Seether - One Cold Night
Seether have a problem: they are about 15 years late for grunge – and not from Seattle. This live "unplugged" album, recorded at Grape Street in Philadelphia – supposedly where the band met – is an interesting release, yet not necessarily the best idea for the band.
First of all, although this "revival" of grunge has been about for a while now with the likes of Nickelback and Creed being the main exponents, both the aforementioned have a pop-like tinge to them (probably a by-product of the nu-metal that sired them), the result being a sort of mutated grunge - something a little more polished and evolved than one might expect. The fact that Seether have not done this is to be at once commended and condemned. Modelling themselves on a blueprint so old clearly shows their affinity with the genre, almost making them honourable throwbacks to that golden age, yet the downside is that it also makes them less accessible to a modern audience.
Tracks such as 'Gasoline', 'Immortality' and 'Remedy' are among the best examples of this "grunge dilemma" but all are solid, proficiently written songs. However, the real stand out tracks are the likes of 'Diseased', 'Truth' and 'Tied my Hands' which show a definite sonic step up and are, to my mind, almost reminiscent of Tool with some interesting guitar counterpoint between Pat Callahan and Shaun Morgan and some nicely unexpected modulations.
Only two songs on this record are new, the rest featuring on the bands previous releases, 'Disclaimer' and 'Karma and Effect'. I think that Seether would have been better focusing on a new record and honing an individual style as opposed to recording a homecoming record before theyve even left. Many of the songs just dont suit the acoustic treatment and sound at their best “plugged in†on the previous albums (one exception to this being the excellent pop song, 'Sympathetic'). This live album also shows a distinct lack of interaction with the audience. Aside from the occasional “thank you†from Morgan and the sporadic “whoop†from a drunk crowd member there is nothing to indicate this album was not recorded in a studio.
Overall, this is a solid record, and definitely worth picking up for fans of Seether (or fans of Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, Mudhoney and Screaming Trees – we darent mention the N word), but everyone else should wait for the next release of new material to see if Seether have progressed into something a little less retro.Guy Jones
Seether have a problem: they are about 15 years late for grunge – and not from Seattle. This live "unplugged" album, recorded at Grape Street in Philadelphia – supposedly where the band met – is an interesting release, yet not necessarily the best idea for the band.
First of all, although this "revival" of grunge has been about for a while now with the likes of Nickelback and Creed being the main exponents, both the aforementioned have a pop-like tinge to them (probably a by-product of the nu-metal that sired them), the result being a sort of mutated grunge - something a little more polished and evolved than one might expect. The fact that Seether have not done this is to be at once commended and condemned. Modelling themselves on a blueprint so old clearly shows their affinity with the genre, almost making them honourable throwbacks to that golden age, yet the downside is that it also makes them less accessible to a modern audience.
Tracks such as 'Gasoline', 'Immortality' and 'Remedy' are among the best examples of this "grunge dilemma" but all are solid, proficiently written songs. However, the real stand out tracks are the likes of 'Diseased', 'Truth' and 'Tied my Hands' which show a definite sonic step up and are, to my mind, almost reminiscent of Tool with some interesting guitar counterpoint between Pat Callahan and Shaun Morgan and some nicely unexpected modulations.
Only two songs on this record are new, the rest featuring on the bands previous releases, 'Disclaimer' and 'Karma and Effect'. I think that Seether would have been better focusing on a new record and honing an individual style as opposed to recording a homecoming record before theyve even left. Many of the songs just dont suit the acoustic treatment and sound at their best “plugged in†on the previous albums (one exception to this being the excellent pop song, 'Sympathetic'). This live album also shows a distinct lack of interaction with the audience. Aside from the occasional “thank you†from Morgan and the sporadic “whoop†from a drunk crowd member there is nothing to indicate this album was not recorded in a studio.
Overall, this is a solid record, and definitely worth picking up for fans of Seether (or fans of Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, Mudhoney and Screaming Trees – we darent mention the N word), but everyone else should wait for the next release of new material to see if Seether have progressed into something a little less retro.Guy Jones
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