Seether at Terminal 5

Shaun Morgan

Seether formed as Saron Gas in 1999 in Pretoria, South Africa, renaming itself in 2002 after the song "Seether" by Veruca Salt. Saron Gas and Seether's initial sound was inspired by the American grunge bands of the previous decade, combining a hard sound with melodic vocals. Seether's eight albums have total worldwide sales in excess of 4.5 million. Seether's most recent album, Isolate and Medicate, was released on July 1, 2014. Seether presently consists of founding members Shaun Morgan (vocals/guitar)and Dale Stewart (bass), with Oklahoma native John Humphrey (drums). The band's former guitar tech, Bryan Wickmann, joined the current tour as lead guitarist.

Opening for Papa Roach at Terminal 5 tonight, Seether brought its large backdrop and hung a skull with antlers from one of the three microphone stands. As the houselights dimmed, Seether came on stage and launched into one of its first radio hits, "Gasoline," originally recorded by Saron Gas, and "Rise Above This," written in the aftermath of the suicide of Morgan's brother. The show boasted minimal surprises; in the one-hour set, Seether performed the band's 12 songs most often played on rock radio. Nevertheless, the quartet managed to make the songs more than auto-repeat; the songs come alive with a crisp sound, dynamic energy, solid musicianship and, most of all, Morgan's strong vocals. This quality was especially showcased on the quieter songs like "Broken." Even as the band returned to clobbering hard rock, Morgan's deep and darkly passionate vocals stood out.

Visit Seether at www.seether.com.