IN REVIEW: Seether - "Poison the Parish"

Now fifteen years removed from their major label debut and rock chart domination, having survived diminishing returns and label-suggested forays into more accessible territory, Seether has positioned their seventh album as somewhat of a line in the sand. No more compromise, as heavy as they want to be. They even have a new logo, so you know they're serious.

It's an intriguing invitation, and there's certainly more fire in the band's collective belly this time out, although it's wise not to go in expecting them to blow the doors off the place; "as heavy as they want to be", turns out, is "kind of heavy occasionally". Some of the record's most guttural work is front-loaded, and the opening one-two punch of Stoke the Fire and Betray and Degrade does the job alright. Elsewhere, the band can't help but fall back on their mid-tempo bread and butter and, though nothing here is making me recoil in disgust, a good chunk of the record lives in this safe, generic space.

Still, once you get past the middle-of-the-road stuff and accept the fact that Seether aren't looked to for their ingenuity by anyone, there is a fair amount of enjoyment to be had from Poison the Parish; and, admittedly, it's as true a return to form as fans of their early work were likely to get at this stage in the game. Don't go in expecting Disclaimer III and you'll be fine.

May 12, 2017 • Canine Riot/Concord
Highlights Stoke the Fire • Betray and Degrade • Count Me Out

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