''The Singularity (Phase I – Neohumanity)'' is the sixth studio album by Swedish

melodic death metal Melodic death metal (also referred to as melodeath) is a subgenre of death metal that employs highly melodic guitar riffs, often borrowing from traditional heavy metal (including New Wave of British Heavy Metal). The genre features the heavines ...

band

Scar Symmetry Scar Symmetry is a Swedish melodic death metal band from Avesta, formed in 2004. The band has released six albums, with seven released singles. They are signed to Nuclear Blast Records. History Formation and ''Symmetric in Design'' (2004−200 ...

, released by

Nuclear Blast Nuclear Blast is a record label and mail order record distributor with subsidiaries in Germany, the United States and Brazil. The label was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Germany. Originally releasing hardcore punk records, the label mov ...

on 3 October 2014 (EU). This is the first album of the Singularity trilogy, and the first Scar Symmetry album to be composed, produced, mixed and mastered entirely by guitarist Per Nilsson, and is the last album with Kenneth Seil on bass. ''The Singularity (Phase I – Neohumanity)'' sold 1,500 units in the United States in its first week and debuted at No. 199 on the Billboard 200.

Album information

The first phase of the trilogy is centered on the rise of "artilects ( artificial intellects) with mental capacities far above the human level of thought" and that "by the year 2030, one of the world's biggest industries will be '

artificial brain An artificial brain (or artificial mind) is software and hardware with cognitive abilities similar to those of the animal or human brain. Research investigating "artificial brains" and brain emulation plays three important roles in science: #An o ...

s,' used to control artilects that will be genuinely intelligent and useful." The lyrical content focuses on the divide between "those who embrace the new technology and those who oppose it" due to the social issues caused by the rise of artificial intelligence and the emergence of

transhumanists Transhumanism is a philosophical and intellectual movement which advocates the enhancement of the human condition by developing and making widely available sophisticated technologies that can greatly enhance longevity and cognition. Transhuma ...

who add artilect technology to their own bodies.

Critical reception

Writing for All About The Rock Anthony Biello scored the album 8.5 out of 10 and said ''"I wasn't expecting such a well written record from a band I discarded years ago. If you are a fan of Power, Progressive or Death Metal, then check this out. Scar Symmetry blends all of those genres together unlike any other band I've ever heard before. Supposedly this is the first concept album of a trilogy, and if the next 2 are even close to The Singularity (Phase I – Neohumanity), I would consider it a success."''

Track listing

Personnel

*Lars Palmqvist – clean vocals, backing vocals *Roberth Karlsson –

harsh vocals A death growl, or simply growl, is an extended vocal technique usually employed in extreme styles of music, particularly in death metal and other extreme subgenres of heavy metal music. Death growl vocals are sometimes criticized for their ...

, backing vocals (tracks 2 and 3) * Per Nilsson – guitars, keyboards, backing vocals, clean vocals (tracks 1, 2, 5 and 8) *Kenneth Seil – bass *Henrik Ohlsson – drums

Release history

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Singularity Phase 1 Neohumanity Scar Symmetry albums Nuclear Blast albums 2014 albums