Reviews

Review of …A Heart Still Beats, published December 15, 2013, two days before release.

The reviewer traces the band from Mute through the 2002 Demo and the UFC pay-per-views to the 2011 return, then calls the album heavy, heartfelt and some of the band’s best material to date, with a title that proves the band’s heart is still beating.

Highlights called out: It’s Over as the opener, Endure as an empowering track about pushing on, and King of All, Empty Promises and Unraveled in the middle of the record.

Review of What We Reflect, posted June 5, 2008 by a Sputnikmusic member.

The reviewer calls it a strong debut full-length from a band that might have gone far, praises the heavier songs (Alone Inside and Bullet With Your Name especially) for their double bass, screams and powerful choruses, and singles out the closing acoustic track as a mellow, lyric-focused finish.

Fans of alternative, nu metal and metalcore are told to give it a go; it may grow on you.

Review of What We Reflect, published February 20, 2006.

The reviewer compares the sound to a heavier Papa Roach with echoes of Breaking Benjamin and Korn, finds Kyle Shapiro’s voice hard to stop listening to, and recommends the album to listeners who don’t mind familiar sounds.

SCARS OF LIFE - ANOTHER TOMORROW

What can I say since the first day I was introduced to SCARS OF LIFE from Florida, I have been fully mesmerized by their sound. With ANOTHER TOMORROW, the guys take their hard rock melodic tone and step it up a notch with more aggressive style. You see a bit of it in LEMON, it rocks with grit and powerful ambiance but also intertwines their magical melodic drive. PLACEBO is the one song that shows the most change in the band. It screams take us serious with the hammering amounts of energy. The music surges with fierce force. As you slide into the chorus the melodic tone shines through. AWAY FROM ME should be played on radio stations worldwide. It has that "commercial vibe" with its easy going melody and the "HOOK" is there and just brings the song to a higher level. This song will have you singing along with a smile on your face. DESCENDING is your hard rock song. It's moody with a mixture of hard moments and delicate soothing melody. NOTHING LEFT ends the record. It stands out like it could have been on the band self-titled CD they sent me cause it has that slower, melodic gist about it and they surprise you with this quick heavy ass moment that perks your interest and shows the diversity in the band. Although, SCARS OF LIFE, are an amazing band I have to give props to their vocalist Kyle Shapiro, this guys has such a range and an impressive voice. Each song becomes more every time he sings and with that a musician who can create light to heavy rock, SCARS OF LIFE, are ready for the big time.

Southern Florida's Scars Of Life have put out three discs under this name since forming as Confined in the late nineties, and each one has brought about an evolution in their sound. We've gone from the stunningly depressing angst of the debut "Mute" EP, through the overall more refined and carefully distributed intricacies of their 2002 demo, to a release which can almost now be considered as positive in it's lyrical and musical conjectures. The sound on "Another Tomorrow" will however probably not come as a surprise to past followers of the band, as the music is very definitively Scars Of Life in it's execution, and the band have done much to define and lay down their own sound here, building upon the low-tuned riffs that occasionally dragged them into comparisons with other units such as Staind in their formulative years.

Vocally, Kyle Shapiro's range is as capacious as ever, and it pays great testament to his musical endeavour that despite making the decision to leave the group shortly after the release of this EP, he decided to return to continue his career with Scars Of Life. His emotive and clearly defined lyrical passages retain their endearing lengthened vowel sounds on occasion, whilst the tendencies to rap or vociferate the odd line when the music becomes more aggressive are less frequent now than on previous offerings, suggesting that they are now placing an greater emphasis on understated emotional content. The guitar passages of Anthony Parrinello and John Raio have become more independent, following their own course as opposed to simply slotting in with the other sections. Down-tuned they may be in the lower realms, but at the same time there are high reaching passages of delicacy, where grooving ornamental notes allow the music to glimmer in it's most beautiful moments. The technically adept percussion of Jason Rodman has been shoved down a little in the mix in general, but it still provides an integral driving factor in the music, cutting in at appropiate moments to help craft the overall sound, particularly in 'Placebo', where the drums are especially prominent alongside the crunching bass of Mike Kennedy.

Five tracks then, and each one retains it's own individual characteristics, from the gradual build-up of opener 'Descending', through the mellow 'Away From Me', to the concluding cut which is 'Nothing Left', a perfect closer as it dies away with one of their best melodies to date remaining in your mind. It would be nice now to see Scars Of Life attempt to move up to the next level, which would be a full length album. They have honed their sound sufficiently in the three releases to date, and though it is quite mind-boggling that the group have not yet had an array of contracts thrown in their face by record labels, even an independent release including some ten to twelve songs of this calibre would surely attract the desired attention which has up until now been sadly lacking outside of their native state.

With the current music scene flooded as it is with an excess of shit that wouldn't grace my cd player if I was paid to listen to it, it astonishes me that a band like Scars of Life are not signed to a major record label and pissing over bands like Linkin Park, Creed and Staind who sell huge amounts of cd's.

I have nothing against the likes of Linkin Park, Creed and Staind, after all they keep our music in the spotlight, but it saddens me that a genuinely talented band like scars of Life are not up there with them.

There must be something in the water in Florida because the state seems to produce an abundance of talented bands, none more so than this quintet who describe themselves as "a powerful five-piece groove oriented metal band that emphasizes depth in musical style and emotionally charged meaning in its lyrics."

Anyway, on to the music! The '2002 Demo' consists of four tracks: Pool of fears, Water in my hands, Lost years and Silent words.

With the intro track your mind is tricked into trying to define whether you are listening to a mellow track or whether the semi-brutal riffs that fade in and out at will make it a full-on assault on your senses.

'Water in my hands' mixes the best of the Deftones with a hard edge of Adema along with Scars of Life's special blend of genius to produce a track that, when played for the second time, seems instantly familiar.

'Lost years' just seems to melt into your head and take over your brain with it's almost hypnotic vibe. Kyle Shapiro's vocals suit the track to perfection as it rolls around in your head looking for a place to escape.

'Silent Words' shows that this band has the maturity to vary their musical style and have produced a great acoustic number in the process.

I have been listening to rock and metal music ever since the summer of 1984 when Iron Maiden's 'Powerslave' album hit my deck and there haven't been many bands since then that have had the same effect on me that Scars of Life have. Let's hope we'll all be hearing a lot more from them in the future.

Scars of life is a 5 member modern metal act from Ft. Lauderdale. Their second recording effort, Entitled "2002 Demo", Is absolutely amazing! This CD contains 4 tracks of pure, emotional genius.

"2002 Demo" is a very sonic, Radio friendly recording. It would not surprise me to see this band get signed very soon. Scars Of Life describe themselves as a "Powerfull 5 peice groove oriented metal band that emphasizes depth in musical style and emotionally charged meaning in its lyrics".

This statement is right on the money! The guitar parts on the fist 3 tracks start off slow and melodic, But as soon as the chorus hits, WHAM! Grinding, Power driven metal the way it was meant to be played! By listening to them, You can tell who their influences are, Yet this does not get in the way of originality. The bass frequencies and drums are simply perfect! The vocalist moves from soft, Melodic harmony to pantera driven growling screams without a problem.

My personal favorite is "Silent Words". This accoustic track has to be one of the most beautiful songs that I have ever heard. The harmonious vocal line blends in with the melodic chord progression flawlessly. "2002 Demo" blends into the background very well, Which is a very good thing. This is a quality that makes an album sell. The lyrics on this demo are so heartfelt, You can almost close your eyes and see a story unfold as the songs progress. This band can be compared to bands like Taproot, System Of A Down, Linkin Park, Staind, Stone Sour, & Incubus with a little touch of Pantera for good measure (PHEW! That's a big comparison)!

Fort Lauderdale's SCARS OF LIFE bring everything I love and adore about music. For one, they have a vocalist that can melodically move you with his pure and intense singing voice and he can also turn the sweetness into rage and mayhem as a more aggressive roar comes out. Then the music caters to every need and want you want to hear when listening to new music. SCARS OF LIFE delivers melodies that pushes the envelope of every human emotion, they wave beauty before you and then beats you senseless with powering double bass, rumbling guitar parts and aggressive powerful sentiments that will leave you wondering "why aren't they signed?".

To jump in and out of songs quickly will be hard due to the fact I can take forever about everything I heard on this disc. First up is POOL OF FEARS. I like this song a lot because they wrap the mellow sweet elements around a heavy driving backdrop that just shines with manly aggression and delicate beauty. WATER IN MY HANDS has to be my favorite on the disc due to the double bass attitude in the intro of the track. Then there is the hard driving elements that keeps your heart pumping hard. A song that is soft enough for radio but still pushes the envelope with it's fierce power. This track also shows you the different vocal patterns used by frontman, Kyle Shapiro.LOST YEARS has a tender aura to it due to lyrical parts and just the subtle mellow journey the music brings you on. SILENT WORDS ends the CD with it's acoustic foundation. This track really shows off the talented vocals this band encompasses. It provides some good harmonies and really provides an "open book" tale of loss and self doubt. With amazing song writing and a band who is not afraid to show off its softer side along with their hard hitting moments. It will only be a matte of time until SCARS OF LIFE will be another band signed and showing the world their talent. I'm glad to have been able to share their unsigned moments with them.

by: Stephanie Stevens

Scars of Life just released there latest demo about a month ago that features four tracks that showcases the groups ability to get better as the age. The demo withholds a fair amount of diversity that any normal rock/metal fan should appreciate.

In the opening tack "Pool of Fears", Scars of Life lets you know they are here to stay with their solid melodies and throbbing beats. In the second track "Water in my Hands", the group throws in some screaming and some double bass drum skills to give the song that extra edge that "Pool of Fears" doesn't have. The third track "Lost Years" is a softer track that I found similar to some of the material done by the group Cold. The track keeps the listener tuned in due to its catchy lyrics and well done chorus. The fourth and final track "Silent Words" is similar to the third track on the album is a bit softer than the third track but it’s nice to here some ranges in the music.

All I can say is if they don't get picked up by a major label off this record there is something seriously wrong with the music industry. Good job guys and its a perfect follow-up to the "Mute" ep. You can listen to the mp3 by going to the bands official website, www.scarsoflife.com.

The hype is out about one of the newest acts from south florida. Scars of life has recently debuted their first 6 song EP. I have to say that this is one of the best sounding CDs that I have heard come from a local band. Being recorded by Jeremy Staska, who is well known for recording Poison The Well, and many others, is a large reason for the high quality of sound. This band has a familiar feel of a typical rock/metal band, their style is along the lines of Nothingface with less breakdowns. The title track "Mute" has made its way around the radio and websites all over. The depressed sound of their lyrics brings in a type of darkness into the music coming from the vocalist through his dirty hollow scream, but kept lighter by his melodic vocals style. The vocalist is backed by a band driving their sound directly into a tree at full speed. The guitar work mixed with the raging basslines, and pounding drum beats. The drummer uses a range of double bass throughout different songs accentuating the sound of emotion driving more and more in certain parts of the music. On the constructive side, the sound of each song is very similar in the dark yet melodic style, and they are easily confused between one song to another. The drummers use of double bass is not as fitting in some of the parts as it could be. Its realized that the reason for the double bass is to drive the song faster, however the arrangement could be a bit better. All in all this is a CD that needs to be heard by everyone. This band has a very radio sound while still keeping it underground and this should take them a long way.

- Skweels

South Florida's Scars Of Life battle back with a brilliant second effort. Their highly anticipated 2002 demo lived up to all the hype surrounding its release. They've recorded 4 new tracks, Pool Of Fears, Silent Words, Lost Years, and Water In My Hands for the EP and they're all nothing short of perfect. A much more mature group has emerged from the studio this time and brought a gaggle of new fans with them. How this band hasn't signed a major label deal remains one of the world's great mysteries.

Vocalist Kyle Shapiro's voice has improved dramatically from their 2000 release "Mute". A much more mellow Kyle is backed by a seemingly more aggressive band. This album is heavier than their debut but more technical at the same time. Rolling kick drums, pound throughout the disc. Making the choppy, rumbling guitar parts that much more apparent. Dueling guitarists Anthony Parrinello and Joe Raio bring all they have to this demo, leaving nothing out, and keeping you in the moment on every track. Drummer Jason Rodman, and Bassist Mike Kennedy add their flavor to the disc with exceptional rhythm and the low-end thickness the first record lacked.

While some people may consider Scars Of Life another "nu-metal" band, they are much, much more. Clean melodic vocals over a distorted backdrop aren't all they appear to be with this band. The songs are at times soft and allow Kyle's voice to soar but they also bring an almost Fear Factory-like attack blending quickly picked guitar riffs with snapping kick drums. Scars Of Life are 5 musicians that know exactly what their doing, and don't attempt to fit in with the crowd. On the acoustic "Silent Words" the band decided to put away the amps and pedals, and show the emotion that got them where they are today. A haunting tale of loss and self-doubt laid before you, holding nothing back. If this song doesn't reach you, what will? Scars Of life will break out very soon, and will finally receive the much-deserved attention they've been after. I suggest you check them out today.

There is a rock group out of Florida that represents local talent to the fullest. This 5 member band made up of Mike Kennedy, Joe Raio, Kyle Shapiro, Jason Rodman, and Anthony Parrinello make up the band Scars Of life. Started as a Group called confined, scars of life emerged from the local Florida music scene and opened for such acts as Poison the well and Endo. They also contributed by taking the stage druing the Jagermister Tour in Florida. There CD, Mute has gotten a lot of local attention in South Florida and has got them to be one of the best live performances in the area. Since there influences are those of nu-metal (e.g. Staind, nonpoint, ECT.) Mute has that aspect to it.

Scars of Life is five man band out of Florida who has released their lastest album, "Mute" independently. Their sound is one that has strength and also talent, while mixing in all the necessary components of good music, that is-- hooks, breakdowns, and overall good song writing ability. While first listening to the band, it was kind of weird because the first comparison I thought of to them was the band Staind. I then went to read their individual Bio's off of their website, and 4 of the 5 members mentioned Staind as the first major influence on them. So, as I would imagine you can guess, their sound is similar to the style that Staind is famous for. However, the great thing about Scars of Life is that they are not a Staind carbon copy in any way, they still have their own creative sound, and unique spin on their music to say the least. There is definitely talent present here, and I especially love the vocals that are utilized throughout the disc. Their music is real, their lyrics are real, they are just great all around in many aspects and I enjoyed the whole disc. My biggest complaint is that there are only six songs on the EP! I am looking forward to hearing what these guys do in the future. Keep an eye out for them, they'll be around!

Aggressively honest and raw, Scars of Life offer a rock sound along the lines of Staind or Linkin Park. The five-member group has a lyrical range that encompasses acoustic heartache and gripping rage. The music is unyielding with MTV appeal. The five young guys seem to have all that's needed to grab a massive audience. Their building rock forces combine with background Slipknot monster roars, and the debut EP 'Mute' features artwork reminiscent of the dark solitude of anatomy-focused Tool albums. While they are totally cohesive and easy on the ear, Scars of Life aren't doing anything we haven't already heard on mainstream radio. However, they do mimic the popular sounds with impressive precision. If you enjoy all the new radio rock bands, Scars of Life provide the same superstar charisma.

With the likes of Cold, Nonpoint and Crossbreed recently exposing Florida's gushing undercurrent of rampant new rock outfits, meet the newest addition to this forerunning scene: Scars of Life. Adjoining the aggression of an organic Spineshank with the powerful harmonics displayed through Finger Eleven's melodic window; this quintet is poised to ambush with assaults of rampaging fury and tenderly poignant lyrical insurgences.

Although this five man band will most likely not forge new territory or break down any previously ordained musical barriers, Scars of Life do offer taut song structures and mature writing that will do nothing but mutate and meld into an even more passionate musical enterprise. Witness the birth of yet another Southeastern band primed to plow into mainstream success and prescribe their lethal injection of hard rock to thousands nationwide. For their debut, Mute, is accessible yet heavy and intricate yet abrasive - all key ingredients to enthrall the contemporary rock minded masses.

Kyle Shapiro lends his vocals in besieging fashion to appear vigorously serrated in nature while mirroring dashes of merited melody. This scabrous style of vocals is homologous to the now defunct Full Devil Jacket leadman, Josh Brown, who also balances melody and scathing resonance on a weighty scale. The two equally forceful components of vocal intentions seethe on all sound segments depicted through this six track debut with harmony becoming most prevalent on 'Shallow' and deep throated growling containing the most grit on 'Bullet with Your Name.' Shapiro's talents may very well prize him a position in the modern rock radio standings as his voice is congruent to numerous crops of vocalists familiar with high commercial status.

The guitars on Mute serve as an intermediary between the tarnished melodic shots and jarring drum patterns to tie Mute together into one enterprising musical onslaught. The complementing axes open floodgates for six stringed gear changes from high-octane and concrete heavy chords to vulnerable staccato flutters of single note fret board dances. This menacing concoction is delivered with the most potency and effectiveness on '5.'

However, the most demanding and downright grueling element comprised within this five-some is quite clearly Jason Rodman's beat work. As a result form being directly derived from previous death metal percussion performances in former bands, he is unashamed to yield flailing double bass stops ['Watch Me Drown'] and guttural blast beats. Rodman's speaker shredding methods prove that he may very well be the one of the most unformulaic and vicious sticksman in the vast proportions of the underground scene.

Straight-ahead and unashamedly tenacious, these teeth gnashers integrate exoskeletons of brunt rock songs that rip and tear wounds as fast as healing melodies can bandage the laceration. While at times sacrificing originality for astringent bluntness, this quintet comes off as a foray of drilling intensity. Where variance between modes and alternative path ways wears thin, a convergence of intrinsically gnawing guitar upheavals takes grasp of you and continues to pull you down to the deep depths that Scars of Life flourish beneath. With already tapping the renowned producer in Jermy Staska - who has aided Nonpoint in the studio and twiddled knobs for Poison the Well - and being native to the musical hotbed that is Florida, watch for this quintet to erupt on a national scale in the near future.

A disturbed and disturbing artwork, which has been made by Ricardo Correa, together with the laud guitar, that reach the boarder with noise, a singer, who spaces easily from the melodic singing to a death metal voice.... well, the Scars Of Life are a very promising band. Unfortunately I have, to make this review, just four of the six tracks of the EP "Mute". Some of the passages can remind a bit the Tool, while the other riffs nearly seem to follow the Pantera's style. The Scars Of Life reach the right mix between the melodic atmospheres and some more direct and episodes, which are characterised by a nearly hardcore attitude. You can appreciate every single moment of "Mute": all the songs of this EP communicates different, nearly contradictory, emotions, and everything is followed by deep and cured lyrics. "Eyes Pried Open", which is characterised by a suffering singing and by some killing riffs, is very good. I really wish for these five guys, coming from the South of Florida, to emerge from the infernal mass of new metal bands, taking further their music proposal. Keep the faith: you'll get good results soon!

Scars of Life are looking to be one of South Florida's most promising up and coming bands. With their mix of explosive aggression and melodic rhymes, this 5-peice have released a very solid debut in "Mute". Scars of Life's frontman, Kyle, weaves in and out of melodic croons and enraged screams. He shows major talent, changing styles easily and making the crossovers fit into the songs well and not sound corny. Kyle's lyrics are fairly emotional and it is obvious that he puts a great deal of effort into them. Guitarists, Anthony and Joe work well together but again we are seeing another band that seems to stick with modern metal riffs. Bass-wise, Mike seems to follow closely with the guitars and is not easily heard. The drums on this effort are impressive, Jason uses hard snare hits effectively and also incorporates quite abit of double kick work that speeds the tracks up dramatically. Although this effort is very good musically, it is nothing totally different or ground-breaking from the music we are hearing today. A track that stands out in my mind is "Eyes Pried Open", this is because it shows all elements of this band, it includes melodic parts and aggresive parts. It also includes the different vocal styles adopted by Kyle. All in all, this is a cool CD in my thoughts and I think that most people will enjoy it. Check Scars of Life out now!

Scars of Life is a new band which arises from the ashes of Florida's Confined. They are more melodic and have more depth than their previous band. The disc contains eight songs of excellent modern metal. The vocals tend to remain melodic with an occasional scream from Kyle Shapiro for added emphasis. Musically, Scars of Life creates an intense groove. The only drawback is the lack of variation from one song to another and the pace generally stays in the middle ground. Its a minor complaint, especially considering songs like "Watch me drown" and "Eyes Pried Open" are so damn good. I would be shocked if Scars of Life doesn't get picked up by a major label, especially considering bands near them like Endo, Crushdown, and Nonpoint are getting snatched up.

The debut CD from Scars of Life features eight songs that strongly exemplify this excerpt from their Web site: "Scars of Life is a powerful 5 piece groove-oriented metal band that emphasizes depth in musical style and emotional meaning in its lyrics." I couldn't have said it better myself if I tried. I have found only one detriment to the technical merit of the disc, and that's vocalist Kyle Shapiro's lapses into "cookie monster vocals." Shapiro has a fantastic voice, and the occasional lapse into the death-metal GRRR vocals seem to take a little bit away from the strong message sent by this band's music. The disc, produced by the popular Jeremy Staska at Studio 13, is top-notch quality-wise. Lyrically, this album is amazing. The opening track, Watch me Drown, contains lines like "Although my mind is open, my heart is tightly closed/with all the hate that holds me, I wish I didn't own." Purity is another example of lyrical intelligence, especially "Sometimes I wish that I could be your mind unscarred/I envy that you don't know what its like to be destroyed." The musicianship of guitarists Anthony Parrinello and Joe Raio, bassist Al Torres, and drummer Jason Rodman is excellent. Especially haunting is the repeating musical line of Dead and Gone, which adds a unique dimension to a song about a relationship gone bad. Though there seems to be a high level of hate in the songs presented here, it's handled in a very intellectual manner, with clearly emotional attachments. All eight songs are strong musically, lyrically, and professionally. This is definitely a high-quality debut disc from a band to keep your eyes on.

This alternative metal five-piece hails from Margate and its members are slowly emerging as one of South Florida's best and most original new bands on the strength of their explosive debut album. Their freshman effort is a dark and dynamic blend of angry stomp-rock and melodic, hard-edged aggro-pop that hits with all the force of a ten ton truck without reverting to the same mindless, testosterone-drenched rantings and ravings that plague many of their contemporaries. This is songwriting on a grand scale devoid of anything simple or predictable. Eight painstakingly crafted songs that reach out and grab you by the throat. Not for the faint of heart.