Seether
Karma And Effect

Prologue: Thus spoke Shaun Morgan, the frontman of the group, while presenting, a few days before the launch, this Karma And Effect: "After Disclaimer we wanted to distance ourselves from the comparison with Nirvana, and for this reason, with the second album, we just wanted to make a pure and classic rock'n'roll record".

This is the background. So please, stick to the words of the Seether's voice, and don't overthink it by seeking forced definitions that only annoy, like post grunge, neo alternative, numetal, hard rock, or those you are accustomed to when classifying a certain type of music. Here it's just about rock: guitar, bass, drums, and voice!
And the point is that Karma And Effect, on first listen, is already a cornerstone of the genre. The best record the quartet from South Africa could produce after the excellent debut Disclaimer.
Certainly, Seether hasn't invented anything new; other bands have tread the path drawn by Kurt Cobain, but that doesn't mean they did so with satisfying results (see Nickelback, PuddleOfMudd, Cold, Pillar...). Moreover, the style and sound of Seether closely recall the attention of Staind, it is undeniable, but it stands apart with Shaun’s more incisive voice, who manages to reach a wide range of tones (and live he doesn't lose quality, I assure you!!), and for the broad choice of songs that Seether can play.

The album immediately kicks off in a thunderous manner with "Because Of Me," a whirlwind of power that drags you in and doesn't let go until the end. In this start, the Seether’s imprint is undoubtedly concentrated: sound of notable impact, more melodic yet very catchy riffs. The riff of "Remedy," for example, the first single, will be hard to forget, and even "Truth"—one of the highest points of Karma And Effect—continues energetically along the same lines.
"The Gift" softens the atmosphere, a real gift from Shaun and his bandmates, given the depth it manages to reach during its 5 and a half minutes duration. With "Burrito," another masterpiece, the first part ends: I recommend listening to it all in one go. "Given" is instead somewhat of an interlude, breaking the rhythm of the album, which, however, immediately picks up again with "Never Leave," an atmospheric piece where Shaun once again shows the validity of his lyrics.
"World Falls Away" is an attempt by Seether to delve into social issues, and perhaps from this perspective, the four still have work to do, as it is not one of the most memorable songs overall. Here begins the second part: "Tongue" is fantastic ("Goodbye cruel world, the last you see me drown"), a small jewel, in my opinion, the most intense and emotional, while in "I'm The One," the most "punkish," Shaun mimics Dave Grohl.
As we said before: Pure rock! And the best example comes from "Simplest Mistake," pure madness, more than 5 minutes where Seether shows they know what they're doing with the instruments they play. In this twelfth track (14 in total, let's remember, not few for such a high-quality album) all the rage and power of the band are soaked.
Dark and mysterious "Diseased," yet a very effective track, Karma And Effect closes with "Plastic Man," the only acoustic song present, which, on the same note as Broken, but with darker lyrics and music, creates a unique and ethereal atmosphere.

In conclusion, I can say that Seether has hit once again. There should definitely be more albums of such notable impact around. Musically well-structured (each song hides a small mini solo), autobiographical yet effective lyrics, the idea of the final ghost track where Shaun and company thank everyone for listening in their mother tongue is very nice. Karma And Effect is a collector's item, certainly for old grunge lovers, but also for anyone who generally loves rock. And Karma And Effect contains it, at a high level. The only flaw is the arrangement of the songs on the album, practically identical to that of Disclaimer, but after all, as they say... don't change a winning team.

Rating 9.