Scar Symmetry ripping SYL off?

[Erik Monsonis]

Well, let's see:

Scar Symmetry - Holographic Universe (2008)

Strapping Young Lad - Shine (2005)

 

[Metaltastic]

Hmm, never noticed that, surprisingly enough - honestly though, I think "Holographic Universe" is the infinitely superior song, Shine is one of the album's weakest tracks IMO (I feel like SYL more than any other band I know is extremely hit or miss with songs on each album, which saddens me, but when they're on, GODDAMN are they on! Which I guess is what makes the contrast even more noticeable...)

 

[Erik Monsonis]

Yeah, I also think like you, HU>Shine, they brought it to the next level

 

[ParsonsMatt]

Damn, that is a shameless rip off...

 

[LydonB]

It is similar...but not to the point where I think I would call it stolen.

 

[Kazrog]

I noticed this similarity the day I bought "Holographic Universe" when it came out. Honestly I love both songs, so it doesn't really matter to me. I've stopped worrying about riff similarities, it held me back from writing more/better material for years.

 

[Cyanide_Anima]

wow that's quite similar! lol. but i also think that HU is superior!

 

[Pxz]

Real close, but when it comes to guitar riffs i think this a common phenomenon almost casual , sometimes it happens to me when try to writte some shit down and then i realize "wow i heard this riff before" . I can tell that other bands ripp off intensionaly , like "ok in this part comes the meshuggah riff"

 

[KeithTidd]

they're pretty similar, but i don't think it was intentional. I prefer the SYL song.

 

[Kazrog]

I've also had major bands "steal" my riffs. I wrote a riff in 1997 that was almost exactly what Pantera would later record as "Revolution Is My Name," for example. Of course, there's no way Dimebag ever heard my riff, since I was pretty much just a bedroom jamming guitarist in those days - these ideas just float through the collective unconsciousness, I figure whoever records them first wins.

 

[slashvanyoung]

I've also had major bands "steal" my riffs. I wrote a riff in 1997 that was almost exactly what Pantera would later record as "Revolution Is My Name," for example. Of course, there's no way Dimebag ever heard my riff, since I was pretty much just a bedroom jamming guitarist in those days - these ideas just float through the collective unconsciousness, I figure whoever records them first wins.

Shane, this is so extremely ironic if you know the details about Gary Moore's "Still Got the Blues"-ripoff case.

 

[smy1]

Shane, this is so extremely ironic if you know the details about Gary Moore's "Still Got the Blues"-ripoff case.

Never heard about it. Please tell!

 

[slashvanyoung]

Ok, gonna quote myself from the Coldplay vs. Satch thread:

Gary Moore just lost a case over "Still Got The Blues" here in Germany. The German band Jud's Gallery (successfully) claimed he had ripped of their song "Nordrach" from 1974 (the opening solo/melody, chord progressions and bass line of SGTB specifically).

Funny thing is: Though recording the song in 1974 in a radio session, Jud's Gallery never released a recording of said song prior to the year 2000! (A decade after Moore put out SGTB)

Said song was only played at local gigs in the mid-seventies and played "at least once" on the (regional) radio.

So basically the court said Moore must have heard the song in the seventies and remembered it when writing SGTB in 1990.

So listen to the beginning of SGTB:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xx3yXUunEq8

... and compare it to "Nordrach" at 5:23:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe-uwEqTjd0

Edit: I still think that's pretty outrageous.

 

[Harry Hughes]

It is similar...but not to the point where I think I would call it stolen.

Have to agree there too.

 

[Behind]

it's maybe a coincidence but not just the main riff is similar, see also SS: 0:15 = SYL: 2:23

 

[Erkan]

It is obvious that SS is influenced by SYL. I don't mean only the notes, but the rhythms and how they play things seems to be inspired from SYL. The choise of synth sounds and where they appear is also very SYL-typical

It's no problem for me though, even if I think SYL pisses all over SS any day, any song, but that's just me. It's ok to be heavily inspired by other bands, as long as you just don't rip 'em off straight, which SS clearly hasn't done, even if it's very similiar. One riff in one song is okay, but if it's any more, then I think it's time to consider if you should be writing music at all.

I also agree with Kazrog. The "ripping off" mentality just makes you hold back on a lot of shit you wanna get out musically. I'm a believer of rhythm... rhythms make more than half of the song (imo), and the rest is up to the melodies, so in my eyes, it's more dangerous to rip a rhythm straight off rather than ripping a series of notes.

 

[aberration]

Every note on the guitar has been played before, right?
I can't help but think of Vanilla Ice and Queen here...
VI: Their song goes bum bum bum budda bum bum / bum bum bum budda bum bum, right, and mine goes bum bum bum budda bum bum / BUM bum bum bum budda bum bum...so it's not the same!

 

[slashvanyoung]

Every note on the guitar has been played before, right?
I can't help but think of Vanilla Ice and Queen here...
VI: Their song goes bum bum bum budda bum bum / bum bum bum budda bum bum, right, and mine goes bum bum bum budda bum bum / BUM bum bum bum budda bum bum...so it's not the same!

You can already be held accountable for that first matching part...

You think it's not that big of a deal in metal and parts must be really close to get someone in trouble?

Think again! A band from our local circle - signed to Lifeforce - got major shit for allegedly ripping off a few seconds from The Black Dahlia Murder.

Ok, I gotta admit - I found the irony behind that somehow hilarious because said band was always promoted with "If you like TBDM, check out this..." and I kinda despise the inbred Metalcore scene.

But STILL, quite nuts.

 

[Fox Mulder]

You've got 12 notes to choose from. When you're composing, you're basically discovering instead of inventing.

 

[aberration]

Never said it wasn't a big deal...it's pretty much inevitable.