AN NCS PREMIERE: SEER — “ANTIBODY”

 

In the spring of this year I came across an extremely impressive debut EP by a band from Vancouver, British Columbia, named Seer. Entitled Vol. 1, it was self-released by the band late last year and consisted of two songs, “Glimmervoid” and “Hive Mind”. By the time I encountered the music (and praised it here), the Art of Propaganda label had announced that it had signed Seer for the release of a full-length debut that would include not only Vol. 1 but also four new songs under the name Vol. 2. Now we know that Art of Propaganda will release Vol. 1 & 2 on January 22, and we’re pleased to bring you the premiere of a song from Vol. 2 named “Antibody“.

I confess that one of the reasons I was first drawn to Seer’s music was the fact that they live in the Pacific Northwest, surrounded by the same combination of mountains, evergreen forests, rivers, lakes, and ocean that surround my own home base of Seattle, albeit about 150 miles further north. Like many bands in this region, the spectacular natural setting has influenced their music — along with an interest in fantasy, sic-fi, and the occult. And so while music  reflects in certain ways the distinctive Cascadian atmosphere of this region, the band’s lyrical focus ventures beyond the bounds of what we see around us.

 

 

We are told that the lyrical content of Vol. 1 portrays”an ever-expanding narrative journey across bleak and barren realms, boundless primordial landscapes, and even further into the celestial beyond,” while in Vol. 2 “the journey reaches a feverish, almost nightmarish pitch, portraying the mental battle that occurs during this journey.”

There is definitely an overhang of impending calamity in “Antibody”, due in part to the dual vocals on the song — both the powerful, reverberating clean wails and the ghastly growls. But what really generates mental images of reality coming apart around you and crashing to its knees in defeat are the massive, fuzz-bombed riffs and crashing drum blows. And when you throw in the narcotic guitar solo that rears its reptilian head near the end, you start thinking about a mind on the brink of collapse as well.

 

 

This song grabbed me by the throat within the first few seconds — that sludgy opening riff is headbanger’s paradise — and Seer don’t let go from then until the song’s end. Nor is “Antibody” an outlier; Seer have already proved on Vol. 1 that they can shake you like a rag doll while filling your head with psychoactive smoke. And if perchance you haven’t tumbled to Vol. 1 yet, Seer put out a very cool music video for the second track off that EP (“Hive Mind”) in August that I’m including below, right after our premiere of “Antibody”.

Vol. 1 & 2 features cover art by Adam Burke, and this is the track list:

1. Glimmervoid
2. Hive Mind
3. Cosmic Ghost
4. Haunter
5. Antibody
6. Aeons

The album will be released on January 22, 2016, both physically and digitally, and it will be available for order here:

www.art-of-propaganda.de
artofpropaganda.bandcamp.com

www.facebook.com/seervancouver
seerbc.bandcamp.com/releases