Joe:
Scar Symmetry has returned with the follow up to thier highly praised 2006 release "Pitch Black Progress", with a stunning new array of songs in the form of "Holographic Universe." This 12 song Nuclear Blast released opus is a simply stunning listen all the way through and is sure to please fans of prog, death metalic, thrash, and just about every form of metal in the spectrum, but is also quit palatable even to music fans that would not usually catch themselves listening to metal of any sort.
For those unfamiliar with Scar Symmetry, this Sweden based group was formed in 2004 by members of and former members of Carnal Forge, Torchbearer, Theory In Practice and Altered Aeon. With thier feet firmly planted in the realm of metal they have seamlessly thickened their sound and musical repetoir with forrays into prog, death, thrash, complex polyrhythms and pop vocal hooks. Now on thier 3rd official release, Scar Symmetry seem to have poised themselves to take themselves to the top of metal world with this instantly classic release.
As the metalworld has become highly competitive, with bands fighting to "out tech" eachother, to be heavier, and to all around raise the bar, it seems that Scar Symmetry is taking on all commers. From heavy synth hooks on "Morphogenesis" to the tranquil passages in "The Missing Coordinates" and all the way to the in your face near black metal groove of the albums Title Track, "Holographic Universe" never lets up with the quality of music. There are no filler tracks and every song seems to be crafted with the utmost care.
What most noticeable sets this release apart from its metal counterparts is not only the vocal abilities of vocalist Christain Alvestam is that he has taken risks on this release with his melodies with parts that seem they could be right out of the latest top 40 rock release, yet it never sounds out of place. Where most bands would attempt and fail at encorperating other styles of music into thier sounds, Scar Symmetry has come out as champion. In a world where most of the metal bands have moved to more accessable sounds and as a result sound more and more like the nu metal of the late 90s and now appeal to the hot topic crowds [example: that joke of a record that In Flames just put out. holy shitstacks batman] Scar Symmetry offers up something as accessible as any but at the same time remains as brutal as can be whilst still showcasing an amazing ammount of talent at all times.
The bottom line is, you need this record. It's a breath of fresh air into the metal world and a much needed kick in the pants for many bands out there that make excuses and claim that you cant be accessable and outright heavy at the same time. "Holographic Universe" is a masterpiece and is essential for any collection.
My Rating? 5/5 flawless
Luke:
Alright. So, I'm going to start by saying two things. One, this is another band I have no previous reference point with other than their past band associations and two, this is normally not my cup of tea.
That being said, I would love to see this performed live. For those not in the know, this is, for lack of a better term (but not to be limited by it) a progressive thrash record. It spans the gammut of styles though for the most part. Included herein are elements of death metal, black metal, symphonic metal, rock and, GASP!, pop. If you can believe it.
The recording quality is top notch. Everything is completely audible and all of the levels are set. It retains a level of heaviness while still eschewing said diverse elements of all different styles of music.
I could spend hours discussing the validity of this style of music and arguing whether this is actually "legit" in terms of modern metal standards. It is certainly not "grim" or "kvlt" in reference to the black metal associations but I could see these guys touring with a band like Zyklon or Myrkskog and being right at home. I could also see them on the road with other more mainstream acts like ShadowsFall and not being far off the mark.
There are so many bands attempting to do this right now and this is one of the few bands I've heard that do it well. My only problem with the album is that, throughout, every clean passage reminds me of pretty much everything I hate about adult contemporary music. Super produced and melodic but also, weak in terms of structure and impact. And that's not to say it wouldn't be impressive live but, there's only so much Fabio rock I can handle.
On the upside, I don't see this being something that will enamor the millions of "metal" hungry youths purely because it's not an easy style of music to understand. It is dense and it is diverse. Which I like. But, some of it reminds me of Bryan Adams on steroids. Which I don't like.
Those factors notwithstanding, this is a group of incredibly talented individuals and I think that the rest of the extreme music community could do well to take a few cues from these guys and branch out a little in terms of what they are willing to do with their music. This is full of strange and wonderful time changes, unbelievable songwriting and a mastery of instruments rarely seen in todays metal. And for me, if this was all extreme and no contemporary, I would listen to it non-stop. As I mentioned, it reminds me of a band like Zyklon in those respects. But, unfortunately, I won't be listening to it often because the clean vocals/passages sour the entire record for me. I'm sure there are people who salivate for this kind of shit. For me, I'll stick with the more aggressive side of things.
Bottom line, this is an amazing feat of musical ingenuity. It is pretty difficult from a musicians standpoint to blend styles so contrasting and make it work, let alone work well. Which this does. It's just not something I'll be spinning very often. If you are into any of the bands mentioned herein or even bands like Symphony X, Spiral Architect, Atheist, Cynic or anything similar, you may dig this. But, be warned... the clean vocals are a harsh addition to this otherwise spotless album.
3/5
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