Seether, “The Surface Seems So Far.”

When it comes to heavy grunge-inspired rock with anthemic melodies, few bands deliver as reliably as Seether. The South African band has been making solid hard rock for the better part of two decades, and the trend continues on The Surface Seems So Far. 

Shaun Morgan and co. again lean into their soft-to-heavy dynamics to find a winning formula. That’s best exemplified on edgy opener “Judas Mind,” which rises from dark and moody harmonies on the verses to a soaring chorus.

The riffs keep coming on “Illusion,” which goes even harder, Morgan pushing his vocals into rougher terrain. At times it recalls Alice In Chains, but with a heavier sensibility.

The band’s other strength is writing melodic mid-tempo rockers. “Beneath the Veil” fills that requirement on this album, with a sneaky swagger on the verses before exploding again for there chorus. What works especially well on The Surface Seems So Far is that Seether maintains its sound and personality without fitting a radio rock mold. Will it still find a place on the radio? Sure. But these songs don’t sound like they were written in a quest for a hit.

The band takes a breather on the heavier “Semblance of Me,” but this song also eventually explodes with ferocity by the end. “Walls Come Down” trades in the edge for straightforward rock, before the riffage return on “Try to Heal,” a guitar-driven track with a powerful rhythm building the foundation. Morgan stays on the top of his game for “Paint the World,” which shows off the pained aggression in his voice. Lyrically, the material hits on some familiar heavy rock themes of frustration and loneliness.

“You make me feel like a failure I’ve become/ You’re breaking a fever on shutting out the sun,” he sings on the grungy, infectious “Same Mistake.”

As The Surface Seems So Far progresses, the guitars continue to rumble lower and lower and the songs churn with an attack that doesn’t let up. Unlike some past Seether records, the acoustic guitars stay in the closest; this album isn’t about balladry. It’s a barrage of hard rock that will translate well to the stage. On top of that—or because of it—there’s no over-embellishment in production by Morgan and Matt Hyde (Deftones, Slayer). It just sounds like a rock band in a room. That rawness lends itself to Morgan’s vocals.

Closing tracks “Dead on the Vine” and “Regret” hit with the same fiery power as at the album’s beginning. Despite this, it never feels like Seether is rehashing material. It’s impressive that the band remains reliable nine albums in, long after its breakout debut, Disclaimer. For longtime fans, there’s a lot to like here.

Follow writer Mike DeWald at Twitter.com/mike_dewald.