Scar Symmetry's 'The Singularity (Phase II - Xenotaph)' - Album Review

If I was the mastermind behind a planned trilogy of concept albums centred around artificial intelligence, I think the last thing that I would want to happen would be the first part to come out in 2014 and the second part following nine years later. Any excitement created by part one would have surely dissipated by 2023, and even the very presence of part two would have the status of something akin to a living meme. In my opinion, this release schedule, planned or not, should be avoided at all costs - but it is exactly what has taken place over the past decade in the world of the Swedish melodic death/progressive metal act Scar Symmetry. Since forming in 2004, Scar Symmetry were pretty prolific during their first decade - releasing six albums between 2005 and 2014. The band's interesting sound, which mixes the more extreme end of the Gothenburg-esque melodic death metal sound with both prog and power metal influences, helped to set them apart from essentially all of their peers and, despite a few big line-up changes along the way, Scar Symmetry carved out quite a strong little niche for themselves in the metal world. They were never a top division act, but they maintain a strong following to this day - and there really is not another band out there which sounds quite like them. This is why 2014's The Singularity (Phase I - Neohumanity) (which I reviewed here) caused quite the stir when it was released. I feel like at least couple of the band's older albums would generally be considered as 'favourites' by the wider fanbase - but Neohumanity certainly excited the prog crowd with its more intricate arrangements and sci fi themes. The fact that the album was a digestible 43 minutes long and crammed full of hooks helped, too, but it certainly felt as if the prog era of Scar Symmetry was about to really kick off. It is such a shame, then, that the band has essentially been dormant since. I saw them live in 2015 supporting Epica and Eluveitie, but since the conclusion of that tour the band's only real public activity, until last month, had been a handful of sporadic live appearances. Per Nilsson, the band's de facto leader, guitarist, and principal songwriter, kept teasing the second part of the trilogy - but I think a lot of fans gave up hope, particularly when Nilsson became the touring guitarist for Meshuggah for a few years. As such, then, the release of the band's seventh album The Singularity (Phase II - Xenotaph) last month was a long time coming. Finally, nine years on from Neohumanity, Scar Symmetry were back. Given how long they were away, though, the album's release has not been as much of a splash as I thought it might be. Some people probably really did lose interest, but Xenotaph is an album I looked forward to - so I have been digesting it over the past month or so. Scar Symmetry has changed somewhat since Neohumanity - with Nilsson becoming even more of a central figure than ever. With the exception of most of the vocals, the drums, and some of the guitar solos, everything here comes from him. Drummer Henrik Ohlsson once again wrote the lyrics, but everything compositionally and production wise is courtesy of Nilsson. As such, Xenotaph is the band's first album without bassist Kenneth Seil, who left in 2015, but it is the first with guitarist Benjamin Ellis (Bloodshot Dawn) who came aboard in 2016.

As with the last album, Nilsson even handles the occasional lead vocal line, but, as has been the case since 2008, Roberth Karlsson and Lars Palmqvist share the bulk of the vocals - with the former contributing harsh vocals and the latter singing clean. The album is longer than Neohumanity, and does feel a bit less progressive overall. There is generally much more of a focus on heaviness, here, but repeated listens reveal that the album is more varied and progressive than it first seems That being said, though, the album gets off to a more straight forward start with Chrononautilus. The last album built up slowly, but Xenotaph opens with a furious blast beat and some pulverizing riffing - and it really sets the tone for what is to come. As the album is heavy overall, and there is a strong focus on Karlsson's harsh vocals throughout. Palmqvist tends to handle the hooky choruses, but elsewhere the album is much heaver - and that is very much the case with Chrononautilus. The verses here are fast-paced, with Ohlsson's busy drumming underpinning everything, whereas the chorus features the band's trademark pop hooks - despite the overall faster pace remaining. Ellis introduces himself via the album's first guitar solo, which is high-octane and shredded, whilst Nilsson solos later - during a brief moment of respite which recalls the previous album's proggier moments. A longer clean vocal-led section follows, which does give the song a bit more of a dynamic arrangement, but this calm is relatively short lived - as the band soon toughen up again for an extremely fast section which borders on black metal at times thanks to Ohlsson's intense footwork. Scar Symmetry have really lent into their heavier side here - and the album gets off to an uncompromising start as a result. Scorched Quadrant, which follows, does rein it in somewhat - but there is still a toughness throughout. The main riff feels less extreme metal in nature and more old-school, with a bit of groove added by the bass, so there is a pleasing strut during the verses - which Karlsson barks over in an infectious manner. Scar Symmetry have always had a knack for making their harsh vocal lines hooky, despite Karlsson's genuine death metal pedigree, and the contrast between the harsh and clean vocals has always been a big part of their sound. The chorus here is likely one of the album's hookiest, with Palmqvist getting quite a bit of time in the spotlight - whilst Nilsson's shimmering synths add plenty of depth. The synths are more prominent here than they were in the previous song, especially during those sections which feel more progressive. The bass also shines during those sections, and Nilsson once again solos against a relatively cinematic backing later on - before Ellis ups the tempo with some shredding. This mix of vibes harks back to the previous album nicely, and the arrangement is not as relentless overall. Overworld opens with a soaring guitar lead, and the song generally feels a bit hookier and poppier overall. Karlsson's harsh vocals are utilised less here, and Palmqvist instead dominates - which is a relative rarity on this album. The verses, which are backed by a slightly off-kilter guitar riff, feature the two singers duetting. I wish there were more duets on the album, as the back-and-forth works well. Karlsson's long screams add some darkness to the overall more melodic piece, but it is the chorus that really pulls the listener in - with the strong synth backing harmonising well with Palmqvist's vocal lines. A busy solo from Nilsson pulls everything together, and the opening song trilogy is strong.

Altergeist ups the heaviness again, and returns to a sound more akin to the opening track. It is perhaps not as gnarly as Chrononautilus, but it certainly feels more like that song than the other two which have come before it. The focus vocally is back on Karlsson here, and his harsh vocals dominate throughout. Black metal-esque passages return, with Ohlsson's blast beats returning to the mix regularly - but these sections are made more interesting by a melodic keyboard backing and some choice guitar leads. This mix of heaviness and melody has long been a part of the band's sound, and I like how the contrast works during the sections which feature blast beats. Generally I find this song a bit less hooky than those which have come before - but it has grown on me quite a bit over repeated listens. There is definitely more of a progressive feel here - and the overall instrumental arrangements are more interesting. There is quite a good balance of light and shade, too, with a lengthy mid-section, bookended by solos, which features strong synths and Palmqvist's more gentle vocals. The trade-off solo between Nilsson and Ellis is great, too, and the song is one that showcases that there is still a lot of prog in this album despite the heavier focus. Reichsfall is another which opens with a big guitar lead, and the twin guitar harmonies which dominate early on give the song a bit of a 1980s feel - before a chunky riff kicks in and song becomes another pretty heavy platter. That being said, though, it still feels quite old-school. There are fewer modern extreme metal trappings here, and even the heavier sections have quite a bit of classic groove to them - with Karlsson growling atop something more organic-sounding, whilst Palmqvist interjects with the occasional clean line. This focus on a more old-school sound means that the song's chorus is a winner - and another which could be considered the album's best. Palmqvist's hooks here are great, and it is one of those which has often been stuck in my head after the album finishes. There are a few twists and turns, though, such a short section which sees Nilsson taking the lead vocally to add a different edge briefly - and another excellent solo section featuring trade-offs. I like the way the band fused a more organic sound with their technical approach here, and it does help the song to stand out nicely. Digiphrenia Dawn returns to something more fast and furious, though, and the opening Nilsson shredded solo sets the tone for what is to come. Karlsson is the dominant force vocally here, and the knotty verses only help his deep growls to stand out. The riffing beneath his barks is somewhat off-kilter, which gives the song a frenetic energy, and the song in general is a pacey number. Despite this, though, there is still quite a dynamic arrangement. The chorus, which switches to clean vocals, is pretty hooky - and there is another more calming mid-section which again features Palmqvist. What I like about this song, though, is that there are quite a few sections which see Karlsson and Palmsqvist singing together. The 'harmonising' of their two vocal styles works well when it is deployed, and, again, it is something that I would like to hear more of. It really suits the band's overall approach and tech-heavy sound - and the song stands out as a result.

Hyperborean Plains also opens with a guitar solo, and the overall arrangement makes it feel more progressive from the off. Nilsson's opening salvo is pretty lengthy, and the musical backing to his mix of melodic phrases and shredded passages is a bit more spacey overall. As such, the heaviness is paired back somewhat here. There are plenty of pop hooks, but overall the song feels pretty cinematic. Palmqvist tends to dominate vocally, but Karlsson does add character when required - and the song features a little more of the tandem singing between the two which I am such a fan of. The guitar riffing here is much less in-your-face than it is generally on the album - but this only allows Nilsson's keyboard playing to shine. He is a great keyboard player as well as a great guitarist, and the song has a great scope overall as a result - and it certainly harks back to the previous album somewhat. Ellis' later solo ups the heaviness somewhat with some on-point shredding - but overall this song is a bit more restrained in terms of weight, with Karlsson's voice generally being the heaviest thing about the track in which pop hooks and synths tend to shine. Gridworm ups the heaviness again, but also opens with a guitar solo. Nilsson really shreds this time, though, and the overall difference between this solo and the one which opened the previous number perfectly showcases the different approaches taken. Karlsson dominates vocally this time, but there is a good vocal balance overall despite the heaviness - with Palmqvist even singing against some hard-driving riffs at times, which is different to the synth heavy backing which he usually sings against. The song feels pretty varied as a result, and there is a strong progressive bent to the arrangement. The song is perhaps not as overtly 'prog' in sound, but the dynamics throughout give that impression - particularly when some stabbing AOR-esque synths rear their heads later and Ellis then shreds against a djenty riff. There is a lot going on here despite the heaviness, and arrangement-wise the song is one of the album's most interesting. A Voyage with Tailed Meteors returns to something much more extreme metal-influenced - and it is the album's heaviest track overall. Palmqvist does sing here, but he is utilised sparsely - with Karlsson dominating. The riffs throughout move back and forth between tech metal grooves and black metal-esque rasps, whilst Ohlsson's drumming also channels the black metal spirit with plenty of blast beats and intense double bass drum patterns. The song is very fast overall, too, and there is very little let-up in intensity. There is a brief section which sees the synths take over and the pace slowed for Palmqvist to sing, but this is very much a brief moment of respite before the song careers on chaotically - and it later features some of the most bonkers shredding on the album from both Nilsson and Ellis. The song is an intense explosion of heaviness, then, and fans of extreme metal will find a lot to like here.

By this point the album is nearly over, but Soulscanner makes sure to make its presence felt with another lengthy guitar opening - featuring some busy shredding from Nilsson before Ellis takes over to lay down something more melodic and cinematic. Given the tone set by this opening solo section, the song which follows is unsurprisingly quite typical of the band's core sound - with heavy verses and a melodic chorus adding hooks. The album's opening handful of songs were generally more straight forward arrangement-wise, and Soulscanner tends to return to that approach. There has been more prog and diversity immediately prior to this track, so in a way the focus on the band's core sound is welcome here - and the chorus is another which is packed with strong hooks. It is a less intense moment of melody, which contrasts with the previous song significantly, and I quite like the occasional use of synthy autotune during the chorus to add to the album's overall cinematic sound. There are certainly more intense and interesting songs here, but I like the fact that the album's penultimately song returns to something more simplistic to add some final hooks before the closing title track. Xenotaph, then, returns to something more progressive - and the song is the album's longest cut. The opening riffing is pretty tech metal in overall feel - and it is clear that Nilsson's time spent helping out Meshuggah rubbed off on him. The riffing is certainly not as intense and groove-based as Meshuggah's approach, but there is something more techy about it than perhaps is traditional for Scar Symmetry - and they open up the busy and proggy song nicely. Choral vocals are used here occasionally for effect, making the band sound bigger than ever, whilst the synths are also busier - with some sections even featuring keyboard leads to double some of the riffing or guitar lead lines. The song feels more traditionally prog metal, then, but the sci fi themes and the dual vocal approach still shines - with lots of screentime given to both Karlsson and Palmqvist. This is the case as the track features a good mix of heavier and slower sections - with perhaps more of a focus on lumbering, cinematic sections than ever. I like the space in the mix here, which is different to the more chaotic approach taken elsewhere. It feels like the band stretching out and indulging in their progressive influences - and I also like the fact that the song does not really feel like a defining statement. Despite being the closing number, it feels as if it is setting up what will hopefully follow as the final part of the trilogy by fading out without a bang - and leaving a closing, crackling keyboard melody to end the album in a strangely low key way. Overall, then, Xenotaph is another very strong release from Scar Symmetry. I have to say that, at first, I was a bit disappointed with the album as it did not feel all that progressive - but it has really grown on me. It is certainly more progressive than it first seems - and the arrangements only grow in stature over repeated listens. It might focus more on heaviness than anything else, but there is still a lot of variety here - and, more than ever, it is an album that needs to be digested and lived with to get the full experience.

The album was released on 9th June 2023 via Nuclear Blast Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Scorched Quadrant.