Written by Thanntos on 21.10.2009 at 00:39

Sorry Marcel but everything past Clayman by In Flames blows massively. A couple decent songs on Come Clarity but otherwise, In Flames was done for me after Clayman.

Whats wrong with Reroute to Remains? definitely different but still good imo

To call this abomination melodic deathmetal is a discrace... now im gonna put on some dismember and cry myself to sleep trying to shake of that statement

Written by silenius on 21.10.2009 at 12:54

To call this abomination melodic deathmetal is a discrace... now im gonna put on some dismember and cry myself to sleep trying to shake of that statement

Finally someone who understands that band such as Scar Symmetry have ntohing to do with melodic death metal whatsoever.

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 21.10.2009 at 12:58

Written by silenius on 21.10.2009 at 12:54

To call this abomination melodic deathmetal is a discrace... now im gonna put on some dismember and cry myself to sleep trying to shake of that statement

Finally someone who understands that band such as Scar Symmetry have ntohing to do with melodic death metal whatsoever.

well i cant understand why people continue to call bands who play gothenburg/modern-metal melodic death, it has been quite some while since that kind of bands even resembled even an ounce of death metal

Written by silenius on 21.10.2009 at 13:08


well i cant understand why people continue to call bands who play gothenburg/modern-metal melodic death, it has been quite some while since that kind of bands even resembled even an ounce of death metal

And most of them never had a gramme of dm in them to begin with. Arch Enemy melodic death speeded up Iron Maiden with harsh vocals that's what most Gothenburg metal is.

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 21.10.2009 at 13:12

Written by silenius on 21.10.2009 at 13:08


well i cant understand why people continue to call bands who play gothenburg/modern-metal melodic death, it has been quite some while since that kind of bands even resembled even an ounce of death metal

And most of them never had a gramme of dm in them to begin with. Arch Enemy melodic death speeded up Iron Maiden with harsh vocals that's what most Gothenburg metal is.

hahahaha so true mate, couldnt agree more, i wonder how many people who are gonna lable us as demonic cannibalists that rape children after this statement^^

Written by silenius on 21.10.2009 at 13:19

hahahaha so true mate, couldnt agree more, i wonder how many people who are gonna lable us as demonic cannibalists that rape children after this statement^^

What, you imply you are not?

Written by Darkside Momo on 21.10.2009 at 14:30

Written by silenius on 21.10.2009 at 13:19

hahahaha so true mate, couldnt agree more, i wonder how many people who are gonna lable us as demonic cannibalists that rape children after this statement^^

What, you imply you are not?

Well no i just want the opportunity to deny it^^

If you people read the fourum more closely you will all see that I only dislike Euroe Flower Power Metal, female fronted metal (which some call gothic metal) and true gothic metal PLus of course all opverporduced metal which sounds like pop. - Marcel Hubregtse


Seems to me that you think that you know aaaall about metal genres Marcel, but then again, I think you just try to know everything. You clearly go against commong thoughts about lots of bands, just for the sake of going against other people, at least it's the picture I get of it.

Some of the female fronted bands (in this example) are gothic metal, some are not. And in an earlier post you seemed to know a lot about gothenburg metal vs. melodic death metal, well, for your information, something like "melodic" in death metal was not present before people started talking about this new gothenburg sound in the early/mid 90's when Dark Tranquillity, In Flames and At the Gates first came around. Yes, I saw you like DT and IF, BUT, the point is, why call Dark Tranquillity just Melodic Death Metal first and now Gothenburg Metal, when they were one of the bands that invented the sound with, imo, The Gallery in 1995. I can probably agree that the first album by DT is just regular Melodic Death Metal, with no connection with the gothenburg sound at all, but then again, their first album actually is the only one in their career I really can't listen too because the production is really shitty, compared to another pioneer bands first album, namely Lunar Strain by In Flames. And Arch Enemy, they're in the same group as mentioned bands, this band really would go back to your hate of female fronted bands, that is really pathetic and closeminded, wake up to the real world here! And Gothenburg being speed up Iron Maiden, what the f**k? Sure, the double melody lines and such is taken from there, at least when it comes to In Flames, but where's the rest of the resemblance to Iron Maiden? Where???
I think you should not try to show off and try to know more than you really, actually, know. It seems you just have made up your mind on certain things, and not checking up the history behind it.

With that said, I turn to the review. To me it seems, like most people here already said, you whine about this album, only because Christian left. I was a bit sceptical first myself, but I got to say, I really like this album, perhaps a better clean vocalist, but it's fine, he's OK. And there seem to be much different opinions about the sound and production of this, so to make things kinda straight (and this is what I think, remember that); the sound is really Scar Symmetry, it's their typical sound we've come to know them for, everything sounds Scar Symmetry from first note on the album to the last, the only difference are the vocals. That is number 1. So number 2; To me it seems that people have just listened to the production, without really analyzing it, if you REALLY listen to it, you will hear that it's actually kinda more rough sound, especially compared to Holographic Universe which, compared to this, was overproduced, but I love Holographic Universe nevertheless..

Well, that felt good to have out of the system...

MAN i love confrontation....fuck it makes me happy!

Anyway to come back to this review...Ive read through all the carnage and the "i know more than you cozz what I say is law" crap thats been slung around - why the HELL has this turned into a "Scar Symmetry isnt Melodic Death" war? Everyone with their negative comments about the band keep harping on about the same shit over and over - seriously why do you people have these damn hangup about labeling bands? Seriously I dont give a crap anymore, I listen to to music and try to enjoy it without putting them in boxes and catagorising them as this or that. Why does everything always have to be such a fuckin mission with you people? So what if theyre not Melodic Death? Shit call them what you want, you can call them "sausage mayo burger with double thick big breasted japanese" metal for all I care...but if you want to listen to Dismember or whatever else, then go listen to your "real" melodic death metal if that makes you feel better or if you want the pat on the back for being "correct".

ffs, all these opinions from people who know "best" is pissing me off. Just because you have the "elite" badge you can swing around does not mean things always have to be turned into a war between whether its "real" or not, or how a good production makes albums shit. Seriously....if you look for faults you will find it. Im not saying DMD is without its faults....but yeah im going off on a tangent so i will stop, said what i needed to anyway.

Written by [user id=1909] on 21.10.2009 at 17:28
MAN i love confrontation....fuck it makes me happy!

Anyway to come back to this review...Ive read through all the carnage and the "i know more than you cozz what I say is law" crap thats been slung around - why the HELL has this turned into a "Scar Symmetry isnt Melodic Death" war? Everyone with their negative comments about the band keep harping on about the same shit over and over - seriously why do you people have these damn hangup about labeling bands? Seriously I dont give a crap anymore, I listen to to music and try to enjoy it without putting them in boxes and catagorising them as this or that. Why does everything always have to be such a fuckin mission with you people? So what if theyre not Melodic Death? Shit call them what you want, you can call them "sausage mayo burger with double thick big breasted japanese" metal for all I care...but if you want to listen to Dismember or whatever else, then go listen to your "real" melodic death metal if that makes you feel better or if you want the pat on the back for being "correct".

ffs, all these opinions from people who know "best" is pissing me off. Just because you have the "elite" badge you can swing around does not mean things always have to be turned into a war between whether its "real" or not, or how a good production makes albums shit. Seriously....if you look for faults you will find it. Im not saying DMD is without its faults....but yeah you know what I mean.

See now im happy....

The thing is, people who call G-b metal "melodic death" are wasting the time of all the people like me who love actual death metal and want to find some more, but have no interest whatsoever in the Swedish variety of metal that happens to have harsher vocals than Iron Maiden. If you guys would just take a few seconds to realize the difference... you'd also extend your keyboard's life expectancy and not waste so much of your own time typing the wrong friggin' thing

Written by neonxaos on 21.10.2009 at 12:20

What a thread.

Dane, you have your opinions, fair enough, but I have mine as well.

I think Scar Symmetry have done well with this one, all things considered. The new vocalists are not on par with Älvestam, no, but they're different, and I can definitely live with them. Also, I never did understand the notion that good production = bad metal. I wish that Metallica hadn't recorded their early albums using a cassette tape recorder placed inside a bucket full of wool, for instance, because their songs just sound infinitely better live. Having said that, I feel that Dark Matter Dimensions is actually a more raw and chaotic production than the previous efforts by Scar Symmetry, and I may actually grow to like it better in the long run, compared to their earlier work, which is so instantly catchy. The musicianship on display here is also still at an incredible technical level, and I have to say that this also goes a long way for me.

I give the new album an 8.0

I totally agree with you! I'm glad someone else can see my point as well.

The album is not bad at all... but it doesn't have that magic that Christian's voice brought to the band.

I don't understand why people are getting all up and tight about this, Look, I am a reviewer, and this is my review. I listened to the album several times and this is the conclusions I drew. I honestly feel that I am more than qualified to make such a remark about this album.

This album suffers from more than just the loss of the old vocalist. I found this music to be very boring, unoriginal and overproduced. Now, If you feel you know more about producing albums than I do, please enlighten me. If not, do something constructive; like actually comment on the quality of my review, and not the fact that I trashed the album. If you want to use Dark Matter Dimensions as your new cum-rag, go right ahead...but stop bitching.

Written by Ulv on 21.10.2009 at 18:14

The album is not bad at all...

Agree with this.
Only one real mistake is, that they made this album just too fast, what we can easily hear on most songs. If they would wait five or six months, then I am sure that this review wouldn't be so negative and uninspiring.

Oh, and BTW. Here is definision of melodic death metal.

Quote:
subgenre of death metal which combines the melody of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) with the intensity of death metal. The genre is also known as Gothenburg metal, a reference to the city in Sweden where it originated. Originally the genre combined the harmony style and groove melodies of heavy metal with the harsh thrashing sound and vocals of death metal. Later the genre evolved due to many different influences, a notable evolution in the genre being the addition of keyboards. Melodic death metal contains more melodic guitar riffs, melodic solos, and acoustic guitar work than traditional death metal. It also contains more comprehensible lyrics with traditional death growl vocal input.[citation needed]

What SS is playing, if not melodic death metal?

Told you we would be haunted like animals....

well everyone have their own opinion about wich genre a band or a sound should be concidered belonging to, and the post above me, kamilbolt, if you listen to everyone else who describe something on the internet you are very foolish. It is up to everyone to deciede what is what.
But if you ask me melodic death metal should have strong residues and connections related to death metal, wich the most bands called melo death dont, its just gloryfied heavy metal with a higher tempo, heavy guitars(related to aformentioned production) and some harsch vocals.

sure this have some deathy touches to it, but what modern metal band cant have some references to death metal, but melodic death metal for me, is in the foundation and in its purest form Dismember, thats melodic death metal! alot of melody in it but still with a great part being pure death metal. so trash me as much as you like i dont give a rats as about it.

Well one person's definition is never the same as another's.
I never use the term "Gothenburg metal", I've never liked it. To me, it is just an off-shoot of melodic death metal - i.e. largely the same in the grand scheme of things. It's all defining and boxing things up, nothing you can ever debate properly because everyone hears different things.

And by the way, Dane had this review from me seeing as it is a Nuclear Blast one. He was probably kinder than I would have been.

Written by silenius on 21.10.2009 at 18:52

Told you we would be haunted like animals....

well everyone have their own opinion about wich genre a band or a sound should be concidered belonging to, and the post above me, kamilbolt, if you listen to everyone else who describe something on the internet you are very foolish. It is up to everyone to deciede what is what.

sure this have some deathy touches to it, but what modern metal band cant have some references to death metal, but melodic death metal for me, is in the foundation and in its purest form Dismember, thats melodic death metal! alot of melody in it but still with a great part being pure death metal. so trash me as much as you like i dont give a rats as about it.

The best way to describe Scar Symmetry is: mixture of melodic death metal and catchy melodies.

PS. perhaps we should do debate about this subgenre and redefine it and other metal genres as well?

Did someone forget the "Guest Review" disclaimer on this poorly put together review?

I lost interest in Scar Symmetry after the second album didn't grab me like the first one, so I have no axe to grind, but this review seems more like a giant whine than an actual informed, thought-out review.

I give this review the following:

Performance 3 (I've seen better)
Writing 5 (lots of improperly used punctuation)
Originality 3 (typical whining review with standard cliches)
Production 7 (reviewer provided links where appropriate, but where's the score card?)
Spiritual Relevance 2 (the quality of the review left me sad)

Overall Score: 4.0


If you are going to give an album a poor score (and there are lots of albums that deserve poor scores) at least try not to come off as some whining fan boy.

Well, before this melodeath/Gothenburg debate blows out of proportions...

Old-timers ( ) and death metal purists ( re ) consider melodath to be, as the name implies, death metal with melodies. Check, say, Edge Of Sanity or older Amorphis.
The Gothenburg scene started playing melodeath according to this definition, best examples are At The Gates and old Dark Tranquillity (Skydancer, The Gallery). The scene gradually evolved, losing more and more of its death elements and growing somewhat closer to their heavy/thrash metal roots - but certainly not to the extend of extrem power like Children Of Bodom.
BUT, they are still labelled as melodeath, which infuriates said old timers and death purists, while the young kiddies ( again) are sure the actual Gothenburg scene are playing melodeath.

That's about it.

Written by Darkside Momo on 21.10.2009 at 20:21

Well, before this melodeath/Gothenburg debate blows out of proportions...

Old-timers ( ) and death metal purists ( re ) consider melodath to be, as the name implies, death metal with melodies. Check, say, Edge Of Sanity or older Amorphis.
The Gothenburg scene started playing melodeath according to this definition, best examples are At The Gates and old Dark Tranquillity (Skydancer, The Gallery). The scene gradually evolved, losing more and more of its death elements and growing somewhat closer to their heavy/thrash metal roots - but certainly not to the extend of extrem power like EChildren Of Bodom;
BUT, they were still labelled as melodeath, which infuriates said old timers and death purists, while the young kiddies ( again) are sure the actual Gothenburg scene are playing melodeath.

That's about it.

After a post like that Darkside Momo, I'm granting you honorary "Old Fart Metalstormer" status and giving you a pass to the clubhouse.

Dane, a well written review that backs up your position. I disagree with you at points, feeling that musically this is a pretty solid album and thoroughly enjoying the new growler. It's the bloody boy band harmony uber clean vocals that destroy this album for me. That shit has no place in metal as far as I'm concerned. It just sounds pop. It completely ruins what is otherwise not a bad album.

For all the ones who want to understand the Swedish Death Metal scene and the difference between In Flames, Tiamat, Therion, Dismember, Entombed Nirvana 2002, Mefisto etc... I recommend the excellent book by Daniel Ekeroth and the compilation called "Swedish Death Metal"

I'm glad that finally I see some review here with punctuation under 5 (I could pass just half of the albums I listen per year) but I didnt expect that it came with Scar Symmetry. I listened this album and I think I wont listen again, but it wasnt that bad, 5 or 6 would be ok.
About the style? as I think newer Children Of Bodom is "teenager punk melodeath";D, I would say that the last album of Scar Symmetry could be "popchorus power melodeath"
Quoting Valaskjalf, I also love confrontation, it's the way to discover new and different points of view and learning.
Greets to all.

Written by Jeff on 21.10.2009 at 21:07

For all the ones who want to understand the Swedish Death Metal scene and the difference between In Flames, Tiamat, Therion, Dismember, Entombed Nirvana 2002, Mefisto etc... I recommend the excellent book by Daniel Ekeroth and the compilation called "Swedish Death Metal"

That compilation is excellent.
But there's no melodic death metal on there just straight up swedish death metal.
And Relapse will be releasing all the songs Nirvana 2002 have recorded VERY SOON. Brilliant band btw

Written by Syk on 21.10.2009 at 17:44

Written by [user id=1909] on 21.10.2009 at 17:28
MAN i love confrontation....fuck it makes me happy!

Anyway to come back to this review...Ive read through all the carnage and the "i know more than you cozz what I say is law" crap thats been slung around - why the HELL has this turned into a "Scar Symmetry isnt Melodic Death" war? Everyone with their negative comments about the band keep harping on about the same shit over and over - seriously why do you people have these damn hangup about labeling bands? Seriously I dont give a crap anymore, I listen to to music and try to enjoy it without putting them in boxes and catagorising them as this or that. Why does everything always have to be such a fuckin mission with you people? So what if theyre not Melodic Death? Shit call them what you want, you can call them "sausage mayo burger with double thick big breasted japanese" metal for all I care...but if you want to listen to Dismember or whatever else, then go listen to your "real" melodic death metal if that makes you feel better or if you want the pat on the back for being "correct".

ffs, all these opinions from people who know "best" is pissing me off. Just because you have the "elite" badge you can swing around does not mean things always have to be turned into a war between whether its "real" or not, or how a good production makes albums shit. Seriously....if you look for faults you will find it. Im not saying DMD is without its faults....but yeah you know what I mean.

See now im happy....

The thing is, people who call G-b metal "melodic death" are wasting the time of all the people like me who love actual death metal and want to find some more, but have no interest whatsoever in the Swedish variety of metal that happens to have harsher vocals than Iron Maiden. If you guys would just take a few seconds to realize the difference... you'd also extend your keyboard's life expectancy and not waste so much of your own time typing the wrong friggin' thing

Dude....I never called anything Melodic Death or whatver..our good friend Marcel is the one that started putting things in boxes. So when you refer to "you guys" maybe you are the one who should take a second to realise that Im no part of this dumb-ass genre war going on.

I stick to my earlier point. Just because someone is an elite and has the reviewer badge on his profile, it doesnt suddenly give him more insight. Like I said, the album isnt without its flaws, but this entire thing has turned into an elite v "guest" dispute which is ridiculous.

Written by Derwood on 21.10.2009 at 20:33


Well, before this melodeath/Gothenburg debate blows out of proportions...

Old-timers ( ) and death metal purists ( re ) consider melodath to be, as the name implies, death metal with melodies. Check, say, Edge Of Sanity or older Amorphis.
The Gothenburg scene started playing melodeath according to this definition, best examples are At The Gates and old Dark Tranquillity (Skydancer, The Gallery). The scene gradually evolved, losing more and more of its death elements and growing somewhat closer to their heavy/thrash metal roots - but certainly not to the extend of extrem power like EChildren Of Bodom;
BUT, they were still labelled as melodeath, which infuriates said old timers and death purists, while the young kiddies ( again) are sure the actual Gothenburg scene are playing melodeath.

That's about it.

Well thanks for the discription dude, but again, its these so-called "old-timers" who started this entire labelling thing. They are the ones throwing their shit around from the start - initially there wasnt an issue with any of this apart from a mediocre review. If the clean vocals piss the "old farts" off then so what? This is SS's fouth album, theyve always had clean vocals so why throw your shit out the cot? Fair enough those clean vocals arent great but thats not the point. Most of the posts under here are useless anyway, because its just old guys throwing their shit around because anything with clean vocals are seen to be gay.

Noone asked them to like it, noone asked them what the genre for this band is....i dont give a shit and many others dont give a shit.

Just so we're clear - I didn't write that, ^^ Darkside Momo did and I quoted him.

Good god, Marcel. Looks like you've got some haters. :O

I didn't find anything wrong with this review, to be honest. It pretty much describes the album how it is.

Written by Fat & Sassy! on 21.10.2009 at 22:27

Good god, Marcel. Looks like you've got some haters. :O

I didn't find anything wrong with this review, to be honest. It pretty much describes the album how it is.

Yes, I know. People either love me or hate me, there is no grey, thank God... but once the meet me in real life 99% of them will love me once again... don't ask em why, but that's just the case

To be honest I'd rather have people hate me for my views than be totally indifferent to them.

Written by Fat & Sassy! on 21.10.2009 at 22:27

Good god, Marcel. Looks like you've got some haters. :O

I didn't find anything wrong with this review, to be honest. It pretty much describes the album how it is.

Im not a Marcel "hater" in the least....hes a bit of a character and creates controversy, which I like, but I havent been on this site for only a week Ive been a member for 5 years now and by now I know that he is generally very cynical and seems to just hate things for the fact of having an opinion.