Scar Symmetry – “Symmetric in Design”
This opens with “Chaosweaver,” an example of the melodic aggression that this band is all about: solid gruff vocals and good clean singing. “2012: The Demise of the 5th Sun” follows: the simultaneous vocals sound great and the groove is excellent. Masterful guitar solos and drumming. “Dominion” is simpler, immediate and quite a bit more melodic, thrashier, metal ear candy. “Underneath the Surface” is mid-paced, heavier, with some screechier vocals, and then comes “Reborn,” a speedier, up-beat number with probably the catchiest chorus line in the whole album. “Veil of Illusions” features a crunchier, pounding, mid-paced feel with a more extended solo, then “Obscure Alliance” brings a more circular, repeated riffing pattern, while “Hybrid Cult” has more varied, darker, more twisted vocal approach and the nice, clean chorus breaks up the growling. Come to think of it, this chorus is another good one. “Orchestrate the Infinite” has the most mellow, Opeth-like part, and the guitar riffing is probably the simplest, overall. The chorus is the song here. “Detach from the Outcome” is the most straight-up aggressive, mid-paced song. The clean singing is not a big factor here. In that sense it’s odd, which is interesting because the next song; “Seeds of Rebellion”, brings the speed back to a higher point, along with melody. “The Eleventh Sphere” closes: the gruff, black-ish and the clean vocals are in full force. The heavy riffing is sweetened with background synth and hooks, as is the whole album.
Not too original, true, but the band, which is one of those Swedish bands with people from other groups (Carnal Forge, Unmoored, Theory in Practice, etc.), does very good work in this 48-minute, 12-song release.