Poison the Parish by Seether a Record Review by Gerald G!
When I was given the opportunity to hear and review Seether‘s 7th studio “Poison the Parish” before it’s May 12th debut, I jumped at it. I have been a fan of the Rock band that hails from South Africa since their 1st studio release “Disclaimer” took the world by storm back in 2002. Each of their previous albums have been solid from start to finish including multiple #1 singles such as “Gasoline,” “Fine Again,” “Fake It,” “Remedy,” “Broken,” “Words As Weapons,” and “Country Song,” to name a few.
It is clear from the start of “Poison the Parish” though that something is a little different, special even. While the bands familiar edge and heavy guitar riffs are still there along with Shaun Morgan’s unmistakable vocals, “Poison the Parish” has a personal feel to it than a specific agenda, be it political or religious. Seether front man and band co-founder Shaun Morgan has been quoted as saying, “We want to bring back musicality, playing loud, and the importance of having something to say that you can stand behind,” This statement can be felt throughout the album.
As Seether’s “Poison the Parish” lyrics, riffs, melodies, and vocals fill the air in the background as I write this I am reminded of the quote I read from Shaun Morgan, “It’s about honesty in your music.” Seether’s music has always had the feeling of being pure, raw, and emotionally charged. The first track “Stoke The Fire” starts the album off with a memorable guitar riff that has been stuck in my head for days now and is followed by tracks such as “I’ll Survive,” “Let Me Heal,” “Nothing Left,” and “Count Me Out,” and ending with the track “Sell My Soul.”
My favorite song on the album is track 11, “Emotionless.” The song continues the theme of being personal. “What it really boils down to is that I am disgusted and horrified by what I see society becoming, the complete idolatry of vapid social media and reality TV ‘stars,’” Morgan explains. “It hearkens back to the days of clergy shaping a society as voices of authority; now we’ve got these people glorifying soullessness and lack of talent. They’re preaching this gospel that you can be famous, as long as you have the right face or the right body or the right connections. They aren’t saying, ‘Hey, go out there and write a book, invent something, try to cure cancer.’ It’s all about getting the angles right, to create this illusion that your life is great.” This album will continue to receive play in my personal music library and quickly become a favorite.
Creating something of value and meaning is Seether’s cultural antidote, its north star. And with Poison the Parish, they’ve done it with unrestrained power and grace. “Give something to people,” Morgan says. “Make people’s lives better in some way. That’s really the point.”
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