Review by Alex on February 13, 2019.

Sometimes it’s easy to tell whether or not a band loves what they do and this is one of those instances. Seer’s 2nd full-length record is a classic, from the artwork to the music to the vocals, all that can be said is, “ooh,... ahh!”. Landscaping guitars inject rhythms of tenderness and solace whilst contrasting the harshly exerted vocals. The drumming tramps along whilst trying to referee this battle amongst magical guitar passages, solos and leads as the keyboards sit in the background playing along to this quarrelsome clashing of musical prowess. This is one dreamy doom metal record with resounding replay-value and immersion. And for those of you that love Enslaved (current) and Gojira’s music, there are a few surprises on Vol. 6 for you.

The enchanting and cinematic opening of Vol. 6 titled “Oath of Exile” bleeds into the 2nd track “Iron Worth Striking”, and let me say it here; this is definitely worth more than one listen. There is so much offered on this song alone that you may end up repeating it several times before advancing to the following, which are just as enticing. How was this work of insurmountable sagacity accomplished?, I asked myself during the time spent listening. Given the fact Seer is branded as being doom/sludge metal, I already had a preconceived notion of what to expect sound-wise, I certainly was not prepared to be astonished in such a way. What Seer did is unconventional to an extent; they layered the basics of doom metal and sludge metal as the supporting ground work, then built upon it with by utilizing a series of intertwined playing styles borrowed from multiple genres. Over time the music begins to take the form of stoner doom, traditional doom, post-black metal and progressive metal, all the while channeling a steady and balanced rhythmic consistency. Though multiple disciplines are poked at, Seer remembers to keep the music within the parameters of their respective genre; as it’s easy to get lost when trying to fuse so many identities together. 

The vocals strive to be its own star on Vol. 6; they vary among mid-ranged growls, harsh screams, speed-metal-esque exclamations and some phenomenal clean singing. They are truly something special on this record, in-fact, you look forward to hearing them, given how much of a delight they are to the ears. “Frost Tulpa” is a special one because it offers the most progressive instrumentation on Vol. 6; it’s a fine piece of music that elevates the vocal aspect of Seer’s music to a new height. More passion is exerted through the clean singing, rough snarls and growls, giving a feeling that truly captures the gorgeous cover artwork of the record. And with the zenith of Vol. 6’s “As the Light Fades” slowly approaching, you begin to understand the purpose behind each track; it was all a build-up to that moment of everlasting flummox. This is the track that binds the album, it pushes the boundary of the listener’s thought musically and lyrically whilst birthing a sense of seclusion and divinity. This is a fine example of music that strikes at the core of rhythmic intoxication. 

The lyrics, so intelligently written throughout the record achieves its peak of sophistication, prudence and wisdom on “As the Light Fades”. That middle section just beginning at the 4 minute mark… so, so good.

“God's hand extends
Crown of horn, pure of heart
Void sphere envelops 
Bridging realms, preserving life” 

If you’re someone that appreciates this beautiful, life-sustaining world that this plague know as humans have been so fortunate yet unquestionably un-deserving to inherit, then this is an album that belongs in your collection. I’m shocked that Seer are not a more well-known unit as they deserve to be; however, with Vol. 6 being such an enveloping experience, that will change. As Spring approaches and the temperature begins to warm, this is the perfect music to usher its arrival.

Rating: 9.2 out of 10 

Review by JD on November 17, 2010.

I love getting a new release from a band I had reviewed beforehand. Seeing if the band had a musical growth or if they ended up being somewhat a complete and utter tragic collapse is pretty much what I live for. S.D.D. is one of those bands that have come around for another time of picking my brain. Lets see if the band swam or sunk like a stone.

I had originally written how amazingly fun this band was. Crossed between old styled Punk Rock like the Dead Kennedys and metal in the vein of Motorhead, they are not what you would call a technical sort of band, but they great at what they do. Passion added in with a good amount of fun make a band just plainly enjoyable. Plainly put this band really does show that you don’t have to be axe-slinger gods to make some great music. Now as the two song CD single plays in the machine... the proof is in the pudding, but the pudding is spoiled.

The track called 'Atheist' starts off, a raucous sort of riff, that is not very original. It is catchy for a moment or two, but it lacks the spark they had on their previous release and becomes boring real fast. 'Hangman Blues' is a good song, but hardly ualifying as their best. It seemed that instead of going forward, they kind of lost both their way and fun. Gone is the old school
Punk and Motorhead things... now it is just bad Punk.

Hope the rest of the album when it comes out is way fucking better. If this is any indication, it will not be good. And for my original question... the answer is- they sank like a stone and drowned here, deciding not to swim a stroke. Sad!. On their first release that I had the pleasure of reviewing, they were amazing and fun, but not here. S.D.D. have turned into a band I do not want to hear anymore.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship:6
Atmosphere: 5
Production: 7
Originality: 4
Overall: 5

Rating: 5.4 out of 10

Review by JD on November 17, 2010.

I love getting a new release from a band I had reviewed beforehand. Seeing if the band had a musical growth or if they ended up being somewhat a complete and utter tragic collapse is pretty much what I live for. S.D.D. is one of those bands that have come around for another time of picking my brain. Lets see if the band swam or sunk like a stone.

I had originally written how amazingly fun this band was. Crossed between old styled Punk Rock like the Dead Kennedys and metal in the vein of Motorhead, they are not what you would call a technical sort of band, but they great at what they do. Passion added in with a good amount of fun make a band just plainly enjoyable. Plainly put this band really does show that you don’t have to be axe-slinger gods to make some great music. Now as the two song CD single plays in the machine... the proof is in the pudding, but the pudding is spoiled.

The track called 'Atheist' starts off, a raucous sort of riff, that is not very original. It is catchy for a moment or two, but it lacks the spark they had on their previous release and becomes boring real fast. 'Hangman Blues' is a good song, but hardly ualifying as their best. It seemed that instead of going forward, they kind of lost both their way and fun. Gone is the old school
Punk and Motorhead things... now it is just bad Punk.

Hope the rest of the album when it comes out is way fucking better. If this is any indication, it will not be good. And for my original question... the answer is- they sank like a stone and drowned here, deciding not to swim a stroke. Sad!. On their first release that I had the pleasure of reviewing, they were amazing and fun, but not here. S.D.D. have turned into a band I do not want to hear anymore.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship:6
Atmosphere: 5
Production: 7
Originality: 4
Overall: 5

Rating: 5.4 out of 10

Review by Felix on January 3, 2021.

A Japanese band on Nuclear War Now! – this alone borders on cynicism. But August 1945 is long gone and there are more things on earth I will never understand. One thing is for sure, you cannot select more generic names than “Evil” for your combo and Possessed by Evil for your second full-length. Needless to say that the debut was called Rites of Evil and the here presented album offers four song titles with this seemingly magical word.

Perhaps right now you think that the formation from the Far East is musically very limited as well. Well, you almost hit the nail on the head. In their best moments, Evil celebrate a high quality orgy of one-dimensional black thrash. The drummer buys his kits by “Kamikaze Drums” exclusively – once these kits have been used for a recording session, they do not return alive. He prefers an ultra-fast approach and the minimalistic guitar lines channel his fury into the right direction. Tracks like 'Yaksa' or 'Revenge' are not too far away from crustcore or extreme punk. At first glance, they sound very primitive, but don’t underestimate their power and impact. These songs are reduced to the essentials and sometimes they add an extremely pathological touch, for example the sick solo at the beginning of 'Paramount Evil'.

However that may be, these thunderous high-speed rockets form the highlights of an album which also holds songs that tend to black’n’roll ('Raizin', for example) or intend to create a gloomy atmosphere (the beginning of the title track). These differently attacking pieces are solidly designed and maybe they are necessary to avoid an album which lacks dynamic. Anyway, the fascinating component in the sound of Evil is its radical element and it goes without saying that it gets most obvious the more the Japanese are hell-bent to fire from all barrels. At the end of the day, it does not matter. Possessed by Evil lives up to its name and there dwells an anarchic element in the fury of the sound that reminds me of the unconventionality of Venom’s “Welcome to Hell”. No doubt, Evil want to be very evil. This is probably not very original and maybe almost puerile, but I am fine with this mentality as long as the result sounds as glorious as the album reviewed here.

Finally, I have to mention two further positive elements. Firstly, the vocals, once often a weak point of bands from the Far East, do not lack rawness and volume. They are not very charismatic, rather pretty ordinary, but absolutely okay. Secondly, the production does justice to the song material. It has a noisy touch, but it catches the rage of the guys from Nippon fittingly. So if you want an album which frees the ear canals from dirt in a matter of seconds, this Japanese terror attack is for you, even though the closer cannot keep the quality of the previous songs.

Rating: 7.8 out of 10