Seether - "The Surface Seems So Far"

So why even try?

South African Post-Grunge and Alt Metal outfit Seether have finally dropped their 9th studio album — The Surface Seems So Far. I’ve had a soft spot for Seether since the late aughts, when their 4th album, Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces, became one of my all-time favorites. By that point in their career, they had perfected their sound and were staples on hard rock stations. Their success (in my opinion) really stems from their ability to be both hard and emotive.

And that hasn’t really changed. Seventeen years later, they still sound like the same Seether, despite that the band has aged. Despite that their sound hasn’t changed — it’s still that same grimey grunge with heavy metallic bones; their subject matter and lyricism is still “jaded erudite emo”. Big words and deep feelings.

If you’re familiar with Seether, this album feels like slipping into an old jacket or hoodie. It’s a bit worn and faded, but it still keeps you warm in the wind, it’s still comfortable, and it brings back a whole host of old memories.

For those who aren’t familiar with this group, I highly suggest going back to a few of their older albums first — those will be a better introduction, I think.

Because while their sound is still intact and the band isn’t missing a beat, there’s still something missing. And I think it’s the same thing that hindered the most recent Metallica album — these guys are in such a vastly different place now, but they’re still clinging to their old tropes. Sure, we don’t necessarily want happy songs from Seether, but I would expect their material to mature a bit with them, and it doesn’t feel like it has.

To be completely fair, it’s not as egregious as Metallica’s lineup of 59- and 60-year-olds trying to channel teenage angst. That was pretty cringey. But I would still like to see some evolution here.

Instead, halfway through The Surface Seems So Far, we get “Try to Heal”, which channels “Ring Around the Rosy”, for crying out loud. It’s really jarring to hear those lines in this style. I don’t think I like it. Seriously, here’s the bridge:

Now this is just an epitaph
And you won't ever own me
'Cause I have been to hell and back
With a pocketful of posies
I fall down
I fall down
I fall down
I fall down

I’m being critical here despite that I really enjoyed the album. It’s just disappointing because I also feel that it could have been more, rather than just another entry in their discography. Shaun Morgan & co. are in their mid-40s now. At most, they’ve got ten to fifteen years left, and I think they’re capable of stepping up.

With all of that said, opening track “Judas Mind” and “Walls Come Down” feel like Seether at their best, so I wouldn’t say they just phoned it in. It’s just nothing super special.

Except the album cover. That’s awesome.

Rating: Green