Live Review: Polaris – Fatalism UK Tour 2024 – SWX, Bristol

In support of their latest album, ‘Fatalism’, Polaris took to venues up and down the UK to share the new music and pay tribute to their late guitarist, Ryan Siew. Joined at the show by the excellent Silent Planet, we just had to head down to the SWX Bristol to check out what would go down.

Silent Planet were technically outstanding, their sound perfectly translated from their records to stage. The charisma they carried on to stage also really enhanced the performance of the band who were very worthy to open for Polaris. Speaking of issues like mental health and the political climate really helped the performance to feel authentic and true. Silent Planet are definitely a band I’d recommend to Metalcore fans to listen to and to see live if given the chance.

Polaris took to stage with a very clean entrance; Front man, Jamie Hails, walked calmly on to stage as the crowd cheered and the intro to ‘Harbinger’ began, he was then followed by the rest of the band to kick the show off with an energetic start with the lighting to match. The lighting was incredibly in time and visually encompassed each song perfectly, reflecting the slower bridges and the heavier breakdowns.

Following the strong start with another fan favourite; Polaris then played ‘Nightmare’ which had the crowd going crazy, the pit taking up the majority of the crowd as you’d expect. Security had their hands full with crowd surfers but managed the high volume of people coming over the barrier in a professional and safe manner which allowed everyone to enjoy the show as much as possible, always amazing to see.

With each song the pit grew and grew and I couldn’t help but experience it first hand and I have to admit it was better than the pit at their Download performance in summer of 2023 and that really says something. After enjoying my time in the pit they said a few words to commemorate Ryan Siew, a truly beautiful moment to witness. What a legacy to leave at such a young age, it was so clear to see how much he meant to the band and fans and how heavy the tragic loss is for everyone who adored him and his music.

To close the show they ended with ‘Pray for Rain’ and ‘The Remedy’ as their encore and it left the fans wanting so much more. The show was so expertly put on and I couldn’t fault it if I tried. I can’t wait to catch Polaris again when they’re back in the UK and I’d recommend a Polaris show to any Metalcore fans.