Style: technical thrash metal, progressive metal (harsh vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Vektor, Cynic, Voivod, Coroner
Country: Japan
Release date: 2 January 2026

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Some records are too enigmatic to pass up.¹ Japanese tech-thrash project Polaris Experience, led by the vocalist and multi-instrumentalist ‘SK’, has virtually no online presence outside of a Bandcamp and Metal Archives page. No socials that I could find, nothing on the usual streamers, and almost no other digital footprint of any sort.² Yet debut album Drifting Through Voids, in addition to holding nearly an hour of ambitious material, features bass prodigy Mohini Dey on two tracks. How did Dey—who has collaborated with the likes of Steve Vai, Indian film music legend A. R. Rahman, and, of all people, Willow Smith³—end up on this obscure Japanese thrash album? Why? Is SK actually a high-profile musician and friend of Dey’s, operating under an alias to release music aimed at a bewilderingly small minority? … Is the music any good? If you’re looking for answers, I’ll do what I can to enlighten you on that last question. The others will have to remain a mystery.

When talking about modern, technical, sci-fi-influenced thrash, it’s almost impossible not to make a Vektor comparison—and Polaris Experience seem to happily invite one. SK’s shrieking vocals and jagged yet catchy riffing style occasionally make me wonder which part of Terminal Redux I’m listening to. This is especially so in “Bathyscaphes” and toward the end of “Safari Convention / Chasing The Ripples,” which both embrace a tonality and vocal delivery that’s maybe a little too familiar. That said, of all albums to prompt comparison, Terminal Redux is certainly a good one. And in any case, Drifting Through Voids goes well beyond a Vektor tribute.  

Drawing inspiration from elsewhere, Polaris Experience aren’t shy about getting jazzy. Around the midpoint of opening track “External Call,” the band bounce from balls-to-the-wall riffing to subdued, groovy jazz passages where Dey rips a series of unbelievable bass lines and solos. The transitions out of these jazzy sections could be smoother, but I’m in enough awe to overlook this. On the other side of the album, closer “Safari Convention / Chasing The Ripples” hits us with a lovely guest flute solo, nestled between proggy, Cynical riffs. Dey features on this track as well, slapping and popping her way through the riff salad SK chopped up. Another, spaced-out flute solo appears during the title track, leading into some thick guitar work after a haphazard pause. Although not always executed seamlessly, the genre-bending passages scattered across the album juxtapose the heftier thrash and prog metal nicely, giving Polaris Experience a relatively distinct identity. 

Still, it’s undeniable that the band can rip when they choose to. You’d have a tough time finding a tech-thrash track under four minutes that’s as effective as “Serpents In The Grass.” The guitars wind in all directions, the drums—performed by one ‘Okada’—go off, and SK shrieks with conviction. Meanwhile, sitting at the track’s center is an absolute groover of a riff that sticks out immediately as an album highlight. The ten-minute “Interplanetary Funambulist” similarly journeys through blistering stretches, but features shimmering acoustic guitars for added texture. And in “Clashing The Orbits,” acoustic guitars complement the classic metal riffing in the song’s first half, giving the track a cool retro–future feel. 

Despite its numerous compelling moments, though, Drifting Through Voids doesn’t exactly feel like a balanced listen. The eight-plus-minute instrumental “Parvati,” placed in the middle of the album, has plenty of interesting material but isn’t distinctive enough to justify its length. It’s followed by a gratuitous minute-long ambient interlude, and then the seven-minute title track, of which the majority is also instrumental. This stretch of the record has a whole lot of riffs, but not a whole lot of direction. The same can be said for “Safari Convention / Chasing The Ripples,” an ultimately enjoyable, though not totally cohesive, thirteen-minute closer. I applaud Polaris Experience’s ambition, but the album would benefit from concision. 

I may not be able to explain the world’s great wonders or elucidate the mysteries surrounding Drifting Through Voids, but I can answer the question, ‘Is the music any good?’ in the affirmative. The record’s flaws are outweighed by the instrumental performances and the sheer amount of neat ideas tucked within it. Fans of Vektor, Cynic, or any of the spacey tech staples—old or new—will find plenty to unpack. Fans of Willow Smith, well, at least it’ll give you a reason to whip your hair back and forth.

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Recommended tracks: External Call, Serpents in the Grass, Safari Convention / Chasing The Ripples
You may also like: Watchtower, Toxik, Xoth, Anarchÿ, Cryptosis, Blasteroid
Final verdict: 7/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Metal Archives

Label: Distant Comet Entertainment

Polaris Experience is:
– SK (vocals, guitars, bass, synths, additional percussion)
– Okada (drums)
With guests:
– Mohini Dey (bass on “External Call” and “Safari Convention / Chasing The Ripples”)
– Joel Sempere (flute)

1. Having fallen into the role of The Subway’s default thrash reviewer, it’s not like I could have passed up this record anyway. Before I go further, let me grab my battle jacket, put on my flip-up Suicidal hat, and smash a case of PBR. I can’t imagine doing this any other way. ↩︎
2. These days, that raises one natural question: Is this one of those Bandcamp AI bands? Fortunately, nothing suggests that Polaris Experience is. ↩︎
3. Whipping one’s hair back and forth is a very thrash thing to do, I suppose. ↩︎