Seer : "Vol 6"

Here is a new album from this Canadian band that often rides then line between doom and sludge. "Iron Worth Striking" is the first actually song, despite the atmospheric instrumental that serves as an intro. The first vocals we get are cleanly sung. The are a crooned baritone, that is metal in it's intent. They are pretty much progressive sludge, as the song it winding and not content just bludgeoning you. Growled vocals do surface , but they are followed by higher more dramatic almost power metal like vocals. "Seven Stars , Seven Stones" has a big lurking riff that hold an almost nu- metal like tension to it's melodic groove. More sonic layers of guitar come in putting this more on the side of progressive metal. I'm pretty impressed by the vocals this time around.

The guitar solos on this album are pretty tasteful, but along with the high pitched falsetto screams mixed to sound distant they help solidify their progression in a more proggy band. Thus proving why the genre is called progressive metal, as they were not content maintaining the sound from their previous album, not that they are obsessed with shredding. "Frost Tulpa" opens with clean melodic guitar. The baritone croon of the vocals is somewhat like King Diamond's mid range moan. It builds up with heavier intensity growing into growls. Harsher vocals have more of a trade off on "As the Light Fades". There are also synths and some stoner rock like riffs. I don't think this song is as focused in its intent as the previous songs.  It does end on a some what darker note before picking up the pace. While in some ways these guys are all over the place on this album, it all works with the general over all sound.

Though I might have to go back and give their previous album another listen, I think the production is better in that it creates a denser more metallic sound . So if you wanted a heavier album from these guys then you got it. Song writing wise, I like where the vocals go , but overall it feels less focused like I said before. This kind finds the album not gaining moment later on. Overall it's a solid listen with the first couple of songs being the strongest. I will give this an 8.5. This album is released February 8th.