Review: JD Garrahy
Seether is one of those bands that you just never get sick of. Their angsty lyrics and grinding riffs perfectly carry this band from strength to strength, and on their latest offering The Surface Seems So Far, the fellas from South Africa are sounding better than ever.
First track Judas Mind has been out for a few weeks, and it was the perfect track to not only open the album with, but also as the first single. Classic Seether goodness, with all the trimmings. Leading straight into Illusion, there are no signs of these musicians slowing down. Raw and gritty, with just enough emotionally driven bass lines to sink your teeth into.
Beneath The Veil hits every bit of nostalgic goodness I want from this album. This is the Seether that I know and love and if the album was nothing but tracks such as this, I’d be a happy camper, but it’s so much better than I could hope for, especially with the inclusion of a track of the magnitude of Semblance Of Me. Coupling the slow and sultry groove in the verse and then increasing the heavy for the chorus, this track just goes to prove that Seether have spent so long refining their sound, that they can rest easy knowing that they have nailed it in every note and gruff vocal of this song.
Walls Come Down is sure to get your toes tapping, or at the very least, inspire you to become a bobble-head doll. I honestly can’t help but tap away throughout the whole song. Now, you follow that with Try To Heal and Paint The World and THIS is what the body of the album should be. Raw and gritty with the signature vocals that Shaun Morgan is so well known for, it seems as if he has managed to increase his vocal range beyond that of previous albums. Incredible.
Same Mistakes. Wow. That opening line of ‘You make me feel like the failure I’ve become’ just hits so many feels. The whole song is a great encapsulation of the emotionally driven songs that us Seether fans fell in love with all those years ago when they first emerged on the scene. Kudos to you, Mr Morgan for writing the words that we all struggle to get out.
Lost All Control, gives vibes of Disclaimer II days and i’m all about that shit. Give me more of this type of Seether. It’s what I long for. Dead On The Vine gives the same edgy feels, but with heavier riff work and grinding bass lines really driving the tail end of the album home.
Finally, Regret. The closer of this album, like the opener, is perfectly placed. There was no better track on this album that rounded out such a brilliant release. I honestly don’t know how they would’ve done a better job in closing this album without this song. If they cut it off at Dead On The Vine, it would’ve felt incomplete. This feels right.
If you’re a fan of these guys as much as I am, you’re about to be VERY satisfied with this album. If you have never listened to them before, I highly recommend this album, followed by their entire back catalogue. After you get through all that, firstly, you’re welcome and secondly, welcome to the family. Now we sit with bated breath for their next release, but know this, The Surface Seems So Far will be on very heavy rotation until then.
SEETHER – The Surface Seems So Far is Out September 20th on Fantasy Records
Pre-order on vinyl and CD and pre-save on DSPs here: https://found.ee/
