New Scar Symmetry is So So.

So I've had a cold the last few days which has given me time to catch up on some new releases. I just got through listening to the new Scar Symmetry "Dark Matter Dimensions" which has been somewhat anticipated due to the new vocalist set up those guys have. For the first time Christian Alvestam is not the vocalist and instead they have two guys at the plate to handle the range of vocals Christian used to. From death to clean to black.

Roberth Karlsson – growls, backing clean vocals
Lars Palmqvist – clean vocals, backing growls

So these two rotate their vocals back and forth. Now I said a long time ago when word got out of these new hires to not be surprised if it doesn't work out to well. I was partially right. Musically the album is tight but vocally neither of these two guys are as good as Christian was by himself. Lars on the clean vocals just does not quite have the same range and many times throughout he's kind of flat. Roberth on the growls is ok but hard to understand. Sometimes these guys try so hard to growl that their enunciation ends up suffering as seen here.

Overall the songs themselves just aren't quite up to par as previous releases lyrically. Sometimes I felt like instead of a melodic death metal band(I hate that label for these guys by the way)I was listening to a power metal band utilizing death grunts. Definatley some cheese in dem der songs.

It's a new start for these guys and I would recommend it for a new listener and hopefully they will improve later on but man.....what a step back after a huge amount of momentum with Christian at the mic.

Check them out at their Myspacepage.

Here is the new video off Dark Matter Dimensions.



Is it just me or does Roberth look and act like a complete douchebag in this vid or is he just trying to hard to be metal?

And here is a tune from the Christian era.