Written by Bill Whiting
Seether’s appearance at Cincinnati’s Bogarts on September 16 was full of dramatic power and daring, instrumental prowess. The Pretoria, South African unit was on tour promoting their latest effort, Holding Onto Strings Better Left to Fray. The blaring, ear piercing lead guitar lines of lead vocalist and axe master Shaun Morgan could be heard outside of the venerable Cincinnati nightclub. A pounding version of “Gasoline” from their 2002 recording, Disclaimer, ensued, and the floor inside the building became a twisting, tidal wave mass of writhing bodies, bouncing to Seether’s trance worthy grooves. The audience became a major player at the concert, singing boisterously on the FM staple from Disclaimer, “Broken.” Drummer John Humphrey wowed the crowd with a brutally intense drum solo before the group coalesced around the radio ready hit, “Country Song” from the Holding Onto Strings Better Left to Fray project. Morgan’s pitch perfect scream found a home on the feedback and distortion laden “Fake It” from the 2007 disc, Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces. The South African trio combined a ferocious, grunge styled improvisational method with slamming rhythms, and soaring harmonies to compliment the chart topping material from Holding Onto Strings Better Left to Fray. It was an exhilarating performance for the ages, and left one in great anticipation of Seether’s next album and Cincinnati area appearance.
