The
hard rock trio known as
Seether has concocted an album that is ripe with vulnerable angst, as
Disclaimer is a debut that follows the path that bands such as
Staind and
Cold have capitalized on in the 21st century. In fact,
Seether's moody
rock edge borders on the formerly prominent
grunge style once championed by another trio,
Nirvana. This comparison may be a bit overboard, yet the first half of
Seether's debut does expose a visible
Cobain influence on these three men from South Africa. Songs like
"Gasoline" and
"69 Tea" are overbearing and weigh heavy on the listener's mood as
Seether churns through these aggressive yet depressive bursts of attitude. The album evens out as it progresses, as tracks such as
"Driven Under" and
"Pride" are reluctantly catchy yet assuredly satisfying in riling one up or allowing you to calm yourself down.
Seether reveals its weak side on the mellower songs, as
"Sympathetic" and
"Fade Away" stumble along like the group is unsure of itself. They are much more comfortable in the raging
aggro stomp of
"Pig" and
"F**k It," which could become a volatile theme for the Y generation. The album closes with the one successful laid-back song:
"Broken" is mellow yet confident, as vocalist
Shaun Morgan finds the courage to open himself up without releasing a scream every few seconds.
Disclaimer is an album that breaks no new ground, yet manages to find its footing as it unfolds and eventually wins the listener over with moody determination. ~ Jason D. Taylor
