When Sydney band Polaris emerged in 2012, they did so almost fully formed—on their 2013 debut EP Dichotomy, the band was already exorcizing their demons over brutal metalcore, technical metal, and, in their choruses, near pop-like melodies (“In Memoria Di”). The years since have been spent not only perfecting that sound but stretching its parameters. Few groups get more extreme the longer their career goes on, yet “Landmine” marks the quintet’s most intense moment to date; the aptly named “Hypermania” is one of their most furious songs, while at the other end of the scale, “Masochist” registers as one of their most melodic. The band’s penchant for contrasting uplifting choruses with lyrics focusing on dark psychological issues such as substance abuse (“Relapse”), blaming oneself for poor mental health (“Masochist”), and feeling trapped by repeating bad habits (“The Remedy”) further adds to the complexity of their output.