It’s a really noticeable release. Seriously, it’s one of those rare cases when “free musicians” with their own experiences and “egos” come to work together to create something so inspired and accurate, as if they were playing together for years, but with a freshness of a debut album. Meanwhile, Scar Symmetry is an all star band formed in 2004 by Jonas Kjellgren (Carnal Forge, Centinex, World Below), Henrik Ohlsson (Theory In Practice, Mutant, Altered Aeon), Per Nilsson (Altered Aeon), Christian Älvestam (Unmoored, Incapacity, Torchbearer) and Kenneth Seil. Symmetric In Design, their firstborn child, is a tough, dense and fascinating album based on the canons of death metal incorporated with grains of power, glam, melodic metal and even guitarisms in the Yngwie Malmsteen tradition.

In spite of the fact that it’s a debut, the professionalism of all the elements is obvious. The careful production, that leaves free space for a bright, fat, juicy, full-watered sound; catchy riffs, a specific developed vocal manner, the instrumentalist’s technique, song structure – everything shows the class of this record.

From the very beginning, the opener rushes into the air promptly and lightly sliding to power metal choruses and refrains.

“2012- The Demise Of The 5th Sun” – second and the best song of the album – is a real flight of flashy guitars with a transparent innuendo of eastern motives or mythic prayers. Its solo reminds in some ways of Gary Holt of Exodus, but somehow tends to sound like most death metal solos nowadays. Third piece – “Dominion” begins with a beautiful intro riff, which then progresses into a metal hymn, which takes you into a whirlpool like a mountain river. The vocals here (like in “Veil Of Illusions” and “Detach From The Outcome”) are melodic – a mix of roaring and singing - and even somewhat coquettish, as if understanding and defying with its own beauty. While fourth “Underneath The Surface” and “Orchestrate The Infinite” or “Seeds Of Rebellion” have more separated, cut phrasing and more aggressive intentions.

All in all this album is really steady and integral, so the closing “The Eleventh Sphere” feels like the coda of some soundtrack for continuously attacking waves of light and blitz of some dreadful but wonderful thunderstorm.