ALBUM REVIEW: Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum – Seether
While SEETHER has never been festival headliners or a worldwide household name, what they have done in their near 20-year career is release a constant stream of dark-themed but somewhat comforting rock and metal anthems that are for the most part, memorable and can speak to a listener searching for catharsis and finding it in the words and voice of frontman Shaun Morgan. His penchant for sharp and concise songwriting has been a staple of the band for many years and they continue this trend with Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum (translated to mean If You Want Peace, Prepare For War’.
Three years have passed since the band’s last effort Poison The Parish which was received favourably by critics and fans alike due to the guys sounding refreshed but appearing a little more vulnerable than previous offerings which a lot of fans could relate to. This latest record carries on that trend with Shaun admitting himself that he’s opened up a lot more on Si Vis Pacem. They have also snapped up former SAINT ASONIA man Corey Lowrey on guitar to help add to their already stellar songwriting.
The opening track Dead and Gone hits with SEETHER’s familiar riffing structure as it opens into Shaun’s trademark vocal harmonies in the verse. The chorus hits hard with his forced vocals coming into the fray over the simple but effective riffs. It’s nothing we haven’t heard before from SEETHER and as an album opener it’s a little flat but luckily it joins up nicely with Bruised and Bloodied. It feels like Dead and Gone part two but with more style and substance. The verses are catchier as is the chorus. It’s a perfect choice for a single as it shows off their ability to write a killer hook and will no doubt be a live staple when gigs return. This is SEETHER‘s bread and butter and as usual, they nail it without any issues. Formulaic? Yes, but badass nonetheless.
Wasteland is where things really start to become interesting. As well as their harder-hitting angrier tracks, the band are also perfectly capable of making huge anthemic rock numbers that could be played on any respectable rock radio. The chorus of Wasteland is dreamy and with an emotional fragility as it gently flows over the guitars and features Shaun‘s classic harmonies again.
Lead single Dangerous sees the band venture into slightly different territory without them losing their sound. It features one of the catchiest choruses on the album but is still home to the angst and sentiment the band are known for with the lines ‘I feel like I’ve lost all the good I’ve known’ sung with a sprinkling of sorrow.
It’s not all smooth sailing however as while Can’t Go Wrong is another banger, it is sandwiched between two pretty forgettable moments in Liar and Buried In The Sand which brings nothing exciting to the table. Proceedings pick back up with Failure which pairs up nicely with previous track Wasteland and it leads nicely into arguably the heaviest track on the album in Beg. Failure features another gigantic sing-along chorus that is as huge as it is heartwrenching while the latter, Beg, sees Shaun letting everything out in an incandescent rage with the ‘Beg Motherfucker’ chorus that screeches over a dirty riff.
The guitars throughout are beefy and have a sinister tone to them that marries up nicely with the sombre and hard-hitting lyrics while the bass work from Dale Stewart will sadly mostly go unnoticed but is solid and adds to the deep and full sound seen here on display. There is an effect on the vocals on the odd occasion that can take away from the raw emotion in Shaun‘s voice from time to time but overall the production is top-notch. In their slower moments, you can really feel the sadness emanating from the tracks but the band have an aptitude for somehow making even the most depressing moments still sound somewhat uplifting helping the listener to perhaps find some kind of comfort in their sorrow. Drift Away is a perfect example of this as they bare their souls once more to begin the end of the album.
When SEETHER get it right they are capable of creating some of the most memorable and thought-provoking tracks that are rock radio and arena approved, however sometimes certain songs can fall a little flat and get lost in the ether amongst the absolute gems. One thing for sure is that the band are consistent and have yet to release a bad album. Si Vis Pacem, Parra Bellum will no doubt be another gold stamp of approval from fans of the band and acts as a solid follow up to Poison The Parish.
Rating: 7/10
Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum is set for release on August 28th via Spinefarm Records.
Like SEETHER on Facebook.