Review by Shadowdoom9 (Andi) for Scar Symmetry - The Singularity (Phase II - Xenotaph) (2023)
Wintersun isn't the only band to make us wait around a decade for part 2 of an album series. Scar Symmetry have their ongoing The Singularity trilogy going on, and Phase II - Xenotaph came out 9 years after Phase I - Neohumanity. It was nice listening to Phase I almost a decade ago, but that's where my Scar Symmetry journey stopped after I began to explore less epic, heavier modern metal. So here's my great return to the world of Scar Symmetry, with a few crooked steps...
Xenotaph feels a lot more like an actual album with all tracks being full songs, twice the amount of full songs Neohumanity had alongside a couple interludes, all the more reason to consider that album the band's own Time I. As a result, Xenotaph's full length reaches almost an hour. Some tracks have wild speed, others have slow tranquility.
Heading straight into the heavy blasting action without an intro, "Chrononautilus" stuns me with the strength the band has maintained after their long hiatus, in the singles that lead up to this long-awaited album. Lars Palmqvist ascends like a neohuman angel with his enigmatic clean singing, in contrast to the demonic growls of Roberth Karlsson. Excellent! The other single "Scorched Quadrant" follows with a phenomenal sound like late 90s In Flames modernized and sci-fi-ed. I probably would've loved it perfectly if the chorus didn't sound too much like Madonna's "La Isla Bonita", along with the cleans not sounding too quiet. I still enjoy it! Then things lighten up in "Overworld", particularly in the chorus, to combat the otherwise negative atmosphere. Next track "Altergeist" has f***ing heavy blast beats.
My favorite track here is "Reichsfall". There's dynamic elegance in the intro before the usual heavy fight and melodic flight. The pace often slows down right before the chorus, losing a bit of dynamic while still sounding cool. The vocals are amazing, but I can't tell the higher notes are real or done with a vocoder similar to Cynic. Either way, that along with the guitar melodies spawn a pleasant Blind Guardian vibe. What a progressive adventure within an adventure! I can almost think of "Digiphrenia Dawn" as combining the modern heaviness of Fear Factory with the power metal of Powerwolf. "Hyperborean Plains" has some guitar fiddling that's almost like the 8-bit synths of HORSE the Band or Machinae Supremacy translated into electric guitar. "Gridworm" drives through the band's amazing talent without needing a break. That deathly gem is filled with some awesome hammering sh*t!
As amazing as "A Voyage with Tailed Meteors" sounds in the title and heavy instrumentation, the production seems a bit raw and empty. "Soulscanner" brings melody and speed up front, almost like Sonic Syndicate on steroids. That's quite wicked and will gear you up for the final epic... The 8-minute title closer concludes this part of the Singularity trilogy, blending their own usual sci-fi melodeath with the extreme progressiveness of Ne Obliviscaris. By the end of this epic, you'll be wanting more from this saga and hoping you'll get it from the upcoming third part.
With all that said, Scar Symmetry still have their strength in Xenotaph. Let's just hope things improve a bit before the 3rd and final part of the trilogy that will hopefully come by the end of this decade. And when it finally comes, maybe it will inspire Wintersun founder Jari Mäenpää to make Time III, but I'm already hoping for too much....
Favorites: "Chrononautilus", "Scorched Quadrant", "Reichsfall", "Gridworm", "Soulscanner", "Xenotaph"