[Combat Chuck]

Alright, I've been asked by a certain someone to resurrect this topic with my own opinion of Seraphim. So don't go shit happy all over my ass for posting on a three week old topic....

Alright, here's my take.

Seraphim. Two of the three guys in the band are my closest friends, the others are good acquaintances. My opinion of their music is not my opinion of the band members themselves.

With that said, I like Seraphim. Heh, I prepared you all for a massive slam, and I didn't deliver. Sorry.

But I'll elaborate.

When listening to their first album for the first time, the first thing (yeah, the first thing) was that it didn't have any of the power that they possess during live shows.

As most of us, the first time we heard Seraphim was at a live concert. So, it was disappointing to hear that their CD lacked the "oomph" that made their live performances so great.

You may not like their music, you may not like the guys, but you can't say that they don't put on a kick-mutha-fuckin-ass live show. These guys visibly put time and effort and love into what they have crafted, and while they themselves have some less than affectionate opinions of some of their sound, they still keep it close to their bosoms like that of a mother to her suckling child.

But enough about their own opinions. What do I think of the music?

I also agree with Titan in saying that they need more.....rounded music. And I'm not talking about the sound. You can't form a rock band these days and escape being categorized with the predecessors that have revolutionized and defined the industry. You just can't. Of course god-like bands such as Tool, Incubus, A Perfect Circle, and maybe even Radiohead (talkin bout olskool Radiohead...) are going to be brought up when talking about Seraphim. However, if you talk to the guys, you'll notice that those are their favorite bands. Those are their influence.

No, what I am talking about doesn't involve cookie-cutting, or stealing. I'm talking about the actual crafting of the songs. Know what I'm talking about? Sort of? Let me indulge myself further.

First off, realize that I am basing this opinion off of their first album, and the songs off of it. I have only heard the beginning stages of some of their new stuff, and I'll get to that later.

Initium. (First off, damn sweet title). If you listen straight through, you will hear three types of sounds. The quiet picking. The loud distortion. The buildage (the in-between of picking and distortion). Sure, you say, that's what you get with any other rock band. I say, yeah, but then, listen some more.

Then you realize that all of the songs are crafted in the same manner. Quiet picking during the verse, loud distortive chorus, leads to quiet picking verse, throw in an interlude of sorts, LOUD DISTORTIVE FINISH....maybe sometimes a quiet pick finish after loud distortive chorus.

There are a few tracks thrown in that showcase these factors in a mixed fashion, but you still get the bankable three.

However, if it was only that, I'd say Seraphim is a throw away band. But the fact is, while most of the songs may sound like clones of each other, they all have something in and of themselves that set them apart. Since I do not have the CD with me right now, I can't give any examples (yeah, I'm copping out), but I've talked to some band members and they say the same thing.

However, this is what music is. You can't start out with your formula molded and built exactly to what makes great music. You have to test the water, see what works for you, then test some more to make sure that what works for you is what works for the rest of your band members, then see what works for the audience. It's tough stuff. I know, I'm in the process of working through my own written music.

So, all in all, to cut this off at only a mildly Bible-ish length, Seraphim has loads of discovered talent, and undiscovered potential. I've heard some of their new stuff, and I can see that they are already breaking off from their formula of the first album and reaching out for some really sweet sounding sounds. It's the progression that is always made by good bands, and Seraphim....they're a good band.

[This message has been edited by Combat Chuck (edited December 24, 2002).]

[This message has been edited by Combat Chuck (edited December 24, 2002).]