Scar Symmetry - Pitch Black Progress
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Free Music Notes for Pitch Black Progress
Free Music Review: what soilwork should sound like
Hit: 5 Stars
everyone's said it a million times but these guys are a carbon copy of the early Soilwork. Usually that's a bad thing - but now that Soilwork's going the way of the toilet, it's nice to have somebedy out there filling their shoes. Death growls aproach Akerfeldt quality - excellent clear vocals borderline 80s cheese - and I love every moment of it. Nothing new here, just excellent execution. Free Music Review: Melo-Death Masterpiece!
Hit: 5 Stars
Scar Symmetry really deliver a masterpiece with Pitch Black Progress. This is one of the best melodic death metal releases I have heard in quite some time.
To start Scar Symmetry play melodic death metal with influences from traditional metal, thrash, and a dash of prog. There is a heavy emphasis on melodies, while the music underneath stays quite heavy and thick, aided no doubt by a flawless production. The songwriting is absolutely first class from begining to end and the music sounds really fresh and inspired. A perfect balance between clean and death vocals is another key to the album's success. It's amazing that one singer can handle both the death and clean vox of equal high quality and professionalism. While the clean vox might sound a little too clean at times (in need of more edge) they are undeniably well executed.
The music on this album really reminds me of Soilwork's 'Natural Born Chaos' album (my fav Soilwork album by the way)but dare I say I like 'Pitch Black Progress' even a little more. The melodies and songs are just so top-notch and catchy, while the music seems just a bit heavier and richer of sound. The guitar work is just so fantastic here. The Amott brothers do come to mind as a previous reviewer said. Some really great riffs and arrangements and some really killer sols's. They really emphasise the guitar solo's which is another asset on this album. So many other bands these days seem to be lacking or not putting much emphasis on guitar solo's lately even within metal circles. This is refreshing to hear and add's that something extra to this album.
The albums first 3 songs are highlights that set the tone for an album that has very few weak tracks. While songs like Kaleidoscopic God and Calculate the Apocalipse showcase the bands creative edge.
Strong contender for album of the year!
Free Music Review: Best melodic death album in years
Hit: 5 Stars
Scar Symmetry, one of the few bands worthy of the title "supergroup", quickly return to the fold after the solid debut entitled Symmetric in Design. It's true that if you listen to Symmetric in Design and Pitch Black Progress in the same day, you could say they didn't really stray too far from where they went on the debut, BUT I'd say they improved the formula about ten-fold. In terms of sheer diversity, Pitch Black Progress is my new example of how it's done right. Not one of the songs on this disc reminds me of another, and this is due to several things. While some may say Scar Symmetry are "one more melodic death band", their songwriting and technical ability bury just about all bands currently in the genre. Instead of just focusing on catchy choruses (of which there are many), they pay attention to the subtle details beneath as well. They don't write ho-hum riffs that repeat the ground that has beaten to death by thousands of At the Gates and In Flames ripoffs. Going through the album, you'll hear hints of anything from Megadeth to Strapping Young Lad to Cannibal Corpse to Edge of Sanity to Dream Theater. Pitch Black Progress also manages to avoid the "more brutal yet more melodic" curse. "Calculate the Apocalypse" relentlessly opens in what can only be described as SYL gone death metal. The title-track is no-frills death metal and "Retaliator" maintains a frantic pace throughout while "Slaves to the Subliminal" somehow balances a brutal, death metal verse that is countered by one of the most melodic choruses the band has done. For those seeking a more epic, mid-paced song, "Mind Machinery", "The Kaleidoscope God" and "Dreaming 24/7" will certainly fill that void.
As I've mentioned, the guitarwork is stunning but the soloing and leads deserve some extra praise. Every solo here is memorable to the point that one could pinpoint the solo and match it to the song. "The Kaleidoscope God" is a case in point, at over 7 minutes it displays some of the most epic soloing on the disc and weaves in some keyboards to enhance the effect. Anyone silly enough to think that bands like Shadows Fall and Trivium are 'bringing back the solo' would do well to check this disc out to see soloing done right.
Of course I wouldn't be able to end this review without mentioning the biggest standout element on the disc: the vocals of Christian Alvestam. I've followed his work since Unmoored's Kingdoms of Greed and this is by far the strongest performance he's done. Thats actually downplaying it though, as his work on Pitch Black Progress fulfills the band's promo-sheet of singing "every style of singing known to metal" and proves his namesake as the genre's most diverse and underappreciated vocalist. This might be the best vocal performance I've heard, regardless of genre. I do not remember the last time a vocal performance left me so slack-jawwed. "Oscillation Point" features one of the most epic and powerful choruses I've heard in metal. Other songs, like "Retaliator" and "The Path of Least Resistance", display incredibly smooth transitions between multiple vocal styles. His ability to bellow low, intelligible growls to black metal rasps to clean singing that puts most power metal and mainstream bands to shame is simply unprecedented.
The backing instruments, meaning the bass, drums, and keys are all wonderfully solid as well. Henrik's drumming is intense and frantic or mellow and subdued when necessary and the bass gives the band a nice, thundering sound on occasion. The keyboards really bring in additional layers without sounding cheesy and overblown. Closer "Deviate From the Form" is aptly named with the heavier key usage that changes its pace from the rest of the disc. I've already mentioned this effect on "The Kaleidoscope God", but other tracks like opening of "The Illusionist" and "Carved in Stone" are equally good representations. Guitarist Jonas Kjellgren's production gives the band a clear sound that is both futuristic and meaty.
I think the point has become abundantly clear that Pitch Black Progress is an extraordinary album. In fact, I don't think I've been this excited about a cd in years. This is the quintessential template for what melodic death should sound like and a landmark album for the genre. It's early in the year, but I dare anyone to find a better album than Pitch Black Progress.
Free Music Review: This Swedish Melo/Death deviates from the current form...
Hit: 5 Stars
As we all may notice, if we listen to bands like In Flames and Soilwork, the biggest of Sweden's Melo/Death acts have been trying to push for bigger audiences by attempting to steal the former nu-metal fan bases in America. Unfortunately, it marks them as potential sell-outs and forces them to re-visit and revise their sounds (best examples are In Flames' "Come Clarity" and Soilwork's "Stabbing the Drama") in order to gain their respect in their more hardcore metal fans. Then enter a band like Scar Symmetry. Pulling the right strings and stealing the thunder of these more well known and popular acts by combining the best of the Melo/Death genre with the likes of Opeth style progressive insturment work and clean vocals. This isn't the half of it...
When I first heard Scar Symmetry's "Symmetric in Design", I heard something that I haven't heard in a long time. A great melo/death album that stands up there with Dark Tranquillity's "Projector" and In Flames' "Whoracle"; an album full of great vocals (both the clean and the death growls), great instrumental work, and, generally, a great sound. It astounded me that a melo/death band was finally coming to take it back into the underground. After the release of "Pitch Black Progress", I realized that this group wasn't only taking it back, but reinventing the melo/death "steel" if you will; giving the genre some new and much deserved lifeforce.
"Pitch Black Progress" has many a stand out track; including the amazing opener "The Illusionist", the title track "Pitch Black Progress" (one of the heaviest on the CD), "Calculate the Apocalypse" (which contains this heavy, mind-blowing death metal opening with some actual "blasting" behind the drum kit), "Dreaming 24/7" (the "ballad" of this album with clean vocal work to die for), and "Retaliator" (shows the extent of their Opeth-like roots in the opening seconds of the track). Every track on this album deserves to be listened to over and over again because of how great they are. Full of great vocals, great metal riffs and huge solo work by the band's guitarists, and the awesome ambience provided by their master behind the keys. I actually find this CD to be better than the previous Scar Symmetry release.
In closing, if there is one band to pay attention to in this genre over the next several years it is this band. Scar Symmetry brings a great amount of talent and skill into the slowly draining pool that is the melo/death genre. As long as they stick to their program, Scar Symmetry could become a major influencing force behind the metal bands of the future (much like their counterparts in In Flames and Soilwork).
Free Music Review: Very, very strong!!!
Hit: 5 Stars
This band is really incredible. Their first album, was an impressive piece of melodic/death metal, and now came with this masterpiece in all proportions. Exquisite guitar riffs, amazing drums and incredible vocals. This album is absolutely on the top five albums of 2006.