Seeker

Unloved

Written by: MN on 02/01/2014 14:06:09

Every once in a while you come across a band that is hard to classify within the spectrum of genres. One thing is however certain, Dallas-based quartet Seeker are grounded within a modern expression of heavy metal, but their sound muddles the lines of "Any-core" and experimental tech/math metal. It is visciously cataclysmic and the cacophony emerges as the centre stage material in this debut record from Seeker. This Victory Records-signed outfit emerged from the remnants of other bands in the Texas area, and after a year of line up changes, the final quartet was formed in the end of 2012.

With inspiration from the mantra, “Art, community, and aggressive non-conformity above all else”, Seeker are indeed "seeking" an expression that is as aggressive and rampant as possible, yet every riff and rhythmic signature hints towards an equilibrium of unwinded chaos in a clearly structural sense for order. It undeniably succeeds in being chaotic and the skills of each musician are mindboggling, but whether or not this makes for an interesting listen, is another question.

This record emerges with the powerful "Alone" that is an excellent example of odd time signatures, squealing feedback and rib-punching riffage all crammed in within 2.24 mins of chaos. Following in a similar vein "Pale Death" and "She" in which the latter proves one of the more versatile and intriguing tracks of the album. The vocal expression is a menacing death growl that hints towards hardcore sensibilities. The lyrics are clearly expressionate as proven in "When Hope Fails", a song where the noise is mediated through a "wall of sound" effect that keeps the song pulsating with life, same goes for the track "There is Nothing".

Seeker are a band with severe prowess in musicianship. Their skills are immaculate but rarely do I find myself completely mezmerised by their work. It is clear that bands like The Psyke Project and The Dillinger Escape Plan have made a name for themselves by a similar approach, Seeker are hinting towards the same, but the record does at times seem a bit monotonous. There is definite potentiality in this sound and I enjoyed listening to the record, yet not many spins in did I find myself a little bored. There is no doubt that Seeker are an innovate and extremely mean outfit with massive potential, this is especially proven by their reckless approach to a wide variety of sounds including hardcore, djent and black metal influences. Hopefully the sophomore record will synthesize these sources of inspiration into a more coherent expression and thus make it a more interesting listen.

7

Download: Alone, Dominance, She
For The Fans Of: Watain, The Dillinger Escape Plan, The Interbeing
Listen: facebook.com

Release Date 29.10.2013
Victory Records

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

Legal

© Copyright MMXXIV Rockfreaks.net.