Under the conditions of tough competition, Scar Symmetry for a short time could not only hone the skill of the game, but also develop their own bright style. This work is almost an ideal, worthy representative of modern melodic death metal genre, incredibly harmonious and informative and integral. Band is progressing with great speed and doesn't suffer from a lack of fresh ideas.
This album was created to be liked: tightly crafted riffs, a clear, changeable rhythm and impeccably beautiful solos, supplemented with a variety of vocals make the right impression.
“Morphogenesis” is a strong and memorable number worthy of opening an album or a concert. Fast, energetic, technically beautiful. Literally falls on the listener with a barrage of guitars under the thundering percussion of drums against the background of keyboards, which, it is worth noting, give the whole album some futuristic, cosmic, if you like, atmosphere, fully justifying its name.
“Timewave Zero” is a beautiful and powerful mid-tempo composition. Five minutes of clean vocals, gorgeous solos and an equally beautiful chorus ending the song.
“Artificial Sun Projection” is one of the best numbers on album and in general in band's history. Medium tempo, clear vocals, except for the chorus, where it is superimposed on the growling, to enhance the sound. It is worth noting the work of guitarists, who extracting from the instruments simply stunning sound scales and passages, creating an atmosphere that one simply does not want to leave.
"The Missing Coordinates" - another mad fighting. The speed and style of song initially resembles the music of Dragonforce. However, the similarities end there. Much less speedy choruses of clean vocals follow the aggressive growling couplets. In the middle of song for the listener’s already heated ears, a beautiful and slightly sad solo of keyboards and a guitar are stored up, allowing you to catch your breath before the final march in the form of a chorus that grows like an avalanche in tempo and gravity, which eventually ends abruptly, leaving only two single notes keyboards hanging in discharged air.
“Holographic Universe” is the longest composition on album, which is also the title one. Dense and fast rhythm section, atmospheric sound of keyboards, good solos and beautiful chorus. Constant transitions from clean vocals to growling makes once again take off hat in front of the Christian Alvestam' vocal. However, with all its beauty and emotionality, the song, I believe, is unreasonably delayed and, perhaps, therefore, does not have the increased “clinging” characteristic.
“Ghost Prototype II (Deus Ex Machina)” is the song that ends the album storyline (in short, the progress of humanity, leading to the comprehension of the laws of the Universe and Being in general through the knowledge of oneself and one’s inner world).
I had previously considered Christian Alvestam to be a great vocalist, and now he has become almost the most favorite singer for me. There is no limit to perfection, and he proves it personally. His pure singing noticeably added to melody and tenderness, and growling, if not better, then at least remained as brutal and juicy as before. Those places where he combines both types of singing are especially spectacularly.
I noticed an interesting thing on this studio work. It lies in the fact that the parts of songs help each other, no matter how ridiculous it may sound. Somewhere, the not too bright beginning is interrupted by a stunningly beautiful chorus, but somewhere the usual grayish choruses are enclosed in such cool couplets and bridges that I simply marvel at.
Sometimes there were such parts of compositions that no matter how I tried, but I could not remember them. These rhythm sections are so bizarre, beautiful and at the same time complex to perception. However, I consider this one of the numerous advantages of work.