Ladies and gentlemen, I need your attention at once. I have an important and groundbreaking announcement to make regarding music. After hours and hours of lab work, my hypothesis states that being incredibly excited for an album release has the potential to be a really horrible thing. How, you ask, could this be possible? Well, if the aforementioned album just happens to be by a band that blew you away with their previous works, you're obviously going to have extremely high expectations. So, what could this lead to? Obviously, if the album turns out to be *gasp* not so excellent, you're going to feel weakened. Sick. Nauseous. Angry. Mad at the world. Depressed. Annoyed.

But don't fret! Believe it or not, this doesn't always happen. Certain bands have a way of tiding their fans over with sheer coolness, tiny compact disc after tiny compact disc. I think you get where I'm headed with this, don't you?

Luckily, "moody alt-metal band" [the acceptable title fed to us by various search machines] Seether has apparently built up some good karma [aww] over the past few years. Karma and Effect finds Seether not only perfecting the aggressive sound while kicking it up a notch or two, but also perfecting their slushy, melodic, acoustic sound while making it even slushier and more melodic. It's quite an understatement to say that vocalist/guitarist Shaun Morgan displays a pensive state of mind throughout the album's duration. While it may not be entirely easy to pinpoint a song's subject matter (love? Loneliness? you get the point), many of the furiously paced tracks deal with -- well -- life in general. And somehow, this talented foursome manages to tackle all of this while keeping it fresh, song after song.

IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY (!), MEET THE BAND.
Shaun Morgan - Vocals/guitar
Dale Stewart - Bass
John Humphrey - Drums
Pat Callahan - Guitar

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First things first: Anyone who is even the slightest bit familiar with Seether's past work will tell you that Shaun Morgan wears his heart on his sleeve. Once, he said that the stage is therapy for him -- without the outlet of these emotional songs, he would be dead. You know, I don't think he was exaggerating at all when he said that. Very few other rock frontmen that I've personally been exposed to seem to some close to having his true gift of conveying such sadness/happiness/anger/confusion -- or any other applicable emotion -- in such an effective way.

Take the bitter, accusing opening track "Because Of Me" for a prime example. Meaty guitar riffs pump all kinds of energy into any rock fan's system, pairing perfectly with a steady bass line and crashing drums. Shaun's tortured scream initiates a pure mosher of a song that is impressive in every way. "Nobody died for you / somebody prayed for me!" Shaun cries. "Remedy", the jumpy, purely addictive first single, smoothly continues this insane momentum that Karma and Effect seems to personify. Upon the first few listens of this song, my feelings toward it seemed to alternate between adoration and indifference. Now, I think I'm stuck in permanent love with the song: that chorus has a freakish ability to glue itself into my head for, literally, hours.

"The Gift" is not only Karma and Effect's first slow song, it is also quite simply the standout of the album. I could easily see this being released as a single later on down the road. Shaun's vocals here are possibly better than ever before: vulnerable, etched with fear and uncertainty about a romantic relationship, perhaps one that he doesn't think he deserves. "I'm so afraid of the gift you give me / I don't belong here..." Complete with an overwhelming tidal waves of beautiful guitars, this song is nothing short of breathtaking.

This self-examining train of thought is continued in the midtempo, airy "Never Leave". Depicting a dependency on a lover, Shaun insists, "She's the one who gets me all excited" before beautifully intoning the conclusion that "...it's all the same in the end." Even moreso with this song, it becomes immediately obvious that Seether has put more effort into their 'softer sound' this time around. While "Fade Away" and "Broken" from Disclaimer II were marvelous vocally, the lyrics and song structure are clearly more well-thought-out -- hence, more impressive -- this time around.

"World Falls Away" has such an earthy, alt-rock vibe, yet at the same time it's not like anything I've ever heard before. Although it does get slightly repetitive at some points, I find it to be one of the most enjoyable offerings on Karma and Effect. Crunchy guitars come to a screeching halt at random points in the song -- but not to the point where it gets sickeningly predictable -- and Shaun really unleashes his lower vocal mumbling here in all the right ways. "I don't need pills when I have drugs like you," he quips. The best way I can describe this song is 'miserable reinforcement'. Continuing the self-examining reel of thought, Shaun seems to be weighing the options of how true his friends really are. Turning a lyrical topic that could be so incredibly yawn-inducing into something captivating is yet another one of this album's pure strengths.

The album's "softest" moment comes in the form of "Plastic Man". Accompaniment is nearly bare, which highlights Shaun's voice perfectly. This song is genuinely stunning. It is delicate, and I fail to see how someone could listen to it and not get at least a little choked up. I would adore to see this performed live someday -- I can already envision people swaying along to the beautiful melodies, waving their lighters. "Someday, I'll sing my last refrain," Shaun acknowledges. I'm not sure if he's ever sounded better than when he sings that particular line. I'm just sitting here in awe of it all.

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When it comes to the 'cons' of Karma and Effect, I'm not left completely speechless, but there really are very few. Surely, this is definitely not an album that will appeal to people who want to look at the cheerful, optimistic side of life 24/7. Surely, this album will disappoint fans of incoherent growls and a frenzy of what sounds like a thousand guitars. The only thing I'd personally change would relate to Shaun's vocal variation, or therefore lack of. Don't get me wrong -- his sound doesn't come off as monotonous; I'd just rather see all the things he's capable of. I do like the fact that he unleashes many, many more bone-chilling screams on Karma and Effect (the chuggy, paranoid "Simplest Mistake", anyone?), and his range is amazing. However, it'd be really cool to see him try out even more. He's definitely capable of all kinds of things, but occasionally resorts to a formula that is much less effective than it really could be (for example, the opening vocal delivery of "Tongue" doesn't really showcase the vivacious promise of the rest of the song).

As I mentioned before, Seether's formula hasn't strayed incredibly from their past work -- but it definitely has developed, which is a great sign. I can't wait to see what the guys come up with in the future. As for now, they give us an emotional offering with sounds to please nearly every side of the rock music spectrum.

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TRACK LISTING

1. Because Of Me
2. Remedy
3. Truth
4. The Gift
5. Burrito
6. Given
7. Never Leave
8. World Falls Away
9. Tongue
10. I'm The One
11. Simplest Mistake
12. Diseased
13. Plastic Man

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MORE SEETHER

Disclaimer II

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Recommended: Yes