What the album does – the guitar-based instrumentals, the vocals that transition between clean and higher-pitched screams, the juggernaut tempos to drive each song – it does well. In fact, it does it really damn well. But throughout the album, there’s not a terrible amount of inspiration in the sound. Where an act like Saviour brought a unique sounding vocalist to their fold, or Northlane varied their sound with calm tracks that brought in sampling from other sources, Polaris doesn’t take any daring leaps.
But that’s just it. It’s their debut. There’s so much more room in the future for Polaris to build on this rock-solid base. The calm-to-chaotic ‘In Somnus Veritas’ and the slick-sounding ‘Crooked Path’ are stand-out tracks that best show the flair and potential for Polaris.
To sum up The Mortal Coil? A tad unimaginative, but still a great, thoroughly enjoyable listen all the way through. It’s enough to impress this jaded fan of the genre.
7.5/10
