Seether’s new album ‘Poison the Parish’ is now out! Released 5 days ago (May 12th, 2017) it’s already generating a blizzard of positive reviews from fans. Being the first album under front man Shaun Morgan’s label, Canine Riot Records, it’s a good sign not just for the album, but also for the label.
The operative word with this album is “heavy” and it drips from nearly every song. There’s a driving darkness that also conveys light, hope, and determination. Not that previous albums haven’t had a definitive opaqueness, this new-born Seether has descended into the pit with Lucifer. The band is fully in the driver’s seat now and taking advantage of this new freedom.
One thing that I’ve always loved about Seether is that I never need to look up their song lyrics. I am the queen of mishearing, so I inevitability do with a lot of bands. Even with HellYeah’s “Human” – I didn’t even get to the halfway mark before I had to Google – “Did he just say ‘You put the dick in my world’s a stage’??…no, that can’t be right…”. But, Seether is always clear, concise, and unambiguous. Obviously, everyone who listens to Poison the Parish is going to take away their own interpretations based on personal experiences, but they never fail to provide a clear baseline message for each song. Truth be told, there are some days when I sit down to review a new album, even having the lyrics on screen, I still have no idea what the hell they’re talking about!
So, here goes!
“Let You Down”: I’ve reviewed the song before and the love is still strong. The heavy, heavy bass makes this song. And, while the video may be a boner-killer, the music is sex on a stick.
“Against the Wall”: This opens with a gentle guitar and pristine vocals. This is one of those songs that speaks to hopelessness while striving for hope. I can see listening to this after a bad day in an effort to improve it. Honestly, it reminds me of something you’d hear from The Foo Fighters. The building guitar makes the heart soar.
“Saviours”: And, there’s that bass again (swoon). This song is about the assholes in the world we all have known and hated. The users & abusers who lie without blinking an eye. I personally have a couple of ex’s who need a copy.
“Nothing Left”: This song continues the “don’t fuck with me unless you believe you can finish me off” theme of the album. The guitar is sharp and focused. Being a fan of screaming vocals, I see this as being on repeat. A lot.
“Count Me Out”: Now, this has Nirvana written all over it in a way I’ve never heard before. This angst-ridden song is like a new anthem for the disenfranchised. It’s well known that Shaun Morgan is an unabashed, unapologetic fan. Dude, Kurt would be proud.
“Sell My Soul”: Everything about this song screams classic, iconic rock to the point that it needs to be on an episode of Supernatural. I can actually see Sam & Dean in a pensive, poignant moment while this song plays in the background. Get on it, Kripke. Make it happen.
I must say, this is quite possibly the happiest I’ve ever been to sit down with an album 75 times before writing a review. Not to put too fine a point on it, but, I practically had to hang a sock on the door to prevent interruptions. When I reviewed their video for “Let You Down” (read here), I remarked that Shaun’s promise to keep the original Seether sound while taking their music to a new place, was fulfilled. But, after hearing the full album – wow, is this different! In a lot of ways, it’s like hearing an entirely new band. It’s hard and scathing, while also carrying you along on a tide of beautiful music. I really have to wonder how long they’ve wanted to take their music in this direction. It’s such a departure, yet, it’s the best possible decision they could have made. The most striking is how heavily the band’s musical influences can be heard. They’re really flexing their muscles and making the music they want to play.
Seether consists of Shaun Morgan (vocals & guitar), Dale Stewart (bass & backing vocals), John Humphrey (drums)
There is a total of 15 tracks on the album (below) I love all of them, but the above 6 are my favorites.
- Stoke the Fire
- Betray and Degrade
- Something Else
- I’ll Survive
- Let You Down
- Against the Wall
- Let Me Heal
- Saviours
- Nothing Left
- Count Me Out
- Emotionless
- Sell My Soul
- Feels Like Dying
- Misunderstood
- Take A Minute
