Scar Symmetry

Solution .45 – Nightmares in the Waking State – Part II Review

Solution .45 – Nightmares in the Waking State – Part II Review

By Steel Druhm on September 24, 2016 in 2016, AFM Records, Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Death Metal, Metalcore, 22 comments

“Last year Christian Alvestam (ex-Scar Symmetry, Torchbearer) and his Solution .45 project dropped the first installment of a double album that went by the name of Nightmares in the Waking State – Part I. As expected, it was grounded in the same metalcore-tinged melo-death Alvestam’s been associated with throughout his music career. It had a few strong highlights but as a whole it was nothing earth-shaking. Almost a year later he’s back with the second installment of his double creature feature, but should you care?” Caring is sharing.

Solution .45 – Nightmares in the Waking State Pt. I – Review

Solution .45 – Nightmares in the Waking State Pt. I – Review

By Steel Druhm on November 17, 2015 in 2015, AFM Records, Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Metalcore, Reviews, Swedish Metal, 23 comments

“Why is everything in my November promo bin a part I or IV of something bigger? I’m starting to feel like I’m trapped at the Third-Tier Fantasy Fiction Fan Con and I’m dreading what lurks around the next corner. Will it be The Atomic Dragon Bosoms of Gefilte Pt. VII? The Purple Cloak of Chromatic Unicorn Fabulousness Pt. X? Can’t we just do one-off albums again, people?”

The Unguided – Fragile Immortality Review

The Unguided – Fragile Immortality Review

By Steel Druhm on January 30, 2014 in 2014, Death Metal, Napalm Records, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Melodic Death Metal, 28 comments

“Lovers of modern metal and Amaranthe groupies, take heed! Rising from the ashes of Sonic Syndicate, The Unguided is the newish project by ex-Syndicate members Richard Sjunnesson and Roland Johansson which strives to answer the immortal question “just how cheesy, poppy and crappy can you make melodic death metal sound?”” If this question has been gnawing at you, The Unguided may have the answer you seek.

Quest of Aidance – Misanthropic Propaganda Review

Quest of Aidance – Misanthropic Propaganda Review

By Madam X on May 13, 2013 in 2013, 3.5, Death Metal, Grind, Pulverised Records, Reviews, Swedish Metal, 0 comments

“Gawd, is it possible it’s really been 30 years since V and Robert Englund rooted their reptilian claws so firmly into my life! My head very nearly exploded when I came across this, the first full-length release by Swedish deathgrind band Quest of Aidance and I discovered that Misanthropic Propaganda is in fact a V concept album based on the original 1983 television series. Yes really! Misanthropic Propaganda follows on from the band’s 2007 EP release Dark Are The Skies At Hand and while it’s been an extended break between EP and full-length release, it’s done Quest of Aidance the world of good.” Have we lost Madam X to The Resistance? Read on and find out.

Loch Vostok – V: The Doctrine Decoded Review

Loch Vostok – V: The Doctrine Decoded Review

By Angry Metal Guy on October 12, 2012 in 2012, 3.0, Melodic Death Metal, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Swedish Metal, ViciSolum Productions, Progressive Metal, 1 comment

So last year (that’d be 2011 for everyone reading this review in 2013 and forward) I discovered Loch Vostok’s record Dystopium a few months after it was released and did a Things You Might Have Missed entry about it. But given that it was last year, I was surprised when I saw that the fecund Teddy Möller and crew had already produced a new record and that it was sitting in my inbox. Now, granted, I didn’t get to it nearly quickly enough (since it’s already out), but I thought I’d drop in and let you know that a) it’s out and b) what I think of it. I like it, but not as much as Dystopium. There, now you don’t need to read any further!

Things You Might Have Missed 2011: Loch Vostok – Dystopium

Things You Might Have Missed 2011: Loch Vostok – Dystopium

By Angry Metal Guy on January 12, 2012 in 2011, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Things You Might Have Missed 2011, ViciSolum Productions, Death Metal, Progressive Metal, 10 comments

Loch Vostok (ViciSolum Productions) is a Swedish progressive metal band from Uppsala, Sweden. This was enough for me to take a look at it [Tjena grannar!] because, well, there aren’t a ton of metal bands from Uppsala, really. Not that they don’t exist or anything, but they’re just few and far between and most of them aren’t playing progressive metal. Apparently these guys, who I’ve never heard before mind you, formed in 2001 and Dystopium is their fourth record. And yeah, for fans of progressive metal, Swedish death metal and more modern sounding metal might really dig this disc.

Voyager – The Meaning of I Review

Voyager – The Meaning of I Review

By Steel Druhm on September 27, 2011 in Reviews, Heavy Metal, Progressive Metal, 20 comments

Now here’s something quite a bit different! Australia’s Voyager has been tinkering with their odd blend of progressive space metal for a while now. However, here on album number four The Meaning of I, they’ve really hit on the perfect blend of influences and styles. Taking elements of traditional, power, progressive and even death metal, Voyager fuses it all together and the result is an odd, hyper-melodic and unique album that’s as intelligent as it is catchy (and its VERY catchy). As a big fan of their 2009 release I Am the Revolution, I expected great things and even I was surprised by how good this ended up. With traces of Nevermore, Star One, Tyr, Pagan’s Mind, Scar Symmetry, Vanden Plas and Anubis Gate swirling about in a creative maelstrom, you should certainly expect the unexpected. Despite the plethora of influences, The Meaning of I ends up a cohesive and compelling release with one killer song after another and brains til Tuesday. In case that doesn’t have you interested yet, they may be the only metal band currently using a melodica both in the studio and live. Call them spacey-prog or astral-metal but whatever tag you throw on them, they rock muchly. Can you tell Steel Druhm is impressed? He is.

Scar Symmetry – The Unseen Empire Review

Scar Symmetry – The Unseen Empire Review

By Angry Metal Guy on April 11, 2011 in 2011, 3.0, Cock Rock, Death Metal, Eurocore, Nuclear Blast, Progressive Death, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Death Metal, Eurocore, Melodic Death Metal, Progressive Metal, 13 comments

A couple years ago I reviewed Scar Symmetry’s Dark Matter Dimensions and to my surprise I thoroughly enjoyed it. While I gave it a very good score at the time (4.5/5.0), I made the comment that the band was a little formulaic. It seemed to me that the Scar Symmetry could have worked harder to break out of the mold that they seemed to be trying (very hard) to fit into. That mold, otherwise known as “tech-meets-Soilwork” is basically techy death metal with big, catchy choruses. And, while I admit that Scar Symmetry is an much better band than Soilwork as far as writing catchy melodies, there are times when the music feels like it’s just built around this structure. I suggested that the band try to break out of that mold and build on the techy side.