Seer – Vol.6 – Blessed Altar Zine

Band: Seer
Title: Volume 6
Label: Artoffact Records
Release date: 8 February 2019
Country: Canada
Format reviewed: Digital Mp3

A Canadian band who draws inspiration from mountains, oceans, rivers, lakes, caves, deserts, valleys, forests, trees, plants, etc. (according to their Facebook). In our sometimes desperate need to put things in boxes, this band will fit in the following genres: Sludge, Doom, Black, Prog, or maybe none of them? SEER has been around since 2014, has put out an impressive amount of releases (mostly in terms of shorter offerings like 2017’s Volume 5 EP). The diversity of this band is their trademark, not limiting themselves to a specific genre, but rather drawing influences from different dark corners of Metal. Because it is Metal, and a harsh yet atmospheric one. The slow parts are doomy, the production is sludgy, the faster guitars are black, the overall “no rules apply” are prog. But what really makes SEER stand out is the vocals. The clean vocals are beautifully executed and brings to mind German Doom masters AHAB. The harsher vocals make me think of Grutle of ENSLAVED. And as a special treat the song “Seven Stars, Seven Stones” have a high pitched vocal delivery which would make KING DIAMOND proud. The band has two vocal credits, Bronson Lee Norton (Vocals) Kyle Tavares (Guitar/Vocals), both very impressive. My ranting about vocals is because that is the Achilles heel of so many otherwise great bands: the vocal diversity of SEER is worthy a great deal of praise. Not forgetting about the rest of the band though, no band can rely on vocals alone.

This full-length album consists of an atmospheric instrumental intro track “Oath of Exile” and likewise an atmospheric outro track “Prior Forms”. Both are well done, and fitting the concept of the album, especially the piano on “Prior Forms” is killer. The 4 more “ordinary” tracks are long and have that epic feel to them. It is a band that’s very confident and not afraid to push the boundaries in their search for that special song. The structures are unusual at times, in some way like one of 2018’s most epic releases: “Minus” by KRAKOW. The growth SEER is displaying on this record is impressive, and hopefully they are moving forward with the same pace they have been so far in their career. Finishing this review, I should pick a track: it could be a favorite, or just a track that sums up what SEER is about at this stage in their being. So, in my quest to make people listen to SEER, check out “Frost Tulpa”, a song that displays all of SEER, epic guitars, hard hitting drums, pounding bass, great vocals, 9 minutes of pure joy! 9/10 Harald