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By GREG MAKI
I can’t find one thing about Seether that countless other bands don’t offer. Their dark, post-grunge sound has been done to death over the past decade or so. Yet there is something about this trio, originally from South Africa, that just works for me. I’m not an elitist. I appreciate it when a band that can hold its own at Ozzfest (Seether played the second stage in 2002) is equally comfortable in heavy rotation on rock radio.
Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces, the follow-up to 2005’s Karma and Effect, sees the band navigating mostly familiar territory. Perhaps due to the departure of guitarist Pat Callahan, the wall of sound isn’t quite as thick as it has been on previous albums. Instead, there is a looser feel, with a stronger emphasis on the rhythm section of drummer John Humphrey and bassist Dale Stewart. It’s most evident on the first single, “Fake It,” which Humphrey drives with a swing beat, and “Fallen,” which features a grooving bassline by Stewart. Songwriter/vocalist/guitarist Shaun Morgan ventures into the world of pop music farther than he ever has on “Rise Above This,” then abruptly sprints off in the opposite direction for the seven-minute, Tool-like “No Jesus Christ.” But don’t worry, he isn’t getting sappy or taking himself too seriously; see “FMYLHM” (i.e. “Fuck Me Like You Hate”).
Nothing here is likely to bring Seether many new converts. If you are a fan, this album has everything you like about the band, and the few curves they throw are still in the strike zone and easy to hit. It is a solid, albeit unspectacular effort.
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