Holding Onto Strings Better Left To Fray

Seether | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 17, 2011)
• Original Release Date: 2011
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Wind-Up
• ASIN: B00452V2H4
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (126 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,935 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Fur Cue

2. No Resolution

3. Here and Now

4. Country Song

5. Master of Disaster

6. Tonight

7. Pass Slowly

8. Fade Out

9. Roses

10. Down

11. Desire for Need

12. Forsaken

Editorial Reviews

Holding onto Strings Better Left to Fray further expands on the dynamic musical growth curve heard on Seether's 2007 release, Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces, while maintaining a sonic imprint that is undeniably Seether. There are many reasons to be excited. Not only does Seether branch out stylistically on the album s first single, "Country Song" which blends a buoyant, aurally addictive hook with the band's signature searing guitar work but the singer's striking new vocal approach is audible from the album's exhilarating lead track, "No Resolution." Morgan explains, "On this album, I didn't scream very much, because that's not what I wanted to do. For some of the songs, the sentiment behind the lyric wasn't angry, therefore to sing it in an angry way didn't make any sense to me. The gritty stuff is easy to do, but it also feels really great to convey emotionally, through my voice, what I'm trying to say, instead of just being a one trick pony." The result is a collection of compelling vocal performances that conjure an appealing blend of two of Morgan's chief influences, Kurt Cobain and Tool's Maynard James Keenan.

Recorded at Blackbird Studios in Nashville, Seether definitely had an all-star player on its team for Holding Onto Strings Better Left to Fray in the form of producer Brendan O'Brien (Rage Against the Machine, AC/DC, Pearl Jam). Seether fans identify the band with songs that are not only sonically heavy but which also carry a lyrical emotional heft. Rest assured that those qualities are still intact on Holding Onto Strings Better Left to Fray. "Down" providing a fantastic showcase for John Humphrey's Bonham-esque drumming along with "Desire for Need" (on which Morgan falls back on the aggressive vocal delivery) prove that Seether have not strayed too far from what fans recognize as the band's aural identity. "Master of Disaster" also retains the original Seether imprint while introducing new musical elements, which the band set out to do with each song, "so people wouldn t know what to expect," Morgan interjects. "When we make a new album, it has to be superior to the previous one; otherwise we re wasting everyone's time.
Asked which tracks are favorites, Morgan talks about "Tonight," which almost didn't make it onto the album. "I hadn t even shown it to the band yet," he explains, "but one morning I woke up before dawn, in a really good mood, and completely changed the lyrics to positive lyrics. It just started coming together. Later that day in the studio, I asked Brendan to check it out. We only had two days left in the studio, but Brendan said, 'We've got to record that song right now.' I think it captures and summarizes the hopeful sentiment of the album." The band is also proud of "Here and Now," a modern rocker infused with a classic pop feel that might fit easily within the discography of Cheap Trick. "We wanted to write songs that would stand the test of time rather than just be music 'of the now' meaning what is popular in this particular two- or three-year cycle" Morgan explains. "Here and Now" also features the lyrics from which the album title was culled.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 40 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Shaun's talent for songwriting is showcased on this album May 19, 2011

By K. Goff

Format:Audio CD

I have been listening to Seether since 2000 when they recorded Fragile under the name Saron Gas. I remember sitting in my dorm room with Fine Again on repeat. I have listened as they have gone through a cycle eventually evolving into what you hear from them today. Shaun Morgan is an incredibly talented artist. It is so rare in current times to hear music that has lyrics AND music written entirely by the band itself and not a third party which then instructs the band in every way possible on what each note should be. Is every song on this a gem, no, but does that mean the song is bad? No, it certainly does not. Shaun's voice is great on every track, though I will always prefer him live to on a CD as his voice has a angstiness (yes I know that is not a true word) live that cannot be doubled on a CD. As another reviewer has also said, this is the best album lyrically that Seether has EVER produced. Shaun put his heart and soul into each word for each song and it definitely shows. John on the drums is absolutely fantastic, I love the drum work on the entire album (Effigy is especially awesome with the drum work). Also, another thing I've noticed over the years is that Shaun seems less afraid of his voice and just gets in there more and more with each album. He gets better vocally on every album.

Fur Cue 5/5 - Classic Seether. If you are a fan of the old Saron Gas days or Disclaimer this is very similar. Drums, guitar, everything is done well.

No Resolution 5/5 - Slightly slow getting going, but very good. Chorus is the best part, showcases Shaun's voice well.

Here and Now 4/5 - Great song, but sounds very "radio" worthy. Not bad by any means, but almost pop-rock to me.

Country Song 5/5 - Their first single. I may be odd in loving this song.... It's very different, but Shaun's voice is highlighted so well here. Always right on the cusp on singing/yelling and it's a great sound from Shaun.

Master of Disaster 10/5 - Yes, I realize I put 10/5. This is by far my favorite track on the entire album. Lyrics are spectacular. The sound is NOT classic Seether, it is far different, but again Shaun's voice is stellar. I simply can't get enough of this song.

Tonight 3/5 - The reason I gave this 3/5 is because I honestly thought it was a remake of Rise Above This the first time I heard it. Again, it is a very pop-rock type song. After I listened to it a few times I really do like it and would raise my initial rating to a 4/5.

Pass Slowly 2/5 - I do not know why Seether put this on the album, it is such a stinker... It's not that the band is bad, oh no, Shaun's voice is worthy of an eargasm in this song, but I am not a big fan of ballads. Song isn't bad, I just don't care for slow stuff.

Fade Out 4.5/5 - Another reviewer said this would sound better heavier. Although I gave it 4.5/5 I would have to agree. The song is great, but perhaps live the band would add a bit of *umph* to give it that edge it needs.

Roses 4/5 - I absolutely LOVE the keyboard addition, I mean LOVE it.

Down 5/5 - The only song on the album with the *f* word in it, which surprised me. Really love this song, another song that is reminiscent of Disclaimer for me.

Desire for Need 5/5 - A heavier track. Guitars are stellar and quite a bit heavier here than the majority of the rest of the album.

Forsaken 4/5 - Great intro with the piano. Slightly slow taking off, but the chorus saves it.

Dead Seeds 5/5 - One of my favorites of the bonus tracks. Very upbeat, great tune to get up and dance to. Makes me smile every time I hear it, love the beat.

Yeah 5/5 - Every time I hear the bonus tracks I wonder why they were bonus tracks instead of replacing the stinkers. This song is slightly slower, but still heavy. It would have done well in place of Pass Slowly, which is, I think the biggest stinkpot Seether has ever produced. (and that is saying a lot considering my husband said Seether could put out a CD of them farting into the microphone and I'd still buy it... I'm a huge fan.)

Nobody 5/5 - Heavy guitars, great vocals. Another track that should be on the album and not a bonus track.

Effigy 5/5 - Beginning very heavy guitars and the fastest tempo of any song on the album. Slightly repetitive lyrically, but forget it and get up and move your booty! Read more ›

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, but not their best May 17, 2011

By Polar Bear

Format:Audio CD

"Holding onto to Strings Better Left to Fray" is Seether's first album in almost four years and while there are definitely some good songs here, there are also a few forgettable ones. Overall the production is crisp and fresh and is a strength of this recording. It contains 12 songs plus 4 bonus tracks, and a few of them have Seether's trademark hook made of a meat claw and performance painted with Gold. With its blistering riffs and throaty vocals "Fur Cue" is a perfect lead off to the album. "Here and Now" is a great tune and shows the band's softer side. "Master of Disaster" has an incredible build up/crescendo and showcases the musical talents of frontman/guitarist Shaun Morgan, drummer John Humphrey and bassist Dale Stewart. That's the Seether I know and love. That being said, some of the other songs seem like they were created just to be on the radio. They're light and missing the edge that made Seether such a great band. Die hard fans of the band will want to own this, but if you are looking to buy your first Seether album I would recommend something earlier like Karma and Effect.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Their most mature work to date May 29, 2011

By Dash

Format:Audio CD

It's been 4 years since "Finding Beauty In Negative Spaces", and here we are with Seether's new album "Holding on to Strings Better Left to Fray". Was it worth the long wait? Well, to put it quite simply, yes. It lacks a bit of the hard edge that the band's previous albums had, but they've replaced it with a maturity that you probably haven't seen on a Seether album yet. How do the tracks stack up? Lets take a look.

Fur Cue - 9.5/10
This one sounds like classic Seether with its heavier sound. This is a stellar track that utilizes some of Seether's best verses and guitar riffs, and because of this, easily one of the heaviest tracks on the album. The only thing that's even slightly weak is the chorus: it feels like it's trying to climax to something, but that something never comes around. Basically, they sound like pre-choruses. Thankfully, it doesn't subtract too much. Fans of the older Seether should be able to put this track nicely into their collection of favorite Seether songs.

No Resolution - 9.5/10
Another strong track that lands on the heavier side of the album. It jumps a bit over the place and covers a lot of ground. It has a strong opening riff layered with some nice guitar soloing before going into the soft verses, strong choruses, and mid-tempo bridge. This song covers almost every bit of the sound Seether displays on this album.

Here and Now - 8/10
This is a strong track, but I feel it is one of the weaker ballads on the album. It has a poppy, almost cliche sound. There's nothing wrong with it, and I enjoy it, but I can't see why the band would see this as one of the stronger tracks on the album.

Country Song - 9/10
The first single.... This song seems kind of like a one-off thing, it doesn't really sound like anything else on the album with it's very southern, country verse riff. The chorus is pretty strong and adds a lot to the track. It definitely scores points for being different than other tracks on the album.

Master of Disaster - 9/10
This one is also quite a bit different. It starts off pretty slowly, but gradually builds in intensity as the song progresses. Shaun's vocals sound fantastic on this song. The chorus is the big highlight here, it's very strong and pretty catchy.

Tonight - 9.5/10
After reading a lot of reviews, I can tell people don't like this track very much. I don't really know why, it's a bit poppy for Seether but it's a fantastic track. It sounds a bit like a poor man's Foo Fighters single, but it's still insanely catchy and is sure to be stuck in your head for quite a while, whether you want it there or not.

Pass Slowly - 9.5/10
This song is very downtempo and slow. I think placing this and Tonight back to back was a bad idea simply because the fans of the heavier Seether will be turned off by the songs being played back to back. This song is very amazing though, it's chorus is catchy and emotional and the song itself is quite powerful.

Fade Out - 8/10
This song is where things seem to start picking up again. It has a good riff and good verses, but I think the choruses are a bit weak. It seems like this song wants to be really heavy, but it never quite gets there. You could fully expect it to burst out with a heavy riff and pounding drums at any second, but it never does.

Roses - 9/10
This is a good one. This song is the darkest on the album, but also a great standalone tune. It sounds almost Muse-esque with it's riffs and progression. Shaun's vocals really get up there in the verses, and the chorus is quite memorable. The bridge is quite nice as well.

Down - 8.5/10
I love the chorus in this one. The song has some strong riffing and great vocals from Shaun. Unfortunately, there's nothing really that separates it from a lot of the other tracks on the album. It's a great song though and has grown on me a lot from my initial listen.

Desire for Need - 9.5/10
This is one of the heaviest tracks on the album with it's intense heavy riffs and downtuned drums. It's also one of the only songs on the album that features screams from Shaun. I can see lots of old Seether fans appreciating this one a bit.

Forsaken - 9.5/10
This song is extremely good with its piano-laden intro leading into its strong riffs. The chorus is one of the best on the album, if not in Seether's whole catalog. Very emotional tune.

Dead Seeds - 8/10
This one is pretty good, easily the worst of the bonus tracks though. It almost sounds like Stone Temple Pilots. It's riff is a bit strange. The chorus is very nice though.

Yeah - 9.5/10
This might be one of the best songs on the album. They could have easily replaced "Fade Out" for this and the album wouldn't have been affected at all. I don't understand why it's a bonus track. The chorus is fantastic. In my opinion, this is one of the best songs in Seether's catalog.

Nobody - 9/10
Another great bonus track. This one seemed kind of soft at first, but it's verses are fantastic. Unfortunately, it suffers from "Fur Cue Syndrome." It's choruses sound like pre-choruses. The bridge took me by huge surprise though, it's very heavy and even includes a well placed scream from Shaun.

Effigy - 8.5/10
This one is kind of strange. It has a nice riff, but like Fade Out, it sounds like it could be a lot heavier. It's a bit repetitive, but anthemic and very uptempo.

Overall, Seether has produced a great album here. Is it a bit softer? Yes. Is it worse? No. I hope that with their next album, they can mix this sound with their heavier sound to create a masterpiece. Read more ›

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A great rock album November 13, 2011

By Nick

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

I can see from some of the other reviews that there are some existing Seether fans who don't approve of Seether's new direction. However, the best bands always evolve and try new stuff, and this it what Seether have done with great success IMHO. This is a more melodic and maybe more mainstream album in some ways, rock fans new to Seether may find a lot here to enjoy. Country song is probably the best and most original track, but there is no filler here. Great stuff.