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Album Review

Seether – “Poison The Parish” [Album Review]

You’re gonna love this if you’re already a Seether fan. And if you’re not… you’re about to become one.

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By the time many artists hit album number seven, they’re not exactly in top form. Hell, just look at Linkin Park. The single “Heavy” (feat. Kiiara) off their seventh album, which is due out in a few days, is totally lacking in creativity, artistic risk-taking, or even a meaningful sense of self.

But Seether is different. Poison The Parish just came out on May 12th, and with frontman Shaun Morgan stepping into the producer role for the first time, we finally get a taste for his unfiltered creative potential. Even by Seether’s high standards, the result is pretty damn impressive.

“Stoke The Fire” gets the party going with an in-your-face heavy guitar, which transitions to the background during the verse sections. Here it stalks the listener like a predator, flirting with another full-on assault. Early in the bridge, the bass does the same, using a slow strength to build anticipation for an explosion. It finally happens at the peak of the bridge, when drums, bass, and guitar all come in hard and Morgan unleashes some ferocious vocals that bring the house down.

Second track “Betray And Degrade” is, if not the album’s best song, by far the most fascinating. It starts off with a simple, almost goofy guitar riff, while Morgan’s words skip and dance on top of it. Guitar and vocals mesh here in a raw, impossibly catchy way, proving that aside from being simple carriers of meaning, words contain a music all their own, and Morgan knows just how to bring it out.

As you keep listening, the album continues to impress. There’s the backhanded optimism and strong chorus of “I’ll Survive,” the beautiful, feels-inducing “Against The Wall,” and the tasteful Alice in Chains vibe of “Emotionless.”

But if you only listen to one song on the album, make it “Let You Down,” which boasts Seether’s trademark balance of heavy and light. And angst… lots of angst (in a good way). Plus there’s a delicious breakdown-esque bridge, where the drums really shine in the empty spaces left by the guitar.

If haven’t gotten the picture by now, this album is truly superb. You’re gonna love it if you’re already a Seether fan. And if you’re not… you’re about to become one.

Poison The Parish Track Listing:

01. Stoke The Fire
02. Betray And Degrade
03. Something Else
04. I’ll Survive
05. Let You Down
06. Against The Wall
07. Let Me Heal
08. Saviours
09. Nothing Left
10. Count Me Out
11. Emotionless
12. Sell My Soul

Run Time: 47:33
Release Date: May 12, 2017

Check out the video for the track “Let You Down”

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