(progressive metal) Symmetry - Watching The Unseen - 2000, FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

I had the pleasure of discovering this band a few years back when they released their first mini-CD To Divinity. Some might have seen them in 1999 at the ProgPower concert in Holland, playing with bands like Pain of Salvation, Threshold, Lemur Voice, and Mayadome.
[This review originally appeared November 2002 at the ProgPower Online review site -ed.]

Now, the Dutch five-piece is back with their first full length CD. The music is in the same vein as on the mini-CD, slightly complex and powerful prog metal. The music is heavily guitar dominated, the twin guitar lead attack is very good and mid-ranged vocalist Erik Masselink does a great job on vox. Overall the band sounds very tight. The music is at times pretty complex, with lots of time changes and challenging guitar leads and solos, yet always keeping a melodic sense to it. The songs balance from heavy parts to mellow clean guitar verses, which contribute in favor to the diversity of the album.

Although not all songs are of the same quality, this is an impressive album, which I think most fans of mid-paced guitar-dominated prog metal will enjoy. As Symmetry more or less have their own sound going here, it is pretty hard to make comparisons, but if you are into Fates Warning, Eyefear, Sieges Even, and Queensryche - this could be your thing. Absolutely worth checking out!

[This review originally appeared November 2002 at the ProgPower Online review site -ed.]

Erik Masselink - vocals
Franc Tiehuis - guitars
Frank Schiphorst - guitars
Bas Hoebink - bass
Marcel Heitmann - drums