While at first glance it would seem Scar Symmetry worship the very ground Soilwork walk on, with "Symmetric In Design", they have single-handedly made the album the latter look to have been trying to make for the past 5 years. A structurally sound mixture of melodic Swedish death metal with electronic undercurrents and soaring commercially friendly choruses, it's hard not to be engrossed by what this band can offer.

Of course, this means that there are forays into near nu-metal territory, but with an epic scope, they don't seem nearly as short-sighted as they should. Instead, the band excel at assembling elements of thrash, the occasional Meshuggah-like timing changes and numerous solos and faint industrial elements into a singularly brutish package. This in itself would make a more than competent album, but they go a step further and ride their heavily-polished shred backed growls into uplifting melodic choruses that are accentuated by flails of ruthless double kick and synth driven harmonizing.

Despite it's lack of new ingredients, the end result the band come up with is actually quite enjoyable - if not somewhat played out by the albums end. Inherently catchy to be sure, the gloss that coats many of these tracks will make it far too slippery to be grasped by more discerning metal heads. But from a commercial modern metal standpoint, "Symmetric In Design" is exactly what its name suggests. Simply put, bands like Soilwork and In Flames should have probably went this route rather than so willingly feasted on North America's leftovers, as Scar Symmetry are now eagerly nipping at their heels.