Nordic metallers Scar Symmetry have re-found a groove in their record The Unseen Empire. After replacing their vocalist a few years back with two singers, the band have struggled a little bit to return to that mix and sound that won them fans in the first place. With this record they’ve found that voice and this could possibly be their best release to date.
Upon first listen you get drawn in. The production is crisp and clean, the individual instruments and voices don’t get drowned out or lost underneath each other and the music itself is a great example of heavy metal riffs mixed with grandiose death metal sonics that mixes bands like Fear Factory with Entombed and Dismember. This album is the kind of metal I liked when I was a teenager in the 90s. Beautifully brutal.
Lyrically, the album explores the concept of a hidden empire who control Earth. Loosely based on some wild conspiracy theories, the lyrics fit within the vocal ranges of the singers and matches the music to create a fine album. The riffs at times draw on classic metal bands like Iron Maiden. It is flawless and will inspire some air guitar if you’re brave.
Some of the better tracks on this album is The Anomaly, Astronomicon, Rise Of The Reptilian Regime and Alpha & Omega. If you like your metal with a bit of theatrics and mix of clean and death metal vocals, then Scar Symmetry should already be on your playlist. If you’re like me and have wandered away from the scene, this could be a good kick start to fall back in love with the genre.
