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Album: Seether: Karma and Effect
Street Date: May 24, 2005
Length: 55:54
Rating: 
Reviewed by: Kristen
Seether’s follow up to the two Disclaimer albums (2002, 2004) is a really impressive piece of work. It’s a lot harder hitting and biting than their previous work, and really grabs the attention of the listener and keeps it for a good 50 minutes. This record is also a lot groovier. And by that, I mean you could almost dance to a lot of the songs. They just have a literal “groove” to them. Seether’s use of guitars is quite interesting on K&E. One can tell that this is Seether, though. It’s not that much of a drastic departure from either Disclaimer album. But there is a definite difference. Shaun Morgan’s lyrics are still amazing though. He really captures his emotions with his words, which is quite beautiful. People might downplay Seether, but one listen to “Karma and Effect,” and I guarantee that a good number of people’s minds will be changed and they will definitely keep the fans they do have.
1. Because of Me- This is one of my favorite tracks off this album. It’s the perfect opener for it. The guitars in it have a distinct crunch to them, and Shaun’s voice is perfectly matched with that. The signature Shaun Morgan scream can be heard in this, but also you can hear that the guy has a nice singing voice during the chorus. This song has single potential written all over it.
2. Remedy- The actual first single off K&E, "Remedy" is a rock chart success. This song is nearly danceable, with the guitar riffs and catchy chorus. It’s a perfect of example of the ‘groove’ I mentioned on this CD. Also though, the guitars are a bit heavier at times, which match the intense lyrics of the song. It’s a really nice combination of groove and darkness, and the almost Willy Wonka-type video for the song really reflects that.
3. Truth- After a slow start, this song really picks up about 20 seconds in, but it isn’t a faster paced track. Again, this track combines Shaun’s screaming and singing, you can even hear double tracking in the chorus. The guitar riff all throughout this song really adds flavor to it, running along Shaun’s voice during the verses. The song ends with crunching guitars and this song also has that groove aspect to it.
4. The Gift- Another favorite of mine off this CD, “The Gift,” is a slow number that picks up slightly during the chorus. Morgan really showcases his lyrical prowess here, and his voice sounds really vulnerable, the lyrics and vocal complement each other extremely well. Again, the instruments are dead on. The instrumental aspect that sticks out most to me here are the drums (done by John Humphrey).
5. Burrito- Once again, another favorite track of mine. Despite its almost campy title, this song is quite amazing. The guitar really makes this song, despite Shaun Morgan’s redundancy lyrically in some spots (listen to previous Seether songs "Hang On," and "Broken," and you’ll understand that). The transitions from pre-chorus to chorus is also interesting, slightly switching up tempos.
6. Given- One of the tracks off the album, that I don’t really enjoy all that much. It’s good, don’t get me wrong, but it almost seems as if some of the verses drag. The chorus is well structured though, with Shaun switching up the softer vocals and screamed vocals, in addition to the great guitar work on this track from Shaun and Pat Callahan.
7. Never Leave- A well put together love song, that’s really all that can be said about this. Lyrically it’s really good, and the instrumentation is dead on.
8. World Falls Away- My favorite part of this song is the chorus. It’s a typical Seether rock song, if you enjoy Seether this track will appeal to you.
9. Tongue- A straight forward rock track. A bit slower paced than say, "Because of Me," the vocals are overall softer on this track. It’s a mellower track, and the layered vocals really just make it for me.
10. I'm the One- Guitar, bass and drums work really well together here to make the perfect hard rock track. Add to that Shaun Morgan giving his all on the rough around the edges vocal, and its just adding to the perfection.
11. Simplest Mistake- The drumming in this track, again, is amazing. That’s the part that really sticks out for me. You can really hear the bass too, which is really cool sounding. Again in this track, hard guitars and soft vocals and contrasting screams make it work really well.
12. Diseased- This tracks starts off rather ominously, in my opinion. And the bass and drums also stick out here. Also, the all too familiar continuous guitar riff that goes along with Morgan’s voice is present. The whole song has a really dark vibe to it. The title is perfect for it. Morgan showcases his two-sided vocals here really well here, growling really well and also having really good soft vocals intertwined throughout the track. Great stuff.
13. Plastic Man- It seems like Seether went for the slow closing track here, similar to Disclaimer’s "Broken." Although this song doesn't appeal all that much to me compared with the rest of the album, it is good. The guitar work, which I’m assuming is done by Morgan, is really beautiful almost. And his words really come forth as sincere, with his delivery.
14. Bonus Track- This song is very fun. The guitar in this song almost sounds as if it could be a slide guitar, but the notes are definitely plucked, it sounds. Shaun gives a very humorous vocal, and it just sounds like the whole band had fun recording this. Great choice for a bonus track, in my opinion.
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