Customer Reviews

Karma and Effect

5 star:		(81)
4 star:		(33)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

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.

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.

Just bought this album today and im pretty shocked at how good it is. People are definately underestimating this band. Seether is an extremely talented young band that could just about challenge any group out there right now. They're style is tough, hard, and raw but also deep and moving at the same time. Their songs arent "ima slap my bitch around all night" or "america sucks". They ALL mean something, and even better they all mean something different. "Remedy" is a crazy good song. No wonder why its the first single. "The Gift", "Never Leave", and "Plastic Man" are all radio-ready and contatin moving and powerful lyrics presented in a lighter but just as powerful tone. And dont worry, "Because of Me", "Burrito", "I'm the One", "World Falls Away", and "Simplest Mistake" ought to satisfy those wanting a little more power. Perhaps the best song on the album (which probobly wont even be released as a single) is "Diseased" which is one of the most haunting songs by any group I can remember. "Karma and Effect" is the best rock album of 2005 so far, possibly the best album of 2005 so far which is funny because NOBODY predicted it to be. It is only after hearing crap like Simple Plan, The Killers, and Yellowcard where you really start to appreciate Seether. The bottom line is that Seether is an extremely promising band, who may have just established themselves as a strong force to be reckoned with in the area of hard-rock with this album. I look foward to listening to this album again and I highly recommend this CD to not only hard-rock fans but to people who might be sick of the mainstream radio.

As I rate this album, it is currently not even in Amazon's top 100 most popular cd's, which goes to show you just how many people are missing out on a truly great musical talent, but it's better for us that know how great Seether is. If you are a fan of any kind of rock, you can find a reason to like Seether, because unlike other bands, they actually are multi-talented. With one more album like this, after such a perfect debut with Disclaimer, they will be pushing Staind for number one on my list. So without further ado, I present "Karma and Effect."

1. Because Of Me (8.5) - "Do you believe in love, like I believe in pain."
2. Remedy (10) - "If you want me, hold me back."
3. Truth (10) - "And now I'm convinced on the inside, that something's wrong with me."
4. The Gift (11.5) - "Hold me now I need to feel complete, like I matter to the one I need."
5. Burrito (7) - "You keep taking, taking away, I keep faking, faking, fake."
6. Given (10) - "And never believe I won't turn on you, and never believe I do this for you."
7. Never Leave (10) - "She's the one who keeps me all excited, she keeps me begging for more."
8. World Falls Away (10) - "And I don't need pills, when I have drugs like you."
9. Tongue (8.5) - "Should I grow another shell, in which to live."
10. I'm The One (8.5) - "He never wanted it anyway, he only does as he please."
11. Simplest Mistake (10) - "Watch it blow my mind, it's something I am ill-prepared to remedy."
12. Diseased (10) - "And if I decide, that I am alive, then I'm diseased and ungrateful."
13. Plastic Man (10) - "I'm losing hard again, wish I could show you what you think I'm made of."

You can't argue that this is any less the album that Disclaimer is, because it is simply a superb follow up. It's worth every penny, no matter the price.

There are some out there who say that bands should sound the same on each new album, and there are some who say they should change and stay "fresh" on each new album (Tool, for example). Yeah, so Seether have mostly the same sound, same structure, same attitude on K&E as they did on Disclaimer. I say "great". I like listening to Seether because they are Seether. The sound is about the same, but the songs are different. This album is a touch heavier than Disclaimer, which is awesome. But the lyrics are also better and the ballads are more emotional for the most part. How can anyone complain? Well, the fact remains that this is one of the few bands out there who've gotten popular and still, on their second album, sound like they recorded in a garage on most songs. But hey, that's their sound and I love it, so I won't say that it's a bad thing. I would recommend seeing Seether live - they are just so energetic and powerful, plus you'll usually get to hear a great beefed-up Nirvana cover (considering Shaun's voice tends to sound exactly like Kurt at times).

Quite frankly where have I been to not have noticed this band sooner. Both albums are so emotionally charged and so heart felt expressed that I must have been snoozing much harder than usual. The Gift is triumphant anthem, Remedy is a powerful sojourn into the mysiries of life few bands try to explain the uncertainties of life as well as Seether. Both albums leave you a little smarter after listening!!!! Let hope they do not become too content with the attention they are currently receiving. Complacentcy is the undoing of too many statement bands.

This album totally defines what it means to play pure straight up hard rock. Let this be a lesson to all these "hard rock" groups like Staind and Perfect Circle: you dont have to get soft to make a better record. From song 1 to 13 (and even the weird bonus track) it is obvious that this aint no ordinary album. No fillers, no throw aways, no crap. Even the acoustic driven "Plastic Man" is powerful and meaningful. You hard rockers that got soft (Staind, Perfect Circle, Breaking Benjamins, etc.) take a good look at the top hard rock band out there right now.

Because of Me - 4.5/5: totally kick ass song..awesome opener
Remedy - 5/5: the best song on the album..even though its on the radio alot its still very hard to get sick of
Truth - 4/5: starts off soft, gets hard. shows seether's true musical ability
The Gift - 5/5: a softer song but one of the best Seether's ever written. destined to become a classic
Burrito - 4.5/5: crappy title, awesome, thrashing song
Given - 4.5/5: classic Seether sound, incredible intro
Never Leave - 5/5: Shaun's voice soars and the result is perfection
World Falls Away - 4.5/5: Another hard rocking track...crazy guitar work
Tongue - 4/5: Softer, not the best song on the album, but still worthy of a few good listens
I'm The One - 4.5/5: hardest song on the album, powerful message as well
Simpelest Mistake - 4.5/5: over five minuts, different beat. may take a couple listens to get used to but the headbanger in you will fall for it
Diseased - 4.5/5: kind of scary and haunting, slowest song. incredibly well done
Plastic Man - 4.5/5: similar to "Broken" only a lot better
Bonus - 4/5: really weird but kicks ass!

Seether's new album is destined to become a hard rock classic. Judging by the reviews on this website I can see most people agree with me. Do yourself a favor, fans and non-fans alike, take a break from the pop crap on the radio today and buy this album.

Wow, I have been anticipating this album for several months now and needless to say i was blown away by this amazing cd. I listened to the whole cd on my way back home after buying it and didn't skip through one song. Every song grabs hold of you and doesn't let go until it ends. The lyrics are exceptionally deep and personal. I loved Disclaimer (Seether's first album) but i think that this one wins out over the original. Do yourself a favor and pick up this record, if you are a fan of Tool, A perfect circle, staind, cold, or any other bands similar to those you are sure to love Seether!

I just bought this album today and you can really tell how they how progessed since there last album . I think this one is better than there last album even though there first album made me into a fan I really like every song on here ... looking for a song like Broken listen to Never Leave ... Burrito is about Ozzy and it is a good song to rock out to other stand outs on the album are Remedy , Tongue, Diseased, Plastic Man, The Gift and Because of You ... The rest of the album is good also but emotions are spread throughout this album more than the last and songwriting is better ... check it out you won't be disappointed!!

May 24th, I have had my sight set on this date since it became official for Karma and Effect.This has been named as the summer of music, with some great artists releasing there new CDs, and there can't be a better Fking way to kick it off than with this CD.

1. Because of Me 9/10
2. Remedy 9/10 (The single of the cd, I had no idea what else I was in for, but this was a good indication.)
3. Truth 10/10
4. The Gift 11/10 (The best song Shaun Morgan has written yet, It's THAT good.)
5. Burrito 10/10 (Your Sympathy would have been a better name but fck my opinion, it rocks.)
6. Given 9.5/10
7. Never Leave 10/10
8. World Falls Away 8.5/10
9. Tongue 9.5/10
10. I'm The One 10/10 (The shortest,heaviest song on the album, and probably THE ONE I'll play out the most.)
11. Simplest Mistake 9/10
12. Diseased 9.5/10
13. Plastic Man 7.5/10 (acoustic song to close out cd, (aside from crazy bonus track)

The only thing I can say about this cd is it's brilliant and in some ways better than Disclaimer, can't believe it because most bands with a A+ CD opener, follow up with a chessy mellow CD that leaves us feeling empty and wonder why they even bothered. This on the other hand is an extension of the first one, just plain out Fking good. Hopefully this band will save us from Coheed and Cambria, let's not leave out Good Charlotte. Now with that said, there is no doubt in my mind SEETHER IS HERE TO STAY.