Scar Symmetry- Pitch Black Progress

[Dazed and Brutal]

Well I start this review off, this band is a very steriotypical melodic death metal band. Though I love them it's true that they play off the newest European fad that so many bands are doing, but for a slightly unoriginal band they will rise to become one of the key bands of the "Gothencore" sound. "Pitch Black Progress" is the second offering from the metal veterens (contains members from bands such as Centinex and Carnal Forge) and is quite a step forward. What lacked in the debut "Symmetric in Design" this album picks up and fixes. Such as the lack of quality songs nearing the end of the cd. This is far more consistent. Their guitars have much of a sound resembling much of Soilwork's stuff(my personal favorite band) and contains solo that would put most bands to shame (sounding much like something of In Flames "The Jester's Race" except for having better studio quality). The vocal range is almost identical to Mikael AKerfeldt's signature style (so people who can't stand the interludes Opeth incorperates might want to give this a try). In the last cd almost the vocals sounded very anti-intense and very lackadasical, but it really is stepped on their newest disc. On the opening track "The Illusionist" his voice hits new levels for himself unlying with falsettos and not following the same melody over and over.
What keeps this album down is the album production, its a little over done. I'm sure that this makes the band sound to clean and takes a way a ruff edge they might have had. Secondly, the vocals can get very cheesy. The singer sometimes breaks into these forced "emotional" choruses that make me cringe. Lastly, the songs are very generic that their debut didn't have, a constant song structure (execpt for "Pitch Black Progress" and "The Illutionist") which is:
Intro
Verse (Death Grunts)
Pre-Chorus
Chorus (Clean Vocals)
Verse (Death Grunts)
Pre-Chorus
Chorus (Clean Vocals)
Break
Solo
Chorus




Overall a 91/100

 

[KornyBstd]

mmmmm good album! great review!

 

[Dazed and Brutal]

Awww...THANKS MAN!!!

 

[Kreator/Destroyer]

o i'm convinced i'm gunna go get the album...nah i was already gun get it but this is a really good review

 

[Kenneth R.]

amazing album. i'd give it a 95.

 

[Dazed and Brutal]

Yea it's good, but a 95 from me is almost impossible.

 

[The Bringer]

I would have liked to see Soilwork go into this direction but when in fact they actually simplizied song structure even more so.

I like Scar Symmetry because it is going inbetween In Flames and Soilwork... exactly the area I was hoping Soilwork would go to. Therefore I highly enjoy this album.