Source: Album Artwork
Rock trio Seether have just released their brand new album Poison The Parish. The band, hailing from South Africa, are known for their grunge-influenced hard rock sound—not to mention their giant, earthquaking riffs.
But has the band brought the giant and heavy with their seventh studio album Poison The Parish? Let’s find out.
First track ‘Stoke The Fire’ kicks off the album with a loud, dominating hook. The chunkiness of the bold track stays constant throughout, with the chorus being the rowdiest, most intense portion of the song. The strong, grunge-inspired riffs provide the perfect backdrop for the thick, ferocious vocals.
‘Betray And Degrade’ is a more laid-back, restrained track—well, Seether’s version of restrained, anyway. The song’s simple, understated vocal/guitar combo for its verses allows the giant, weighty chorus to stand out. And no rock track is complete without a chaotic unravelling halfway through. Elsewhere, ‘I’ll Survive’ and ‘Something Else’ concentrate on a thick grunge sound with their smooth vocals and dark atmospheric riffs.
The album has its heavy, intense moments, even in its slower tracks like the stunning ‘Let Me Heal’, and the morose, and very 90s-grunge-inspired alt-rock tune ‘Count Me Out’. However, the album underwhelms at times, especially with tracks ‘Let You Down’ and ‘Nothing Left’. There’s nothing especially wrong or bad about them, and they do have their fair share of shining moments, but ultimately they just fall flat compared to the rest of the album.
There is no doubt that Seether are masters of moody, resonant vocals and relentless, intense riffs. And although Poison The Parish shows the band going in the direction of a more alt-rock sound, it does prove that even with them being MIA for three years, they haven’t missed a single beat. Seether are still as passionate and skilled as ever.
