Three years after Fatalism, Polaris returns with a song as powerful as it is painful. The Australian group today unveils “Without You”, the first new track since the passing of their guitarist and brother Ryan Siew in 2023. Between crushing riffs, heart-wrenching melodies and lyrics of rare vulnerability, the track marks a new step in the band’s grieving process.
At the crossroads of grief and the sonic power that has built their reputation, “Without You” sees Polaris reconnect with its melodic metalcore while placing emotion at the center. Abrasive vocals mingle with massive rhythms and blazing riffs, before swelling refrains appear, a particularly poignant guitar solo, and a final breakdown among the harshest the band has ever delivered.
But behind this sonic onslaught lies a deeply intimate song. Written following the sudden death of Ryan Siew at only 26, “Without You” directly translates the trauma experienced by the four remaining members. Polaris explains : “We never imagined we would ever have a reason to write this song. Yet, three years on, we are still trying to make sense of this incomprehensible tragedy and what it means to stay behind.”
The band continues: “It’s the sound of an overwhelming loss, of shock, of mourning and of grief, and the beginning of our learning to share all of that with the world.” A statement that in itself sums up the scope of this new track: “Without You” does not seek to close a wound, but to put into music what remains after a disappearance.
The track is accompanied by a particularly striking video. Crafted as a dialogue between Polaris’s past and future, the video alternates footage from the band’s history with scenes of the members performing the track in a bare, austere cathedral. Ryan’s absence is palpable, while the imagery recalls the journey the band has taken and underscores the members’ determination to move forward without forgetting the one who shaped their musical identity so profoundly.
This new era comes three years after Fatalism, Polaris’s third album and the last record on which Ryan Siew played. Released in 2023 a few months after his passing, the album immediately took on a special dimension, becoming, almost involuntarily, a posthumous celebration of his legacy and contributions to the band.
After this new release, Polaris will return to Europe this autumn alongside I Prevail, before heading back to Australia to participate in the Good Things Festival in December. A European leg will notably take the group to France on October 6 at the Zénith Paris – La Villette.
With “Without You”, Polaris is not simply marking its return to the discography. The band turns three years of silence, of loss and of rebuilding into a work as ferocious as it is moving. A first stone laid on a path still marked by Ryan Siew‘s absence, but also a testament to the will of his brothers to keep their music alive, their story, and their bond with him.
