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SCAR SYMMETRY
"Dark Matter Dimensions" (Nuclear
Blast; 2009)
Reviewed by Jeff Rogers
Swedish metal unit Scar Symmetry return -- after lead singer Christian Alvestam’s abrupt departure -- with not one, but two singers in tow on their fourth album, "Dark Matter Dimensions."
This now sextet’s 11-track offering showcases an outfit who keep things moving along without skipping a beat despite their inner turmoil, as both new growler Roberth "Robban" Karlsson and clean throat Lars Palmqvist suit the bill and make a respectable clean/harsh vocal duo while the technically gifted musicians behind them hammer away with the mechanically-inclined complex mix of power metal and melodic death metal with emphasis on guitar gymnastics (“Radiant Strain”) that they’ve been lauded for since their inception (Sculptor Void,” “The Consciousness Eaters”).
While Alvestam’s absence is apparent, the new guys do an adequate job of assisting Scar Symmetry rebound with a solid if somewhat unspectacular offering whose clinical feel and formulaic approach stays the course, not really gaining ground but picking up right where previous release, "Holographic Universe," left off.
For more information, check out http://www.scarsymmetry.com.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
Copyright © 2007 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights
reserved.
Revised:
16 Dec 2024 12:46:37 -0500.
