I was mildly surprised to find that Seether were still on the go. After all, most of the other big rock, post-grunge bands have long gone the way of the dodo and the pig-footed bandicoot , with the honourable exception of Nickelback who seemed to have evolved some kind of immune system / defense shield that repels all comers.
But here come the South African metal band with their sixth-ish album (depends whether you count their debut as Saron Gas or, indeed, their rereleased debut), which crashed into the Billboard Charts at number 9, on the back of an infuriatingly catchy single, in the shape of "Fake It". Now the album gets a UK release, in advance of some Summer shows.
Now, casual passers by may need reminding as to who exactly Seether are, as they became better known for the tabloid exploits of main man Shaun Morgan, than they did for their music. Naturally, I'll repeat it all again! Their breakthrough hit was a re-recorded version of "Broken" from their debut Disclaimer which appeared on the soundtrack to the lamentable movie The Punisher. The new version turned the acoustic lament into a goth / grunge crossover with Amy Lee from Evanescence appearing on vocals. Morgan and Lee then embarked upon a romance which ended with the Seether man in rehab, Evanescence having a huge hit called "Call Me When You're Sober" and guitarist Pat Callahan leaving the band.
But that was then, and this is now. And now seems to involve the three piece Seether releasing the finest album of their career. "Fake It" is an obvious highlight, one designed for radio, with an irresistible melody and chorus. Follow up single "Rise Above This" seems primed to do likewise, twisting their sound into more of an adult contemporary rock noise.
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