Artist description Progressive metalband with elements of jazz, hippy, technical and groove

Music Style Progressive metal

Musical Influences (Prog/heavy/tech)metal, jazz, hippy, pop, hardrock etcetera.....

Artist History BIOGRAPHY: Symmetry is a band founded in the early 90’s by vocalist Erik Masselink and guitarist Franc Tiehuis who started experimenting and writing music. By combining different styles: heavy, symphonic, melodic and technical, they found the “symmetrical” sound they were looking for. First recordings...To Divinity After completing the band with another guitarplayer, a bassplayer, a drummer and almost two years of rehearsal and a few gigs, the mini-album “To Divinity” was recorded at the beginning of ‘97. "To Divinity" was brought out under Symmetry’s own control in January ‘98. The debut had a favourable reception; only approving reviews have been received and very positive response during live performances, among which as support act of well-known bands like Saxon, Within Temptation and Harrow. Watching The Unseen... 2001... the recordings of “Watching The Unseen”, the first full-length album, were finished. It was agreed with Harrow Productions (where "TD" as well as "WTU" were recorded) to bring out "WTU" through HP Music. In May 2002 the album was released and very well received. Videoclip Symmetry got a great offer by a Dutch label called PowerRecords to do a video-shoot. The "Land Evermore"-videoclip got airplay and very positive response on the national ''TMF'' metal-show ''Wet & Wild''. Line-up changes Unfortunately Symmetry did not escape line-up changes. Marcel Heitmann, the drummer, left. Martin Kuipers, Harrow's and Mystrez's very talented drummer, temporarily helped out the band. Chemistry took place and Martin decided to become a part of Symmetry. Inspiration and motivation took a positive turn and this resulted in many new ideas and songs. Present During the writing of the third and latest album “A Soul's Roadmap”, Franc Tiehuis, the founder and guitarplayer of Symmetry, left as well due to personal reasons. In search of a new guitarplayer, the band found a worthy successor for Franc T., someone who is capable of feeling the twisted Symmetry-vibes: former Harrow-guitarist Erik de Boer. His very own approach towards metal and his love for the 60's and 70's added a different dimension to Symmetry's music. Nowadays, Symmetry consists of five experienced musicians whose individualistic tastes and musical and instrumental skills define Symmetry's sound : “heavy, melodic, progressive, emotional, dynamic, hippy, jazzy, raw and technical” are the keywords that describe the broad sound of the varying songs on “A Soul's Roadmap”. The music tells the science fictional story of ''Korben'' in search of his wife's soul. As a result of the conceptional approach during the writing process, music has been used to “visualize” Korben's journey in any possible way. Performing live Symmetry puts out a tight show shaped by experience and skill, ranging from melodic twin-guitar metal-riffing with energetic, dynamic vocals, groovy double-bass drumming and technical six-string fretless bassplaying to jazzy ambient passages… Symmetry Erik Masselink vocals Frank Schiphorst guitars Bas Hoebink bass & vocals Martin Kuipers drums Erik de Boer guitars & vocals

Group Members Erik Masselink (vocals)Frank Schiphorst (guitar)Erik de Boer(guitar & backing vocals)Bas Hoebink (bassguitar & backing vocals)Martin Kuipers (drums & percussion)

Instruments Vocals, Guitars, Drums

Albums To Divinity, Watching The Unseen, upcoming : A Soul's Roadmap

Press Reviews REVIEWS of "Watching the Unseen""Watching the Unseen" - "To Divinity" "fans of QUEENSRYCHE, FATES WARNING and SIEGES EVEN will certainly be pleased with this one"7,9 out of 10Aardschok (NL), Liselotte Hegt SYMMETRY presents an album that every fan of PSYCHOTIC WALTZ, RE-VISION and EVERGREY over SPOCK'S BEARD and DREAM THEATER would love - HEAVY oder was !?10 out of 12HEAVY Oder was !?(D), Jurgen Tschamler The first time the Dutch band Symmetry made an impact on me was when I was taken aback by their live show at Prog Power 1999. Subsequent listens to their mini-CD "To Divinity" built on that enthusiasm. The following long trip to the other side of the country to see them live for a second time was worth it and, from that time on, I was waiting in anticipation of their full-length debut CD. Finally, "Watching the Unseen" is thrust into the world unknowing of its destiny. The nine songs with a running time of approximately an hour are thrust onto the listener's ears with a vibrant and live sounding production. It is evident that Symmetry have built on their style of mid-tempo twin-guitar power metal and given it more variation in dynamics as well as emotional depth. This is evident in the more uptempo "Mission" and "The Circle" which are deceptive in their initial straightforward appearance before showing their true guise with complex instrumental middle parts. The more emotional side of Symmetry is shown in the semi-ballads "Letters" and "In Your World." While the Edgar Allan Poe-inspired "Land Evermore" adds more dynamics and has the typical Symmetry style bridge and chorus giving the song a real anthem-like character. The stand-out track "Chaos of Birth" starts out tranquil before moving into an exquisite melodic bridge and brilliant chorus (this song is already worth the purchase of this CD). Erik Masselink's voice is still a revelation. Influenced more by Bruce Dickinson and Eric Adams than LaBrie or Alder, he adds that powerful, slightly raspy dynamic touch to the competent performance of the other musicians. New bass-player Bas Hoebink adds an extra touch with some neat fills and slapping. It can be concluded that Symmetry have developed a talent for writing anthem-like songs in which (almost) each song has that additional something special, be it a technical Sieges Even-like part or a spinechilling balladesque part. Although there's still room for future improvement, it's been along time since I was genuinely excited about hearing a CD. (CR)4 1/2 out of 5Edge Of Time (Dk), Christian Rademaker Hollands Prog-Metal-Hoffnung meldet sich zur�ck ! Nach der �berzeugenden und �u�erst empfehlenswerten Mini-CD "To Divinity" erhielt die Band einige Label-Angebote, wobei sie sich letztendlich f�r Harrow Productions entschieden. Nun ist ihr erstes vollst�ndiges Album "Watching The Unseen" endlich auf dem Markt und das Album ist absolut geil geworden !!! SYMMETRY bieten auf "Watching ..." eine Stunde lang feinsten Prog-Metal, der vor allem an Fates Warning zu "Perfect Symmetry"-Zeiten erinnert (nicht zuletzt stand dieses Album auch Pate bei der Namensgebung der Combo). Allerdings sind nat�rlich auch andere Einfl�sse wie z.B. �ltere QUEENSRYCHE herauszuh�ren (zum Gl�ck nicht die QUEENSRYCHE der letzten beiden Scheiben, h�stel ...). Trotz dieser offensichtlichen Inspirationen sind SYMMETRY jedoch bestimmt keine Imitatoren, denn sie versuchen auf jeden Fall ihren eigenen musikalischen Weg zu beschreiten, was ihnen auch zweifellos gelingt. Die sympathischen Jungs schaffen es hierbei sowohl technisch anspruchsvolle als auch eing�ngige St�cke zu schreiben, denn neben vertrackten Prog-Parts stehen Killer-Hooklines wie in dem Song "Mission". Bei "Slave" zeigen sie dann z.B. ihre h�rtere Seite und die G�nsehaut-Nummer "The Letters" geht mir schon jetzt nicht mehr aus dem Ohr. Zus�tzliche Pluspunkte gewinnen sie dadurch, da� hier keine typischen Keyboard-Fl�chen gelegt werden (die Band hat n�mlich keinen Keyboarder, hehe), sondern ein perfekt aufeinander abgestimmtes Gitarren-Duo agiert, welches haufenweise tolle Riffs und Melodien herausballert. Abgerundet wird die Scheibe durch ein stimmiges, sehr sch�nes Artwork. Hut ab vor "Watching The Unseen" ! Fazit: Prog-Fans m�ssen hier zuschlagen. Aber auch aufgeschlossene Fans anderer Stilrichtungen (Melodic Metal, Power Metal etc.) sollten dieser aufstrebenden Band ihre H�rf�higkeiten schenken. Also, tut Euch den Gefallen und kontaktiert die Mailorder Eures Vertrauens. Es lohnt sich !Oblivion (D), Chris Lucker I have had this cd now for little over a week and all i can say is this has to be heard by the masses.Honest,Well produced mid-paced twin guitar driven prog metal at its finest.What is striking me the most is the fine subtlety's in the songs such as The letters and Chaos of birth.The two guitars playing off of one another is truly breathtaking.The whole band is faultless but for me the real gem is vocalist Eric Masselink.(The PeterGabriel of prog metal?) His melodies in Land Evermore,Burning Bridges and Chaos to rebirth are so passionate.He sings with every ounce of sweat and blood from his soul which just leaves me breathless.He has to be in the top 5 for prog vocalist for tone and uniqness. I would imagine in a live setting they would be faultless.On songs Mission and the letters they go off into some very interesting modest passages with careful detail to melody and dynamics. I will probably be in the minority on this one but give me symmetry to listen to any day over the new Kamelot. I just find this cd more honest and genuine."Epigram e-groups.com (USA), Lisa Dahlquist

Location Zwolle, Overijssel - Netherlands

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