Biography:
Hailing from South Africa and comprising members Shaun Morgan (vocals, guitar), Dale Stewart (bass), and John Humphrey (drums), Seether embraces a brand of heavy metal mostly associated with the post-grunge era of alternative music, complete with crunchy distortion and brooding textures. The band emerged in 1999 as Saron Gas (a name taken from the back of a sound effects CD) and released their debut album, Fragile, the following year on Musketeer Records. In a country whose musical tastes center around pop and indigenous music, Fragile found impressive chart success. Across the Atlantic, the U.S.-based Wind Up Records caught wind of the band`s growing popularity and signed the South African bandmates, who changed their name to Seether in light of Saron Gas`s similarity to the lethal nerve agent sarin gas.
An EP release and a spot on the Ozzfest tour preceded the unveiling of Seether`s full-length debut in the summer of 2002. Issued that August, Disclaimer featured the modern rock single "Fine Again" and led to a year-long tour, during which singer Morgan`s relationship with Evanescence siren Amy Lee blossomed. But while the tour time ensured increasing commercial status for Seether, it also delayed the band`s return to the studio. In March 2004, a few tracks appeared on the Punisher soundtrack, including a duet version of Disclaimer`s "Broken" featuring vocal contributions from Lee. Disclaimer II appeared that June, pairing a handful of new tracks with remixed or re-recorded versions of the previous album`s tracks. Seether viewed the album as an opportunity to re-evaluate their debut`s release (whose mix was, according to the band, subpar) and gave listeners new content as a holdover until the band`s proper follow-up. The promised sophomore effort, Karma and Effect, was released in May 2005 and entered the Top Ten, while the acoustic CD/DVD package One Cold Night appeared in 2006. Following Morgan`s breakup with Amy Lee and a successful stint in rehab, Seether returned in 2007 with Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces, introducing the album with the snide and catchy single "Fake It."
