Seether @ Hard Rock Biloxi

Words By: Scott Keller Photography By: Canonblue Lalley

Biloxi, MS- Hard Rock Live was living up to its name for Seether's Biloxi tour stop. The venue, which accommodates up to 2,000, was packed from the front of the stage to back bar and up into the balconies with a shoulder to shoulder crowd of Saturday night rockers: people who came en masse and in flannel to see Seether and Seether alone.
    Many people will remember Seether's appearance in Gulfport for the 2014 Uproar Tour/ CPR Fest at Jones Park or at the Coast Coliseum before that, and our Coast Observer Live team last caught up with them over summer at Welcome to Rockville just as they released their latest album, Poison the Parish. After seeing them play at large outdoor festivals and arenas, catching them alone in the somewhat more intimate setting of the Hard Rock offered a nice new perspective, and the band delivered an in-your-face performance from start to finish. 
    Seether's music, and especially the band's live set, has always been characterized by its raw, gritty nature. Pounding drums and bass, dirty guitars and a singing style that is aggressive, soulful and melodic all at once are the trademarks of their sound and style of hard rock. This night was no different, as they blasted through hit after hit from their career with very little banter or pause, save for the occasional ambient, distorted jams in between songs. The crowd stayed pumped, appearing to be equally excited by the first notes of Seether's newest singles, "Let You Down" and "Betray and Degrade" as they were by more established jams such as "Fine Again." Why wouldn't they be? When we caught up with drummer John Humphrey over the summer, he indicated that was most excited about the heavy rock direction of the new songs, and it would seem that the fans agree. One particularly great moment of the evening was singer/guitarist Shaun Morgan's stripped down rendition of the band's hit "Broken," in which he traded off lines with the audience, allowing the entire room to join in for a "duet."
    Clint Lowery of Sevendust has joined up as Seether's touring guitarist for the run, and the addition of his guitar work, backing vocals and stage antics only add to the power of the band's live sound and show. 
    By the time Seether kicked into the crunchy hook of "Remedy," which they stretched out into an extended jam and grand finale, it was a little surprising that more than an hour had already passed since the band took the stage. They performed without any touring or local support that night, so the evening was a bit shorter than standard multi-band shows. The trade off was that every one in attendance was treated to an up close and personal, hard hitting show by one of the biggest bands in active rock. We hope to see them again on the coast soon.
    Poison the Parish is available now. 
    www.Seether.com
    www.HardRockBiloxi.com
    www.CoastObserver.com
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Scott Keller