Where many of the hard rock bands that dominated airwaves in the late 90s and early 2000s have either disbanded, fallen into re-release only mode, or failed to live up to their past glory on recent albums, Seether has remained consistent. First coming into mainstream awareness with Disclaimer back in 2002, the South African (later US based) post grunge/hard rock band was frequently played on commercial radio throughout 2000s and continued to release albums every few years from that point onwards. I personally lost track of the group somewhere between 2007’s Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces and 2011’s Holding Onto Strings Better Left to Fray as my musical tastes shifted a bit, but having been on a rock kick again for the last few years Seether’s latest full length The Surface Seems So Far caught my attention when the first single came out. Coming four years after Si vis pacem, para bellum and a slightly shorter run-time, this latest effort has plenty of hooks to keep newcomers and established fans happy.
Opener “Judas Mind” is what convinced me to spend some in-depth time with this album, as it felt like it fused Seether’s classic sound with some of the more introspective and sweeping melodies from other 2000s bands like A Perfect Circle. Shaun Morgan mentioned A Perfect Circle in the pre-release coverage for the group’s previous album, and it sounds like some of that has continued on The Surface Seems So Far. It’s a direction that works well for this era of the band, as it gives them that crunchier and heavier sound while still providing plenty of melodies that get stuck in your head early on. One of the other major differences compared to Seether’s back catalog is the lack of a ballad, but that doesn’t mean that the album is lacking in softer, reflective moments. Songs like “Semblance of Me”, “Try to Heal”, and “Regret” spend a lot of time exploring more subdued instrumentation that lead into some fuller, booming choruses, and as a whole there’s a good amount of variety from track to track. I also appreciate the more compact feel of this material at eleven songs and forty-seven minutes, as it feels like Seether whittled things down and were able to avoid any filler or moments that start to drag. “Judas Mind” continues to be an early highlight with its infectious chorus and heavier slant, but later cuts like “Paint the World”, “Lost All Control”, and “Dead on the Vine” also stood out on repeat listens. There’s something to be said for the consistency the group has brought to this album, as even with a couple of similar choruses there is plenty to grab the listener from beginning to end. My biggest complaint is the production though, as it suffers from that overly compressed sound that a lot of modern rock has. The cymbals in particular are too prominent in the mix and almost come through like static at certain points, which distracts from some of the stronger moments the rest of the instruments have to offer. There are also a few other instances where the guitar and bass could’ve been even punchier to play up the heavier moments. None of this completely derails the experience, but it does make the material have a bit less impact than it would otherwise.
Shaun Morgan has had one of those voices that sounds like it was made for the hard/alternative rock genres, as there has always been that perfect balance of somber, melodic and singing and aggressive, angsty singing that led into some screaming. The Surface Seems So Far showcases that the formula hasn’t changed too much in this regard, but Morgan still sounds fantastic. On “Judas Mind” he starts off with a softer, airier pitch that heads into grittier territory on the chorus, while “Illusion” doubles down on the aggression with a lot more yelling/screaming and darker slant when there is singing. What I’ve appreciated with Seether over the years is the way these grittier and reflective tones were used didn’t devolve into a simple verse/chorus pattern, and even this many albums in this remains a selling point. Like the instrumentation, the compressed sound does make Morgan blend in with the rest of the band at certain points, but he always seems to take back the spotlight on the sweeping choruses.
At this point in their career, Seether could easily coast off their back catalog so it’s exciting to hear brand new material that captures the same fire as their earlier efforts. The balance of heavy and softer moments is fantastic, and there are plenty of hooks that should keep fans and newcomers coming back for more. Admittedly the sound quality does keep this one from being a slam dunk, as the drums are too high in the mix and end up being a bit of a distraction while the vocals also get slightly buried. But even with this flaw, for those that have always enjoyed this type of hard rock, Seether is a band still worth your time in 2024. The Surface Seems So Far is available from Fantasy Records.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg