Seether

Holding Onto Strings Better Left To Fray

Written by: PP on 09/09/2011 03:29:36

Though never the signpost for originality, Seether have been a consistent band throughout their career. They've never been interested in straying outside their predetermined hard rock / alternative rock career, sticking to what they are good at instead: writing hook-laden, catchy mainstream rock songs that have just enough power/catchy dynamic to appeal to the big audiences that ensure success in the Billboard Modern Rock chart. Their previous effort, "Finding Beauty In Negative Spaces", may have been a generic release in a genre that was heavily saturated during its release four years ago, but since then, other fads and trends have taken post-grunge's place as the crowd favorites, so "Holding Onto Strings Better Left To Fray", their fifth studio album, sounds perhaps fresher than it should in reality.

While the album certainly isn't original, referencing the likes of Hinder, Nickelback, Rev Theory, Sugar Red Drive, Staind, Theory Of A Deadman, Smile Empty Soul, Breaking Benjamin and countless other bands, it benefits from the simple fact that music like this isn't shoved down our throats regularly anymore in 2011. So when they bring out a strong and memorable hard rock / alt rock chorus in "Fur Cue" or "Country Song", you'll sing along and enjoy them for the inherently simplistic melodies and lyrics that sound mainstream and unambitious by most underground standards, but yet are undeniably well written to just ignore for petty reasons like "oh but it sounds like it was written for the radio".

Normally releases like Seether's end up being a dime-a-dozen, differentiating very little, if at all, from the rest of the records in the genre. They are simply made for the major labels to cash in given the market for this sort of releases in the bible belt of the US. And although Seether aren't the most original bunch out there, you get exactly what you expect with "Holding...", and better yet, you get a record that contains almost no filler. It's common to face a record like this with the two or three singles and that's it, but Seether prove this notion wrong by releasing an album full of catchy hard rock songs that together make the album their best since "Disclaimer II" from seven years ago.

Download: Fur Cue, Country Song, Tonight
For the fans of: Hinder, Staind, Breaking Benjamin, Smile Empty Soul, Nickelback
Listen: Soundcloud

Release date 17.05.2011
Wind-Up Records

Country Song by SeetherOfficial

Related Items | How we score?
Comments
comments powered by Disqus

Legal

© Copyright MMXXIV Rockfreaks.net.