ITP V.024 REVIEW: SCAR SYMMETRY: "THE SINGULARITY (PHASE II XENOTAPH)"

 

 

BAND:SCAR SYMMETRY (SWEDEN)

GENRE: MELODIC DEATH METAL

LABEL: NUCLEAR BLAST RECORDS

 RELEASE DATE:6/9/2023

TITLE: "THE SINGULARITY (PHASE II XENOTAPH)"

 RELEASES: 

"THE SINGULARITY (PHASE I) NEOHUMANITY" , 10/3/2014 via NUCLEAR BLAST RECORDS. 

"THE UNSEEN EMPIRE", 4/15/2011 via NUCLEAR BLAST RECORDS. 

"DARK MATTER DIMENSIONS", 10/2/2009 via NUCLEAR BLAST RECORDS. 

"HOLOGRAPHIC UNIVERSE", 6/20/2008 via NUCLEAR BLAST RECORDS. 

"PITCH BLACK PROGRESS", 4/21/2006 via .NUCLEAR BLAST RECORDS. 

"SYMMETRIC IN DESIGN", 2/7/2005 via METAL BLADE RECORDS. .  .

 

BEST RELEASE(S): "HOLOGRAPHIC UNIVERSE" (2008), "THE SINGULARITY (PHASE I) NEOHUMANITY" (2014), "THE SINGULARITY (PHASE II XENOTAPH)" (2023) 

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SCAR SYMMETRY: "THE SINGULARITY (PHASE II XENOTAPH)" TRACK LISTING: 

1."CHRONONAUTILUS" 

2. "SCORCHED QUADRANT"

3. "OVERWORLD" 

4. "ALTERGEIST" 

5. "REICHSFALL" 

6. "DIGIPHRENIA DAWN" 

7. "HYPERBOREAN PLAINS" 

8. "GRIDWORM" 

9. "A VOYAGE WITH TAILED METEORS" 

10. "SOULSCANNER" 

11. "XENOTAPH" 

 

ITP RATING: **** (Four stars-VERY GOOD)

PRODUCTION: ****

SONGWRITING: ****

PERFORMANCE:**** 1/2

 

 Formed in early 2K, SCAR SYMMETRY are a melodic death metal band from Sweden. After a slew of mind blowing melo-death releases, the band struggled to record the follow up to their 2014 critically

 acclaimed release  "THE SINGULARITY (PHASE I) NEOHUMANITY". 

Now SCAR SYMMETRY are back with last years "THE SINGULARITY (PHASE II XENOTAPH)". 

SCAR SYMMETRY'S "THE SINGULARITY (PHASE II XENOTAPH)"  kicks off with "CHRONONAUTILUS",  kicks off brutal with death and clean vocals and some technical and symphonic elements."CHRONONAUTILUS" continues with epeic guitars solos and insane blast beats.

SCAR SYMMETRY'S "SCORCHED QUADRANT", is a rager of a track with a booming clean vocal chorus mixed with brutal death metal vocals. Great guitar solos.

SCAR SYMMETRY'S "OVERWORLD" kicks off with a melodic technical metal guitar and segues into a duet of clean and death metal vocals. A rolling thrash riff propels "OVERWORLD" as the song is so melodic you can get a cavity listening to it. 

SCAR SYMMETRY'S ."ALTERGEIST"  enters with blast beats and an ominous atmosphere of almost blackened, melodic death metal... SCAR SYMMETRY'S clean and death metal vocal transitions are great and effortless.SCAR SYMMETRY'S ."ALTERGEIST" features good riffing and great guitar solos. 

SCAR SYMMETRY'S "REICHSFALL" enters with a definitive melodic guitar solo/riff  with excellent clean vocals. "REICHSFALL" features some good songwriting and excellent musicianship.The breakdown towards the end of "REICHSFALL is awesome.

 SCAR SYMMETRY'S  "DIGIPHRENIA DAWN"  features a good play on dynamics, heavy and soft parts, an excellent chorus, and good songwriting. 

 SCAR SYMMETRY'S  "HYPERBOREAN PLAINS" features a thrash and roll riff , compelled by tight drumming and all the melodic awesomeness you would expect from SCAR SYMMETRY. 

 SCAR SYMMETRY'S "GRIDWORM" is one of the best tracks on  "THE SINGULARITY (PHASE II XENOTAPH)". "GRIDWORM" features tolling and staccato thrash riffs and amazing lead guitar work with the usual awesome death and clean vocals. 

 SCAR SYMMETRY'S "A VOYAGE WITH TAILED METEORS"  features a thrash drum beat, totally moshable, too mostly death metal vox. . "A VOYAGE WITH TAILED METEORS" segues into hard rock riffs before the clean vocals enter in for a softer, melodic edge.     

 SCAR SYMMETRY'S "SOULSCANNER" enters with technical lead guitar and a heavier tone."SOULSCANNER features clean vocals, specifically for the chorus. Death metal vocals duet with cleans for a melodic thrash and roll experience. 

SCAR SYMMETRY'S  "THE SINGULARITY (PHASE II XENOTAPH)" closes with the over 7 minute "XENOTAPH" features impressive progressive metal influences, executed perfectly with tech, melodic death guitar. 

"XENOTAPH" features godly death metal vox and cleans vocal transitions and the guitar solos are to die for."XENOTAPH" slows down in the middle of the track complete with keyboards and clean vocals.  . 

SCAR SYMMETRY'S  "THE SINGULARITY (PHASE II XENOTAPH)" is one hell of a journey. What sets SCAR SYMMETRY'S  apart from other molodeath contemporaries is guitarists BEN ELLIS and PER NILSSON. 

. ELLIS and NILSSON'S lead guitar work is mind blowing and technical. The guitar solos are unique. 

Although clean death metal vocal transitions have been done before,  ELLIS and NILSSON'S deliver great duets of both styles of vocals. 

The songwriting featured on SCAR SYMMETRY'S  "THE SINGULARITY (PHASE II XENOTAPH)", while good, may sound a litle samey with the exception of a few of the heavier and more progressive tracks. Hopefully the band will stay heavy and move towards a more progressive direction as evidenced on the last track. 

Over all, SCAR SYMMETRY'S  "THE SINGULARITY (PHASE II XENOTAPH)", was well worth the wait, and was an enjoyable listen and one of, if not the best melodic death metal I've heard in years. 

Would you expect anything but greatness from SCAR SYMMETRY? After all, they are from Sweden. .  . 

   

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ITP RATING:**** (Four stars-VERY GOOD)

PRODUCTION: ****

SONGWRITING: ****

PERFORMANCE:**** 1/2