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73 of 83 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Seether's Seething Sophmore Album, May 27, 2005
Seether's second album, "Karma And Effect" has officially arrived, atfer being put off a bit too long. Around the time they probably should have released the follow-up to 2002's "Disclaimer," they received some late-blooming success, thanks to a re-working of the track "Broken" which featured Evanescence frontwoman (and Seether frontman Shaun Morgan's significant other) Amy Lee on background vocals. Instead of a new album, we got a remixed and repackaged version of "Dislaimer," simply titled "Disclaimer II." Sure, it featured some bonus tracks, but brand new material is what we all wanted, and finally, it has arrived.
Seether seem more than a little annoyed by their success, and as such, haven't altered their sound or style one bit, which unfortunately is a double-edged sword. Regardless, they must be commended for their efforts, as most hard-rock bands that receive success for showing a lighter side tend to soften up in time (we'll forgive Staind however, as their frontman actually found happiness). That's just not the case here. The same group that made "Disclaimer" re-appears on this new album. And yes, I do see the irony in that statement, as there are two new members in the band. All thirteen tracks on "Karma And Effect" sound like they were made just to please Seether's fanbase, and they definitely will. 3/4 of the album is made up of agressive, but infectious, rockers in the same vein as "Gasoline" or "Needles." Sure, there is the catchy radio-fare of "Remedy" and "I'm The One," but other songs, such as the album opener "Because Of Me" and "Burrito" (which apes lyrics from the aformentioned "Needles") will rip up your speakers. For fans of "Driven Under" and "Fine Again," songs like "The Gift," "Never Leave," "Tongue" and "Plastic Man" are perfect successors and are destined to become classics. The main problem, however, with this album is that is just feels too familiar. The stubborn attitude and resistance to change becomes a big problem, as it feels like we are just listening to the same album again. Hell, the album even begins heavy and ends soft, just like it's successor. Some of the riffs are a bit tired, and the lyrical content gets a little redundant as well, as Shaun seems too insistent on taking strikes at the music industry and their record label -- which reportedly instructed him not to swear, to tone down the album cover and change the name, which was originally "Catering To Cowards."
However, with all flaws aside, it's still a solid follow-up, and hopefully it should continue to ride the wave of success that got started last year. Fans of the band would be hard pressed to not find something on here they like, and each of the thirteen tracks could easily be a hit, which is hard to pull off. So the bottom line is, if you liked "Disclaimer" and are hungry for more, "Karma And Effect" will satisfy your appetite.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
"I'm sure I will bleed sincerely", November 12, 2006
The reason I bought this CD was for the track "Remedy." It would play often on a local hard rock station and every time I heard it I knew I wanted to check out the CD. I finally jotted down as many lyrics I could and did a search and found Seether. I loved the first two tracks right away but wasn't sure about the rest of the CD. I had recently purchased "One X" by Three Days Grace and had been listening to that constantly for several weeks. I think I immediately compared the two CDs and didn't think "Karma and Effect" measured up. The more I listen to Seether's CD, though, the more I like. The booklet is very creative. The pages are artwork or strange photographs and, in between, are matted, semi-transparent, plastic sheets with the lyrics printed in silver. I thought that was cool at first until I tried to read them. Even with paper underneath, they're difficult to read. Oh well, at least they're trying to be different. There is a photo of the band behind the CD holder. Now for the tracks:
"Because of Me": Awesome opener! Energetic and explosive with catchy hooks and chorus. Like "Remedy," it grabbed me right away and wouldn't let go.
"Remedy": The reason I bought this CD! The verses sound a lot like Nirvana's "Come as You Are" (it almost sounds like Kurt Cobain's singing, too). This track flat out rocks!
"Truth": Slower verses that picks up into a hard rockin', yet catchy chorus. The additional guitar during the final chorus is awesome! Heavier than other tracks here. Becoming one of my favorites.
"The Gift": The beginning offers a slow verse with nice guitar accompaniment followed by an accessible, power chorus. Has almost a country flavor (it's not country, don't worry). It is nice but it does tend to drag. It is 5:34 and sounds every bit that long.
"Burrito": One of the heavier tracks here. It has a very dark sound like Tool.
"Given": This is a more accessible track than "Burrito" but does incorporate some Korn/Ill Nino-like screams.
"Never Leave": A slower, power song that really sticks in my head for better or for worse.
"World Falls Away": Rocker! The guitar accompanying the verses is a highlight. Then some Korn/Ill Nino-like screams to build the intensity. The one line at the end "I'm just like you, just not as cool" (the line throughout the track is "Just not a fool") is so mundane.
"Tongue": The track begins with the line "Well the tongue inside my mouth is not for sale" (uh, OK). Another slower, power song but this one has an excellent chorus.
"I'm the One": Now we're rocking! This may be my favorite on this CD (it's right up there with the first two tracks, anyway). Check out these lyrics: "Here she's coming and she's drunk again / She's only seventeen / Here daddy said `Well that's enough of that come be my little queen' / And now he's touching her wrong again / He's going to give her disease / He never wanted it anyway / He only does as he please / Won't you tell her that I said I'm the one / I couldn't hurt her like everyone / And tell her that I said I'm the one / And I don't deserve her." Killer!
"Simplest Mistake": Another heavy track. Has some bursts of intensity but has a lighter, catchy chorus.
"Diseased": This is a different-sounding track. It has soft, dark, mysterious guitar-work. Like "Burrito," it is very Tool-like.
"Plastic Man": A Kurt Cobain-sounding ballad. I checked the song credits to see if he wrote it as the lyrics are not included in the booklet. He didn't write it. Anyway, it is a gorgeous track with beautiful guitar-work.
Hidden Track: Just some quirky guitar and singing in another language. Not really worth the 5 minute wait.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Way better than Disclaimer!, June 12, 2005
As a huge fan of Seether since soon after Disclaimer came out, I have been frantically looking forward to their second album for a LONG time. Dislcaimer II had some great new tracks, and all the old tracks were even remixed, and made better for the most part. But still, it was obviously made to just hold us fans over till they released the new album (Seether basically admitted this themselves).
Anyway, I had very high expectations for their new album, and I was not disappointed at all. This is an AMAZING second album. I thought Disclaimer was awesome when it first came out, but after listening to Karma and Effect, and then to Disclaimer again, I have to say that Disclaimer completely pales in comparison to Karma and Effect. It's that good.
There's not a single song I dislike, and most of the songs are just AWESOME. Shaun Morgan's singing and lyrics are MUCH improved, and his voice is much clearer and easier to understand than it was on Disclaimer.
Anyway, here are my ratings for each song:
Because of Me: Awesome! It's a heavy song, but also very melodic, and a great way to begin the album. One of my favorites on the album. 10/10
Remedy: Seether's new single. Awesome song, very addictive, and destined to become a huge radio hit. 10/10
Truth: Another one of my favorites. This song has some of the best lyrics Shaun's ever come up with. A relatively quiet song compared to the first two, but it has it's heavier rock moments. Has a very nice melody, and a great chorus. Also has an awesome guitar solo. 10/10
The Gift: Some have said this is the best song Seether's ever done. I wouldn't go quite that far, but it's a great song. Has some awesome lyrics, and the verses have a very nice melody. Nice guitar too. 10/10
Burrito: Yet another one of my favorites. The beginning has the same lyrics as Hang On from Disclaimer II, only slightly modified. It even sounds kind of similar too. But when it gets to the chorus, it changes dramatically from Hang On. Another very addictive song, and some amazing lyrics. "My life in monochrome/Wish I could regain control" is one of my favorite lyrics Seether's done. It's just so perfect somehow. :) 10/10
Given: This is a very good song, but it's probably my least favorite of the album (not counting Secret Song). I still really like it, but it's just not as good as the other songs somehow. The verses are fine, but I'm not crazy about the chorus. 8.5/10
Never Leave: A great quiet song. Has some great guitar, and awesome lyrics. 10/10
World Falls Away: My current favorite in the album. It has this AMAZING guitar riff, by FAR the best Seether riff ever. 69 Tea previously had the most addictive guitar riff, but this riff FAR surpasses it. This song has a great chorus and great lyrics, but it's really that guitar riff that makes it my favorite song on Karma and Effect.
Tongue: This song has a very strange name, but it's another awesome quiet song. More great lyrics from Shaun, awesome guitar, and a really catchy chorus. 10/10
I'm The One: The heaviest song on the album. I actually didn't love this when I first heard it, but the more I heard it, the more I love it. A great heavy song with great guitar. It's not a very Seether-like song, but it's good to see them try something different. 9/10
Simplest Mistake: Another heavy song. I prefer this one over I'm The One. It's really addictive, it has a really cool melody, and more awesome lyrics from Shaun. 10/10
Diseased: A quieter song, although like most of the quiet songs on this album, it has some heavier moments. It has one of the best choruses in the album IMO, and the guitar you hear at the quiet moments has a very strange but awesome sound to it. Another one of my favorites on the album. Actually, this one may dethrone World Falls Away as my favorite. 10/10
Plastic Man: The quietest song on the album, and the only song on the album that doesn't have any loud, heavy rock moments. This is another song that doesn't sound very much like Seether, but it's an awesome song, and as I said before, it's great that Seether's experimenting with their style. 10/10
Secret Song: This doesn't really count as a song, but I decided to put it on here anyway. This song is a separate track, but it comes after the approx. 5 minutes of silence at the end of Plastic Man. This is without a doubt the weirdest, most f***ed up song Seether's ever done. It's in a different language I guess, I'm not sure what. But it's not even just that fact that makes it weird: the guitar is very strange, it's a very strange melody -- it's just a really weird track. I don't like it at all, but maybe some people do, LOL. 1/10
So overall, Karma and Effect is a truly AMAZING album. If you're a Seether fan, you have to buy this album right now. If you weren't a Seether fan before, you might want to give them a try. They're a great rock band, and their sound has greatly matured since Disclaimer. If you're a fan of Nirvana, I would definitely give Seether a listen.
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