Scar Symmetry

I say it time and time again, but I'm someone who that says they 'like all types of music' and actually mean it in all seriousness. Except for dance music (in all seriousness). However, most of my attention usually rests on melodic death metal (the only extreme metal I listen to, pretty much). They say once you're a metalhead, you're hooked for life..

Metal, specifically genres under the 'extreme metal' umbrella (such as (melodic) death metal, doom metal, thrash etc.) are to me, fiercely overlooked. People often see metal as an antisocial, satanic, unlikable genre (hey, sometimes it's some of those things.. but..). It always irked me when I saw the lack of a 'metal' category on the iTunes store, let alone the absence of all the sub-genres (they do actually have a metal category now, the bastards could have waited 'til this blog entry was done). This meant they were mis-categorising a hell of a lot of stuff.. It's as if they were trying to 'hide' the existence of metal, because everyone who means something likes Bieber, Lady Gaga and Tine Tempah, right? I wouldn't have been surprised if I saw 'iTunes is not affiliated with the musical genre 'metal''' in small print. Anyways, I'm talking melodic death metal (mdm) here, and it's something beautiful. I hear more energy, technicality, melody, progression, thought provoking and complex lyrical themes, raw talent from all the band members etc. from mdm time and time again over so much stuff from other genres. I'm not just saying this in a metalhead hissy fit, I really, sincerely mean it. Scar Symmetry alone proves my point. If there was one band the metalhead army had to present to the naysayers to try and convince them that metal can be all those things I mentioned above, Scar Symmetry would probably have to be the band.

I remember browsing the net one night a few years ago looking for mdm bands. I was new to the genre, and pretty much the only bands I knew of were In Flames and.. maybe Dark Tranquillity. I found a thread on a metal forum where some members were discussing the new Scar Symmetry album (Pitch Black Progress at the time). I must have gone to YouTube after that to have a listen and I remember thinking 'wow' at the time. It was certainly something new.. I'm pretty sure the first song I heard was The Illusionist. I thought, extreme metal with progression, synths/electronics and clean vocals mixed up with the death growls and aggressive down-tuned guitar riffs work so well… I think Scar Symmetry were quite ahead of their time at this point (modern mdm today is evolving again in many strange and wonderful directions).

Scar Symmetry (line-up until 2008, with Christian)

Scar Symmetry are one of few bands in my collection that get me so psyched. Like, really psyched. When I get really passionate about some things I sometimes get obsessed. I'm not really sure where to start with this band. I can't pick an album as an example, so I might just talk and pick example tracks. Then you can YouTube them and listen to the WHOLE song. Yes. I don't even know why I bother, I only know one person as a friend who actually likes mdm and might read this. I understand that you either like metal this aggressive, or you really don't.. But what bugs me the most is the people who fail to see the beauty in mdm, even if they don't like it or even claim to hate it.

Perhaps the thing I like most about Scar Symmetry is the progression, which when they started was quite unusual for melodeath, I'd say. Their songs bounce around in pace, aggression and melody. I also love the contrast in the between the changes in pace from aggressive riff sections with the death growls and slower/melodic sections with clean vocals. The clean vocals - especially songs when Christian Älvestam was still around (first 3 albums - Symmetric in Design, Pitch Black Progress and Holographic Universe) - really put a lot towards the melody of the song. He is such a talented vocalist.. Scar Symmetry have a special skill where they manage to have a very heavy, distorted, aggressive sound while also being very, very melodic (usually in the chorus) and technical in song structure. They often switch between cleans and growls in their songs to mix up the melodic/aggressive aspects. A good example is in Deviate from the Form. Another is Frequencyshifter Another reason I have got so obsessed in Scar Symmetry is the amazing guitar work. Scar Symmetry have two guitarists (Per Nilsson and Jonas Kjellgren), which is quite common in Swedish melodeath. It adds depth/layers to the songs, makes it interesting and technical, and makes for some fantastic solos.. Take for example Dreaming 24/7. Man, I love this song. It really is beautiful.. Now, lyrics. Scar Symmetry's lyrics are usually based around time/space theories, quantum mechanics etc. which is great because it compliments the epicness of the energetic melodeath perfectly!

I have selected some of my favourite SS songs to talk a little about. If you have got this far in reading, you might as well listen to the songs - but if you are going to listen to them in full, damn it!

Symmetric in Design (2004)

Chaosweaver - The start of this song is epic, and in my opinion this song wins the award for the most badass song of all time (with some The Duskfall songs being the only competitors..). Christian's growls are great in this. The chorus is amazing too.. There is a really awesome solo too with some great cleans. This has got to be one of my old favs from Scar Symmetry..

2012 - The Demise Of The 5th Sun - Lyrics about the Mayan prophecy obviously.. What makes me love this song is the solo (1:51)… maybe my second favourite just behind A Parenthesis In Eternity.. More epic lyrics 'cosmic ray mutation' and 'ASTROID FATALITY'!!! Other than that solo the song is a little average, but I love that solo so much..

Dominion - Another song similar to 2012 - The Demise Of The 5th Sun really where I have just fallen in love with the solo. But I do like the beginning a lot too..

Pitch Black Progress (2006)

Mind Machine - This one has some of the best of Christian's clean vocal in any of his songs. His voice really makes a lot of the melody in this.. The whole damn song is an example of this.

Dreaming 24/7 - Another classic Scar Symmetry instant-starter! This song may be best example of what Scar Symmetry do. It's very melodic but also aggressive.

Deviate From The form - I really think that this album is Christian at his best on vocals. He proves his talent doing both growls and cleans so well.

Holographic Universe (2008)

Morphogenesis - This song has such a great start.. Christians growls are great, then he bursts into his amazing cleans (I big highlight of this song in my opinion), accompanied by a great, catchy guitar riff. Again, a great song lyrically. This song has a very cool solo that blends into an aggressive part, then back to a more melodic section!

Timewave Zero - Again, a great intro! I don't get how Scar Symmetry write so many different, interesting, epic songs that are all so good.. This song has a different feel to it.. It's Christian's vocals mostly.. It's sort of other-worldy.

Ghost Prototype I - Measurement Of Thought - This is a classic ultra-progressive Scar Symmetry song. Again, another song that just leaps straight into the action instantly. The guitar work at the start of this song and Christian's clean vocals are just so beautiful.. Then theres the aggressive part, which then blend back into a very melodic solo, with some of the most appealing guitar work in any Scar Symmetry song. It's just one of those that my words are not going to do any justice. Listen!

Dark Matter Dimensions (2009)

Nonhuman Era - This is another example of the type of Scar Symmetry songs - it starts very aggressive very quickly. Now, thrash metal has grown on me a lot. This song is very thrashy in the verses, which I usually don't like, but in contrast with the melodic chorus and cleans I love it to pieces. This song is so energetic. Notice how the multiple guitars work in this one too. It took me a while to get into this song, let alone the album; but I think the constant bombardment of aggression and little changes in the song despite being so aggressive makes it very listenable.

A Parenthesis In Eternity - There are a few different types of Scar Symmetry songs in terms of song structure. A Parenthesis In Eternity adheres to the type that starts with a slow, semi-acoustic type that very quickly turns to a fast-paced aggressive riff at a certain lyrical point. This song is largely blast beats (fast drumming in layman's terms) and aggressive down-tuned guitars (which doesn't really narrow Scar Symmetry songs down that much, but hey..). I love the really aggressive solo part at 2:42.. so epic. It also has fun lyrics such as 'creation's labyrinth, it morphs eternally'!! I think one of the secrets to Scar Symmetry's songs being so likeable and replay-able is the technicality - there is much much going on in the songs.

Frequencyshifter - This song follows the same sort of song structure as Nonhuman Era - fast, thrashy verses and a very melodic chorus. I really like the distortion on the guitars on this album. The rhythm and main guitars have such a nice sound.. The cleans in the chorus are the thing I lie most about this song, and the lyrics 'Light falls from the sun and carries on, to invite the dawn when it's born, a new day has come, now deeds be done, in the shift of frequency..'!

Scar Symmetry just hook me with aggression, constant progression and changes in riffs, amazing vocals from Christian and those solos that are unmatched by any other band I can think of...