Seether

Seether were formed when frontman Shaun Morgan went to see a local band and witnessed Dale Stewart sinking a succession of beers while thrashing around on bass, and decided on the spot he wanted to work with him. The pair then embarked on a decade-long journey that eventually saw Seether become one of the most successful hard rock acts in America. Originally called Saron Gas, their mix of gritty grunge, surly punk and raging metal proved completely alien to their home town of Pretoria in South Africa, yet their debut album Disclaimer in 2002 led to an appearance at Ozzfest and a support slot on Evanescence's world tour. Love blossomed between Morgan and Evanescence singer Amy Lee during the tour, and she helped the band achieve their first US top 20 hit by appearing on single “Broken”. Relentless touring helped produce the US top 10 albums Karma and Effect in 2005 and Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces in 2007, but their hard partying lifestyle resulted in Morgan winding up in rehab. Things got worse when his brother committed suicide in 2007, but he channelled his heartbreak into the stripped down and highly emotional Holding Onto Strings Better Left to Fray (2011), reaching number two in the US Album Charts. Maintaining their hold on the US charts with their next effort, Isolate and Medicate (2014), the group reached number four in the US charts, subsequently touring with stateside rock band 3 Doors Down to promote the LP. Remaining popular despite a noticeable wane in their chart performances, the group returned in 2017 with the US #14 smash Poison the Parish. They adopted the Latin mantra “If you want peace, prepare for war” on their eighth album, 2020’s Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum, which regained its early audience by ranking at number 37 on the American charts. After an acoustic interlude with the EP Acoustic Originals (2023), Seether brought out the electric guitars on The Surface Seems So Far (2024), closer to metal than alternative rock.