I could not find an existing topic for this fantastic melodic death metal band, so I decided to post my own. Scar Symmetry are easily my favourite melodic death metal band of all time, and that is saying something considering that they have only been active for about two years. Still, in these two years they have managed to put out two fantastic melodeath masterpieces that rank up there with the very best in the genre, and it is rumoured that these guys are going to be very big now that they have managed to nail a contract with Nuclear Blast.



So what is it that makes Scar Symmetry such a great band? First of all it is the excellent musicianship. From the fantastic, speedy and no-nonsense guitar solos to the extremely tastefully used keyboard material, the music is right out there. Everyone in this band knows exactly what he is doing and together, they make some of the best and most memorable songs that I have ever heard. Scar Symmetry certainly aren't familiar with the term 'filler'.

Another particularly brilliant part of Scar Symmetry's music is the vocals, all done by singer Christian Älvestam. His voice is incredibly diverse, capable of doing good clean vocals as well as death grunts and even the occasional scream. What is even more brilliant is that he can alternate between these styles extremely quickly.

Their two albums, Symmetric In Design (2005) and Pitch Black Progress (2006) are two great feats of melodeath music and both have gotten rave reviews and album of the month notations all around the world. Symmetric In Design is easily the heaviest of the two albums, more closely related to death metal than the sophomore album, but Pitch Black Progress has some pretty heavy tracks as well. Overall, the second album is much more melodic and the clean vocals are executed better than ever. Many fans will not care for the amount of clean vocals on this album, but there is enough deathsy goodness for them to enjoy as well.

My favourite tracks from both albums? Chaosweaver, Dominion, Reborn, The Illusionist, Mind Machine, The Kaleidoscopic God. Trust me though when I say that not one song from either of these albums will really disappoint. They're all good in their own right!

Check out a sample of Reborn here: Click

Hmm... I used to love this band and to an extent still do, 'Symmetric In Design' at least. However, because I've listened to pretty much every melodeath band ever conceived (used to be my fave genre) this band became very stale incredibly fast. They do do it very well but they stick the colour-by-numbers formula of all melodeath bands and just get boring really fast. The new album was a prime example of a band that has shown no sign in trying to progress its music which is really sad because there's alot of better bands out there. Soilwork for a start who this band is carbon copy of.

Very nicely done but old old old.

I've only got Pitch Black Progress. It's a decent album, the singer does really good growls and his clean voice is brill, better than Speed of Soilwork. I do admit some of the songs sound a lot like Soilwork, but The Illusionist is a great song, nice intro as well

I agree to some extent with your opinion, \/ELVET, but I do not think it is fair to judge Scar Symmetry by the fact that they stay rather close to the formulas of their genre. Besides, with their twin guitars, extremely well executed vocals and the catchy keyboard riffs and song structures, this band easily makes it to a much higher level than your average melodic death metal band out there.

I also disagree that Scar Symmetry are putting no effort into their own progression. I think Pitch Black Progress is a big step up from Symmetric In Design in every possible way, musically, technically and production-wise. The songs are stronger on this album, pack a heavier punch and leave much fewer weak spots than on the first album. In fact, personally I can not find any weak spots in PBP at all.

Scar Symmetry is great. Really catchy and impressive stuff, but like others said, nothing specifically new or original.

Pitch Black Progress is an awsome album, yeh best mel0-death album ive heard in a while

Pitch Black Progress is the only album i've heard of theirs.... and they sound much heavier than soilwork , though both have a similar kind of sound ... amazing music

I only know one song from them that I downloaded from the net, but I'm already convinced. It won't take long before I will buy their latest album. Great grunts!

Just got into the band. Just got "Pitch.Blck.Progress" and thought it was awesome. Just ordered "Symmetric In Design", hopefully it'll be as good as PBR. Anyway, I think this band is great.

Scar Symmetry is a great band my only problem with them is that they're really not going out of their way to create their own sound. To me they sound like any other melodeath band and are extremely similar to Soilwork but do what they did better. My favorite album by them is Pitch Black Progress but both of their albums are very solid. Like everyone else has said though it's nothing new and exceptional but they are still a good band.

Scar Symmetry is one of my fav bands too. They're are awesome! The originality is mostely in the lyrics. I don't know how they write them, but man, those lyrics are so good. Too me, Scar Symmetry is heavier than Soilwork and I like that more. I realy want to see them live

Yes, one of my favorite melodeath bands. PBP will be somewhere in the top 3 albums of 2006 for me. They sound nothing like Soilwork IMO. The only little thing I can find even remotely similar to Soilwork is the clean voice.

Scar Symmetry is a great band for me, one of my favos, i got the two albums, and they're both amazing. Yes, they got something that could make you think about Soilwork, but lets not mix everything together : Soilwork is better than Scar Symmetry, as they've been improving, changing their music.

I just hope Scar Symmetry's next album will be a bit more original, but yeah, they are still great, i guess we should just wait for it, and not give them up, they're going to improve their music, its a new band after all.

My favourite songs are Hybrid Cult, Mind Machine, Deviate From The Form, Reborn, The Illusionist, Carved In Stone... and some others, i cant tell everything . All their songs are good, and not a single song, and i mean it, had disappointed me.

Written by Guest on 20.05.2006 at 13:40

The new album was a prime example of a band that has shown no sign in trying to progress its music which is really sad because there's alot of better bands out there. Soilwork for a start who this band is carbon copy of.

... and they throw some Meshuggah ripping at the same time.

i've just found this band, and i'm liking the album Symmetric in Design more every time i listen to it!!

the main reason for me is the deep death growls, they are awesome!!

as for music yeah they are ripping so many, but they execute so well and put the songs together better than most!!

Written by Darth Satanious on 17.01.2007 at 15:03

Written by Guest on 20.05.2006 at 13:40

The new album was a prime example of a band that has shown no sign in trying to progress its music which is really sad because there's alot of better bands out there. Soilwork for a start who this band is carbon copy of.

... and they throw some Meshuggah ripping at the same time.

yeah the was the first word i was shouting Meshuggah !!!! when i was listeing to the Illusionist at that part just before the solo,,,, it is sounds straight from Meshuggah nothing or something!

EDIT and how come this band is not featured on MS?!

Very very good band eventho i think their latest album was probably a little bit weaker than their debut - still awesome melodic death metal! The ONLY thing that pisses me off about this band is i just cant STAND their vocalist with that STUPID fuckin expression on his face when he sings! Its as if hes got a 2cm wide mouth or something, maybe hes got really bad teeth but he looks like a fuckin moron when he sings.....and perhaps tries too hard to look like Speed from Soilwork lol

The music is fantastic tho, so luckily i can listen to it without having to look at how stupid he looks lol Killer songs: Reborn, The Eleventh Sphere, Dominoin, The Illusionist, Oscillation Point

Amazing band, going to see them with Dark Tranquility, and Into Eternity next month. I can't get enough of "Chaosweaver," some people may say it's too catchy, but I don't give a damn, I like it. I haven't listened to much of their first album, but what I've heard I liked a lot.

Good band but to me, there trying to sound too much like Soilwork...personally I like the album Pitch Black Progress, its addictive and catchy but overall I prefer Soilwork. Not saying Scar Symmetry arent good because I think they are..but to me they sound like there trying to hard to be Soilwork.

Written by Guest on 21.02.2007 at 00:43

Good band but to me, there trying to sound too much like Soilwork...personally I like the album Pitch Black Progress, its addictive and catchy but overall I prefer Soilwork. Not saying Scar Symmetry arent good because I think they are..but to me they sound like there trying to hard to be Soilwork.

Well it depends what era of Soilwork youre referring to. The pre FN5 albums of Soilwork were AMAZING, some of the best Melodic Death albums to date yet at the moment they are complete rubbish. So perhaps in a way Scar Symmetry is trying to sound like old Soilwork but its much more catchy than Soilwork used to be.....the vocalist sure as hell thinks hes Speed tho and Scar Symmetry kicks the shit out of recent Soilwork - not so much "Chainheart Machine" and "A Predator's Portrait"

I saw them along with Communic, to bad there weren't enough people there. I really like Pitch Black Progress, I don't have the other album though???

I hear a lot of complaining about how they sound too much like Soilwork, but I've never listened to Soilwork that much, and listened to a lot of Scar Symmetry. So I have no problems.

They're awesome, although a little too repetitive sometimes. They have catchy choruses and the growl is very good too. Hope that I'll see them live someday. And I do not think that they sound like Soilwork, because they're horrible!
BTW, isn't this like the third Scar Symmetry thread? Or am I just crazy?

Written by Warman on 22.02.2007 at 17:57

They're awesome, although a little too repetitive sometimes. They have catchy choruses and the growl is very good too. Hope that I'll see them live someday. And I do not think that they sound like Soilwork, because they're horrible!

Then I suppose you havent heard Soilwork's first 2 albums?.....they certainly are not horrible, especially if you really like Scar Symmetry you might just like the old Soilwork even more. Much more technical and the songwriting isnt as straight forward and sort of "been there heard that" like that of Scar Symmetry.

Written by Guest on 23.02.2007 at 22:43

Then I suppose you havent heard Soilwork's first 2 albums?.....they certainly are not horrible, especially if you really like Scar Symmetry you might just like the old Soilwork even more. Much more technical and the songwriting isnt as straight forward and sort of "been there heard that" like that of Scar Symmetry.

No, I haven't actually heard THAT much Soilwork. Maybe I'd like their first albums but I won't look for them. All I can hope for then is that my friend (who likes them) get those albums.

this is a great band. the lyrics aren't anything special or new, but the msuic is amazing. i like symetric in design a little more than pitch black progress. both are worth a lsiten and i would recommend purchasing symetric in design. i am actually going to be seeing them with into eternity, dark tranquillity, and the haunted in march in atlanta. i own all of soilwork's albums as well and i can see you liking scar symmetry if you like soilwork, and i agree with Slottet av Take, scar symmetry is better than newer soilwork. (for the record i enjoy all soilwork even though pre Figure number 5 albums are best)

I enjoy Scar Symmetry a lot. I stard hearing them maybe a year from now, cuz of an old MS user that used to keep the band logo in his signature, and he was always writing about the band and saying that it was the best melodic death ever.. bla bla. Well, I enjoy MD so I check them out and loved it. Symmetric in Design is a great album imo.. I just adore "OBSCURE ALLIANCE" !
Great great band

i just can't stop listening to Symmetric in Design!! something is not right,,, i can't get bored with it lol

Written by Amrott on 01.03.2007 at 04:00

i just can't stop listening to Symmetric in Design!! something is not right,,, i can't get bored with it lol

ahaha it is in a fact a really good album. I advice you all that do not know Scar Symmetry to go check this album

Im just wondering why their band profile is not active yet..............................

Written by Guest on 04.03.2007 at 18:48

Im just wondering why their band profile is not active yet..............................

That can take a while I advice you. To put Chimaira in MS it took at least 2 years :| I also wanted to put Mudvayne on, and I've done everything that is possible to make their profile complete, but I am unlucky yet.

Anyway, dont loose the hope If any Moderator hear "Symmetric In Design" maybe they'll put finally Scar Symmetry in MS.