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Album Info:
Release dates for: Dark Matter Dimensions October 20th (U.S&Canada) October 2nd (Europe) Record Label: Nuclear Blast PRE-ORDER: Dark Matter Dimensions
List Price: $13.98 Price: $13.98 Artist info: Official Website:
Scar Symmetry- Dark Matter Demensions Scar Symmetry made their mark on the metal community in 2005 with the release of their debut album Symmetric in Design. Fast forward to 2009 and they bestow upon us their fourth full length album titled Dark Matter Dimensions, which once again is released under the flagship name Nuclear Blast.
Hailing from Sweden, most known for its Gothenburg scene, they are actually considered a �melodic death metal� band. Oxymoron if you ask me, but I�m not a big fan of today�s labeling for certain metal genres. I read somewhere: �What Opeth would sound like if they weren't progressive.�, but most often Scar Symmetry is compared to Soilwork or In Flames. Shortly after their widely acclaimed 2008 release Holographic Universe, the band parted ways with vocalist Christian (Alvestam) due to �creative differences�, but they wasted no time and filled the empty slot with not one, but two singers who were tagged to fill in those huge shoes. Christian has such an amazing vocal range, and I was skeptical if Scar Symmetry could pull off another great album without him. Rest assured, they did. Roberth and Lars share the duties of growls and clear vocals, and, in my opinion, it sounds great. Both are able to overlap their vocals, which makes the songs sound much deeper and intricate, and since the vocals are such an identifying part, the band didn�t skip a beat from their prior releases.
Scar Symmetry went the tried and true approach with this new album, which is not necessarily a bad thing. The song structures are your basic verse/chorus/verse design and the riffs are more progressive metal then anything else.The guitar solos are whipped out with ease in every song, and since melody was always the main draw in their songs, Scar Symmetry does not disappoint here. Jonas and Per are doing a phenomenal job on their axes, and I don�t know why they are so underrated. Sculpture Void is a prime example of their abilities.
Most of the songs are really catchy, and, after a few spins, I was singing the chorus lines like I had heard them a million times. The opener The Iconoclast starts with a power metal intro and then goes back to your usual down tuned Scar Symmetry signature song. But don�t be fooled, even though the songs are melodic, they don�t loose that technical aspect; some even border groove or metal core (and here we go with those labels again�*lol*) With Mechanical Soul Cybernetics and Nonhuman Era the guys stepped out of their comfort zone and produced a fast, growling beast.
Henrik does a great job on the drums, good fills and grooves. His double bass drumming is not too overbearing, but he still can prove he has quick feet when push comes to shove. The drums are not that high in the mix, which makes for superior listening. Even though Ken plays his bass guitar flawlessly, it�s not that notable in most songs. (Something a lot of newer albums by any band have in common. Sad, but true.)
Overall, the production of Dark Matter Dimensions is much thicker then their other releases. The album is also the shortest in their catalog, but, even though the songs are shorter, they are more focused and don�t loose that emotional, melodic feeling while still being technical.
My favorite track of the album is The Iconoclast, closely followed by Noumenon And Phenomenon and Sculpture Void
Review By: Brigit Haugen
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