For well over 20 years South African-born alternative metal stalwarts Seether have been one of the most consequential players in what has come to be labeled as the post-grunge scene, despite critics have often pointed to the band’s straightforward presentation – and lead vocalist and guitarist Shaun Morgan’s similar stage mannerisms and vocal tinge to that of Kurt Cobain – as a way to pigeonhole them as Nirvana wannabes.
Naysayer aside, now 8 albums deep into their career (9 if counting the 2004 rerelease of their 2002 debut “Disclaimer” under the “Disclaimer 2” name), Seether has been broadening their stylistic horizons in a most auspicious manner, introducing an especially nuanced blend of dark progressive elements that run parallel to the likes of Deftones and A Perfect Circle on their 2020 smash studio outing “Si Vis Pacem, Parabellum.” This new creative trajectory has come to an even more polished and refined state roughly four years to the date with the arrival of 2024’s “The Surface Seems So Far,” a record marked both by a heightened sense of nuance and a consistently impactful edge.
At first glance, this is an album that points to something as ambitious and deep as what Tool has been known for, but it takes equal care to maintain the accessibility factor and keeps those infectious hooks front and center. There are no individual offerings to be found here that don’t fit into the rock radio template, yet one can’t help but note the numerous layers that come along with the steady sense of groove and streamlined songwriting that dominates the entire album.
Lead guitarist Corey Lowery provides a brilliant melodic counterpoint to Morgan’s bottom-heavy riffs and melancholy clean guitar lines that reminisce heavily upon Jerry Cantrell’s glory days via 90s Alice In Chains, to speak nothing for the haunting vocal harmonies that both he and bassist Dale Stewart lend to the arrangement that parallels the same aforementioned influence. The kit work out of John Humphrey also manages to come off as a tad fancier than the lion’s share of Seether’s previous studio outings, often channeling a freer, jazzy feel amid an otherwise tight and rock-based rhythmic template.
But even more consequential than the various intricacies in the arrangement and Morgan’s more versatile vocal delivery is the sheer variety that manifests in Seether’s songwriting formula this time around. The dreary atmospheric progression of the opening foray “Judas Mind” from a subdued introduction to a harrowing heavy rocker, seesawing between fatalistic balladry and a punchy rocking refrain is a veritable juggernaut unto itself. The similarly structured yet more infectious “Beneath The Veil” somehow manages to cram a similar amount of moving parts into an even shorter package, while the straightforward groove machine “Illusion” most closely approximates those smash radio singles that first put this outfit on the map.
“Semblance Of Me” takes things into a somewhat lighter alternative rock place, yet doesn’t disrupt the generally dark and brooding tone of the album, ditto the semi-balladry simplicity of “Same Mistakes”. Riff happy, nu-metal oriented crushers like “Try To Heal” and “Dead On The Vine” present this band at their most animated and heavy, yet consistently incorporate the same bipolar separation of deafening rage and near-silent resignation.
Though core fans are likely to note this as yet another hit in a career free of misses, “The Surface Seems So Far” is arguably one of the most adventurous excursions into the alternative rock wilderness to come out of any post-90s band exploring the style. It’s an album that strikes hard when making its first impression, but ultimately proves to be more of a grower that isn’t fully appreciated until at least the third or fourth time through.
Each of its 11 chapters can stand alone as varying displays of how the so-called post-grunge sound could be as dark and aggressive as its Seattle-born forefathers but also could go beyond the low fidelity and insular quality of the original grunge scene to a more universal appeal. Upon hearing the riveting displays set forth from the grinding heaviness of “Try To Heal” to the heartfelt balladry of the closing ode “Regret”, one could almost picture all of the musicians of said bands looking upon this album with a sense of fatherly pride.
Released By: Fantasy Records
Release Date: September 20th, 2024
Genre: Alternative Metal
Musicians:
- Shaun Morgan / Rhythm guitars, vocals
- Corey Lowery / Lead guitars
- Dale Stewart / Bass
- John Humphrey / Drums
“The Surface Seems So Far” Track List:
- Judas Mind
- Illusion
- Beneath The Veil
- Semblance Of Me
- Walls Come Down
- Try To Heal
- Paint The World
- Same Mistakes
- Lost All Control
- Dead On The Vine
- Regret
Order “The Surface Seems So Far” HERE
Excellent
Following a bold foray into a more progressive direction on their 2020 opus “Si Vis Pacem, Parabellum,” alternative metal titans Seether get further into the creative weeds while still maintaining the signature 90s rock influences that have been their enduring staple
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Songwriting
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Musicianship
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Originality
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Production
Source: bravewords.com
