On one cold night in a bar in Pennsylvania, members of Seether stripped down to acoustic guitars and played for a small crowd, much to their delight. Yet, even the best of riffs can be pushed aside when overpowered by nasaly whines and a heavy lack of energy from the band. While this is no "Alice In Chains Unplugged," it still somehow manages to have its rare moments of gold.
Just as their album "Disclaimer" began, they open up their set with "Gasoline," which kicks off strong with chugging chords and bending strings. They are able to hold up this type of stripped-down ferocity throughout a couple others, such as "Remedy" and "Diseased." Dale Stewart's bass is a distant rumble throughout a large percentage of the songs, which is unfortunate, even though he does nothing fancy. Pat Callahan seems heavily underused - on stage, merely as decoration and playing some extended chord rhythms and occasional harmonies. Even with some of the instrumentals before two of the songs, where it could have been his moment to shine, he seems uncertain whether to put forth any interesting or creative solos.
Nonetheless, there are highlights that extend past the intense riffs. Their cover of Pearl Jam's "Immortality" is one of the best on the record and allows Callahan some freeplay. Shaun Morgan shows his vocals are best when he doesn't have to conjure some faux-growl but rather when he tones it down in songs like "Sympathetic," "The Gift," "Plastic Man" and even the overly-long-and-boring "Tied My Hands." Through his vocals, whether wince-inducing or pleasantly-intense, he expresses heavy emotions better then most singers out there. But did the band have to be so dull when it came to interaction with the audience? Besides a mumbled "Thanks" after each song, there's not much else.
But if you are going to buy the CD, the DVD is a plus - giving footage of "The Gift" video and an interview following the show, where surprisingly, every one gets their turn to talk. But as for the overall reaction to the recording, take it or leave it.
Recommendations:
Sympathetic
Immortality
Broken
