The Victory Records diversity showcase: following reviews of the bands Close Your eyes and Neurotic November (who deal in Progressive Melodic Hardcore/ Pop Punk and MetalCore/ DeathCore respectively) we now come to part 3 of the showcase with a band best categorized (in a general way) under the Death Metal label [this Dallas, Texas based band is not to be confused with the (again active since 2011) American Heavy Metal act from Pennsylvania].
Founded as a five-piece band in the fall of 2011 from the remains of local bands The Handshake Murders, Syrens and Dear Creator (none of which I was capable of finding info about in the short time I allowed myself to spend on it), the band went through several bassists and drummers in their short career, and even started out with a separate singer. In the early line-up comprised of singer Tanner Allen, guitarists Bryce Lucien and Justin Edgerton, bassist Tyler Griffis, and drummer Dustin Weaver, the band self-recorded a self-produced EP which, with influences ranging from August Burns and After The Burial to Thrice and Cities Burn, nevertheless knew to attract the attention of such important media as Alternative Press, Metal Insider, and many more, thanks to the high degree of professionalism that exhuded from the material and recordings. After that, some internal changes took place, which came to some stability in November 2012 with the band reducing to a foursome, with Lucien taking over vocal duties, and Chris Keasler handling the bass. In early 2013 a last line-up change would occur with Andy Torres taking over the drum stool. Along the way, the band played gigs on an almost interrupted schedule, and toured with such music industry important bands as Whitechapel, Stray From The Path, and Impending Doom.
Now, as you can expect from a band signed to Victory, Seeker is no ordinary Death Metal band. To call 'em “technical” is an understatement, and although there's plenty of breaks (very reminiscent of Post-Hardcore) and turns, the guys manage to keep the important element of melody alive, without letting off the aggressivity! The resulting conglomerate of music is an exhilarating mixture which is in parts Noise Rock, MetalCore, Technical Death Metal, and even MathCore. The whole, of course, topped with a singer whom screams his off his head from the bowels up! In fact, their motto is “Art, community, and aggressive non-conformity above all else”. Among the acts the band also likes, you'll find the likes of Dillinger Escape Plan, Converge, The Locust, Amenra, Ion Dissonance, Cult Of Luna, and Old Man Gloom, and that should tell you enough about what to expect from this quartet. If the picture however isn't clear enough, you might check the band's Spotify page, or the “Bandpage” section at (www.) facebook.com/seekertx, where you can listen to two songs (“Alone” and “Pale Death” - the first featuring Corey of Bermuda, by the way) off the new album, as well as to two older tracks (and a video of one). At the album's page at (www.) victoryrecords.com, you'll also find the possibility to view the new album's leading video (for the track “When Hope Fails”).
If the bands mentioned in the above paragraph conform to your musical taste, then by all means check out Seeker, but know in advance that this band doesn't let off the aggression a second! Great stuff this, and exactly the more aggressive yet complex kind of album I was looking for to make a temporary difference in the stuff I'm currently reviewing! Yeah man, material for that “Best 2013 Albums”-lists of mine!