Australian metalcore band Polaris shared a post on the group’s Instagram, expressing their wish to continue performing while commemorating their guitarist Ryan Siew, who passed away on the 19th of June.
In the post, they began by thanking their fans and explaining their grieving process:
“Dear friends,
We want to thank you all for your outpouring of love and support over the last couple of weeks in the wake of Ryan’s passing. This has been the most difficult period in our band’s life, or in any of our own lives, and your kind words have meant everything to us, our team and Ryan’s family & friends.”
The group also mentioned the hardship they felt was actually a reflection of the love they felt for Ryan:
“This loss has shaken us to the core, but it has been so beautiful to know how loved our brother was, and to hear about the impact he had on so many. We have been blessed to be surrounded by wonderful friends and family as we try to work through this.”
In the post, they continued by reassuring that they will solve the possible confusion of fans, and said that they wish to continue performing:
“We’re truly grateful for your patience and understanding as the four of us start to figure out how we will move forward. We know there are a lot of questions at the moment, all of which we will address in good time, and we appreciate you giving us the space to do so. At this stage we want to let you know that we plan to fulfil all our upcoming commitments, and to move forward in the way that we feel best honours our brother’s life and the art we created together.
With love and thanks,
Polaris”
In the beginning of 2023, late guitarist Ryan posted on his personal account, telling that he had been undergone a few ‘health scares,’ but he was working on himself:
“For the first time for as long as I can remember, I’m happy to say I’m no longer on any anti depressants, no longer living with the constant brain fog and lethargy. Although I’ve also had a few health scares that have been quite sobering. Between all of that, I think I’m back on track to be the best version of myself.”
In May, Polaris released the single ‘Inhumane’ to reveal ‘Fatalism,’ their upcoming third album.