Massive Scar Era

Color Blind

It shouldn’t work. Massive Scar Era’s “Oblivious” blends double-kick heavy-metal drumming and detuned guitar riffs with soaring Middle Eastern violin melodies, while the vocals switch from bell-clear singing to a throat-clearing death growl.

The fact that is does work is testament to the fact that the globe-spanning Massive Scar Era—violinist-vocalist Nancy Mounir lives in Cairo while singer-guitarist Cherine Amr and the rest of the band reside here in Vancouver—has hit upon a winning formula. Amr’s lyrics seem personal to the point that figuring out their specific meaning is probably an exercise in futility.

She sure as hell delivers every word with absolute conviction, though, sounding at times like an Egyptian Amy Lee. “Fool, I’ll be no more,” she sings on the especially Evanescence-esque “Color Blind”, “Stretch my arms and find my desire/There is no life of denial/If it would end, I’ll take you down, take you down with me.”

Massive Scar Era (or “Mascara”, to those in the know) plays shows around town fairly regularly, but this month the band will be out on the road, performing in such exotic locales as Sudbury and Lethbridge. Hey, not every gig can take place at the Library of Alexandria, you know.