LODESTAR is a Gothic Metal band from Vancouver, Canada. They released two full-length albums so far. Their third release is “Polaris” and it was mixed and mastered by Riccardo Pasini (GORY BLISTER; HANDFUL OF HATE; POSTVORTA). It has a length of about 55 minutes, and it was released via Latvian label Sliptrick Records, which has many Heavy and alternative Metal bands among their current roster. The first song of the album is “Shooting Star” and it starts with very powerful guitar riffing at a measured tempo and a sluggish rhythm. The melodies are dark, but catchy. The female vocals are clean and vary mostly around the medium end of the vocal range with a few tonal shifts towards higher notes. For the chorus, the vocals are intensified by background vocals. “Shooting Star” is a good opening song, and it makes appetite for more. “Never Die“ continues with the tempo, rhythm, and the overall dark mood. The riffing is slightly more playful compared to the opener, but not less powerful. The vocals are a bit more versatile and incorporate more tonal shifts and a few higher notes. However, altogether there is a certain monotony in the sound caused by the guitars, as the riffing hardly changes throughout the track.

“Save Me From Fate” is another track at a measured tempo. It is a slow song with grim melodies. While the guitar riffing, basslines, and drumming hardly differs from the first two tracks, the song sounds quite different as the keyboards are more prominent to provide some atmospheric patterns, and more importantly, the vocals of Kate Glock are very versatile and very emotional. She grabs the opportunity to shine and gives the track an extra dimension. “Save Me From Fate” is one of my album favorites. “In This Life” slows down again a bit and the track has surely many ballad-esque features, especially during the verse parts, where the guitar riffing is adapted to that. The chorus parts are very powerful and again, the vocals are the main contributor. “In This Life” is one of the rare songs with a short but contributing lead guitar solo.  “In Your Shadow” starts with thunderous riffing and the track goes back to the sluggish rhythm of the opening tracks. It is one of the heavier tracks on the album, where the riffing is more direct and aggressive. While guitars, bass, and drums provide a solid sound foundation, the difference maker are the vocals again with all the versatility of Kate Glock. “In Your Shadow” is one of the few tracks where Gothic inspirations are less prominent, in fact I feel the vibes of the 90s a bit. However, “In Your Shadow” is another album favorite of mine.

“Distance To Your Light” slows down again. The riffing is powerful again and the vocals are again the highlight of the track, also due to the part music vocals throughout the track. The melodic framework is grim but there are also some melancholic features at times. “War Of The Mind” sounds slightly different compared to most other songs as the riffing is a bit more versatile, more playful, and the song textures are more complex. That also has an impact on the vocals as Kate Glock follows the melodies and seem to have a lot more text on this track compared to others. “Light Of My Life” starts with an extended instrumental part with the guitars and the strings transitioning into slow song with ballad-esque parts that are very prominent during the verse parts. The track uses orchestral arrangements in the background driven by the strings and the piano.  It is another track for the vocals to shine, both in terms of vocal skillset and transporting emotions, and Kate Glock has an excellent performance.

“World Of Change” goes back to the familiar album patterns and the track starts with a lengthy instrumental part driven by the guitars. Once the vocals join in, it all develops into a track with dark melodies at a measured tempo with a lot of monotony in the rhythm. Some parts of the track remind me on the early LACUNA COIL period of the late 90s and there are similarities in the vocals (and not only in this song) between Kate Glock and Cristina Scabbia. “World Of Change” includes two extended and very contributing lead guitar solos. It is by far the longest song on the album with a playing time of almost 10 minutes. The album finishes with the title song. “Polaris” is another slow song, and it is the album ballad. It is another chance Kate Glock to shine, and she stamps her vocal authority on the track. “Polaris” has been released as lyric video, and the YouTube link is provided below.

The third album of LODESTAR leaves me with mixed feelings. “Polaris” is modern Gothic Metal with a few vibes of the 90s. The album is put into a dark melodic framework. There is a lot of monotonicity in tempo, rhythm, and guitar riffing. At times, this is helpful to intensify darkness, but often the songs sound lengthy and exchangeable. The outstanding vocalist Kate Glock comes often to the rescue with her vocal skillset, her versatility, and her ability to transport emotions. In principle, she acts as a counterpoint to the monotone sound patterns. The album is well produced. LODESTAR deliver an album for Gothic Metal fans and many of those might like what they hear.