and Nightmare. At first, both Hails and bassist Jake Steinhauser’s backing vocals seemed too low, but it didn’t matter as the crowd enthusiastically sang every word. Remarkably, for an album released only a few weeks ago, the fans had come prepared.
Hails and Steinhauser are a great vocal pairing, reminiscent of bands like New Found Glory, Blink 182 and Alexisonfire.
Whoever was in charge of the lights and pyrotechnics for this show appeared to be having a great time. Nearly every second note had a visually stunning effect - Lucid and Landmine were particularly spectacular.
During Overflow, Hails experienced a flood of emotion prompting him to open up about his inner turmoil following Siew’s death. With raw honesty, he confessed: “Someone should be here tonight and they’re not. I am hurting so fucking much. He’s not fucking here tonight and it sucks.” The band paused to support each other with a heartfelt hug before dedicating Martyr (Waves) to their fallen bandmate.
It was hard to watch a visibly devastated Rick Schneider play through tracks with tears flooding down his face. When I looked around, it was evident that many in the audience shared in this outpouring of grief. In a testament to his skill and professionalism, he delivered an unforgettable performance, pouring his soul into every note throughout the show. It’s also worth mentioning Jesse Crofts from Melbourne metalcore outfit Windwaker, who stepped in as a fill-in guitarist to help Polaris complete the tour. A standout moment was his mesmerising solo during Inhumane. While this would’ve been the perfect ending to their set, the band returned for an encore with Pray for Rain and breakout hit The Remedy.
While it may not have been their primary intention, Polaris has accomplished something truly profound with this tour. They’ve shown a room fuelled with testosterone that shedding tears and openly expressing emotions is not only acceptable, but it’s also a healthy way to navigate life’s challenges. If just one person found comfort and solace in this powerful example, then this public display of grief was worth it.
Polaris has wrapped up what is without a doubt the most emotionally intense tour of 2023. Their long and cathartic journey home has come to an end, and I sincerely hope they find the support and healing they need to move forward from here.
As I made my way to catch the midnight train home after this tender night, Sydney’s Central Station was overrun with fervent Kublai Khan fans - barking and howling into the night. Woof.
Polaris Fatalism is out now. This tour was presented by Destroy All Lines.