Seeker
Loss
(Victory)
Seeker are a band that got the short end of the stick, and a lot of it seemed to be due to being mislabeled. Their 2013 debut Unloved was introduced as a chaotic deathcore release at the height of deathcore getting overplayed, and too many people overlooked a deathcore band on Victory. It doesn’t help that Seeker’s brand of sonic insanity owes a debt to 90s death metal and Converge, and we definitely don’t need more bands aping that style. So despite the fact that this band of Texans really didn’t sound like Carnifex or Trap Them, based solely on what little they saw or heard, Seeker fell under the radar a bit. It’s a shame because Unloved was a great listen for fans of The Red Chord and Ion Dissonance, as it hearkened back to when deathcore was exciting and interesting. It wasn’t perfect, as the album was too much power without enough space to give the listener (or the album) room to breathe. Three years later, and with a wealth of touring experience to boot, is the group ready for a more proper introduction?
Thankfully, Seeker sound even more righteously pissed off and disinterested in anything other than sonic violence on album number two. While there is a definite similarity to its too loud past, the band mostly has left the “core” part of the equation out with Loss. Instead, Seeker’s sonic stew is crusty death metal with large heaps of dissonant doom, hardcore, and thrash. Their version of grindcore splits the difference between Nails and The Red Chord, with some bits reminiscent of The Dillinger Escape Plan at both band’s fastest. Seeker’s speed and fury is laudable, but when they slow things down, they expertly channel Neurosis, creating something that is quite beautifully crushing, especially in the impressively suffocating title track and “Swallowed”.
Aside from a couple breakdowns that feel unnecessary and out of place, Seeker have really come into their own with this excellent sophomore record. They sound even more pissed-off and ready to take on the world. By having some songs that give some space in between the glorious hyper blasting of stand-outs like “Rot” and “Throat”, Seeker has learned from their mistakes and come back even sharper than before.
