Scar Symmetry - Holographic Universe tracklisting announced

damn, i knew there was something i missed in my recent "buy new metal albums" haul.

I think SiD has some of their best songs, but the production and lack of consistency drags it down.

Still pretty meh on the whole affair, though some songs have grown on me. I'd bump it up to 3.5/5.

The guitars feel kind of neutered to me, like they're too distant in the mix.

I think the production is alright, I just wish they'd get away from the fake tube emulation digital guitar sound which is on all three albums.

I personally probably like Artificial Sun Projection most.

After about 10+ listens, my opinion has changed. About on par with PBP, and I'd put it ahead of SID. Alvestam's vocals are fucking incredible on this album. And the growls in the chorus of Artificial Sun Projection, are those natural or are they layered, because they are absolutely bad ass. Kind of remind me of Demigod, only more brutal. Are there any other bands that have vocals like that?

Theres this band called Opeth, I don't know if you've heard of them.

Mike is even more brutal on the latest Bloodbath EP.

This album has grown a lot on me. About 3.8/5 - 4/5 i'd say.

Listening to this for the first time right now... So far, Trapezoid was really awesome.

3.8? Are you kidding? It's a 3.857 minimum. A 3.822 if you're being a real cunt about things.

haha

this album is awesome! a grower, although i'm surprised to say so about a scar symmetry album.

this disc has the best vocal melodies SS has come up with so far

This is a great album. My first SS album. I love the melodic vocals mixed in with the harshness. What SS album should I get next? Bearing in mind that I prefer the melodic/clean vocals to the harsh ones.

It sure is not Death Magnetic..

Well their two others have quite a balanced mix of clean/harsh. From memory I'd say that Pitch Black Prgoress is the heaviest, so I'd go with Symmetric in Design.

This disc is awesome!

That is all.

My favorite album of 2008 so far.

the title track is the best scar symmetry song. fuck yeah. amazing r0ffs and chorus

I think I've decided that I like this album on par with their others.

There's some boring filler in the middle, but it's still a very good album. The highs are amazing.

I find it mostly cheesy and boring. Nowhere close to PBP.

Well, I've been playing the shit out of this yet again, and I'm going to have to say that I think this is the single best example of metal vocals in action on one album, and a solid contender for best leads as well.

Fucking incredibly phenomenal album.

Love it.

I enjoy it a lot, but it's definitely nowhere near as brutally awesome as PBP.

Yeah, HU is awesome, but could've used more songs like "Prism and Gate" and the title track, and less songs like "Trapezoid".

"Trapezoid" is one of my favorite songs on it. I was under the impression people didn't like "Prism and Gate" because of the hair metal chorus. Although, the solo on the title track is fucking awesome.

"Brutal" isn't exactly the word that springs to my mind when I think about SS. More like "wannabe brutal".

However, I guess there is a reason I don't like In Flames either.

I hate In Flames, but I love SS. Go figure.

I think they sound alike and clearly build on the same tradition. I am not saying that is the reason, but there is something I don't like about SS. I can't really put my finger on what it is.

What about this band makes you think they "wannabe brutal"? They are straight up melodic death metal. Melodic death metal isn't necessarily a "brutal" genre of music.

And btw, #1 album of the year for me without a doubt. Alternates with PBP as my favorite as I think both of them edge out their debut album.

I suspect that's the reason a lot of fans of "normal" death metal, brutal death metal and such don't like the whole MDM genre, because they think it's too fake and poppy.

Exactly. It's poppy. That's the word.

So here i was hoping this thread was bumped for new SS material


faggots

Just finished a full listen to it, sitting-on-the-couch style. I like it. I'm no big SS fan, but some of the choruses on this one are so great.

Only half a year after the last album was released?

Well I like poppy. It's really catchy and awesome and fun to listen to. Not to be confused with poopy.

I need to give this another spin. Been way too long.

When I need something like that I listen to Rhapody or something.

I would, but I get nightmares if I have too much cheese.

Title track & Three Dimensional Shadow choruses = holy shit awesome

Timewave Zero is where it's at for clean vocals and choruses.

Also Ghost Prototype I and II. They are incredible. I really like the solo in Part I. This was album of 2008 for me.

I really don't get the hype for this band at all :S I've listened to PBP and HU and sure I guess there's some mildly appealing stuff and The Illusionist was good for at least 3 listens but other than that I don't get why they are so popular.. It seriously baffles me. They're like a more extreme version of Dragonforce. So overrated.

Just like Dragonforce, except they use more than one time signature, tempo and key.

And are generally about 1000 times better.

Couldn't agree more.

I don't think you understand the hype because your listening skills need improvement. Nothing about this band sounds like Dragonforce. Not the riffs, the verses, the choruses, the solos, the drumming, the keyboards, etc. They're completely different bands.

I can't see the connection to DF either. Otherwise I agree with Tobi.

lol @ this review on RYM:



Boring, bland marriage of the sounds of Opeth and Dream Theater. The singer is an absolute joke, his clean vocals are simply terrible. I don't mean, like, 'I don't like clean vocals with this music' or 'I prefer his death grunt and so he should use only that', I mean he has awful range and zero tone when he sings cleanly. People hate on Cryptopsy's new singer, but he's ten times the vocalist this clown is. The riffs are utterly forgettable, probably my biggest problem with the album. Sometimes the band hits its stride, such as on Ghost Prototype I and the title track, but overwhelmingly it's just a flavorless wall of sound.

Are...are you going to make me say it? I mean I don't want to say--okay, fine, I'll say it.

Trivium does it better.