This is the fourth album by Polar, a UK Hardcore band.

2016’s No Cure No Saviour was one of my favourite records from that year, offering an anthemic and highly addictive collection of hardcore and post-hardcore tunes.

The band’s style on Nova is essentially the same upon first glance, but when you delve deeper into the music you soon find out that these new songs mostly have an even greater depth than the band’s older ones did; this was never a band that sounded facile, but these tracks have slightly more to offer the discerning listener than previously. Polar achieve this by arguably becoming even heavier than they were on their last album, but by aiding and abetting this heavy aggression with greater emotive intensity and added musical enhancements.

Although the album is clearly personal in nature, this doesn’t limit its appeal; quite the opposite in fact, as it draws you in and keeps you close as the 38-minute playing time unfolds. Combining a raw emotional base with a beefy, muscular sound is not an easy thing to do, but Polar once again show they are masters of this tactic.

Addictive, moreish, filled with emotive delivery, and laden with thick, heavy riffs, Nova is the strong album that I was hoping for after No Cure No Saviour. It’s hard to say at the moment which album is actually the better one, if only because I know No Cure No Saviour so well, but Nova is at least as good and serves as a wonderful companion to the band’s previous work. Given even more spins, however, it may even eclipse it. Only time will tell. For now, Nova kills, and should be high up on your list of musical priorities this month.