Several years ago, I was reviewing a steady string of super heavy, angular, metal bands like The Minor Times,  The Red Chord, Apiary, Swarm of the Lotus, Harlots, Engineer, Animosity,  Ion Dissonance and Into the Moat. Well, Dallas TX’s Seeker has tapped into that sound on their Victory Records debut and unleashed arguably one of Victory Records’s best and heaviest records of the last few years.

These guys would be right at home on Black Market Activities as  this 10 track, sub 30 minute salvo is a unadulterated assault of burly, stuttering, lurching riffs, scatter shot blasts and pissed off vocals that combine into a early Dillinger Escape Plan on steroids sound that’s punishing but still delivers something other than sheer noise.

Each of the 10 tracks, most a little over 2 minutes with a few longer, more developed numbers (and one short, lumbering interlude, “Regret”)  come crashing in with an dominating presence and an equally powerful guitar tone. Vocalist Bruce Lucien has a menacing roar and feral screams, layering the discordant, dissonance backbone with a really pissed feel. While this style and this album isn’t about standouts, and for sure short sharp bursts like “Alone”, “Pale Death” the vitriolic punk blast of “”Unloved” and “When Hope Fails” and ” will peel your skin off, the couple of moodier, longer tracks like “Salvation” and closer “Escape” reign things in with a little more lope and lurching grooves. They offer a little respite from the acidic onslaught of the other tracks, but still deliver a truly intimidating sound.

Seeker offer up a real shot in the arm for a maligned label that’s been under fire for a few years, even with a few death metal diversions. Seeker delivers honest to goodness noise that the label was once famous for.

[Visit the band's website]

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