THE SEER

Listening to music for pleasure is all the rage, but what about listening to music for pain? Music for masochists, stuff that is displeasing to listen to but still fills the void of sound to where it is very preferable. You could try Harsh Noise like Merzbow, or perhaps some intense Drone Metal like Boris or Sunn O))). However, say you want something a bit more in the Rock vein of things that aren't just Noise; something to jam to and experience. Something brimming with energy more so than anything else. Well, my friend, let me introduce you to Swans. Swans is the only band I consider in the realm of Rock, more specifically Post Rock, to be music for displeasure. This is not to say they are bad, in fact I absolutely love their scary music with all my heart. Such powerful musicianship they have raised since their debut of Filth in '83. Their works from their No Wave powerhouses of Cop, to their Gothic Folk Rock lamentations of White Light From the Mouth of Infinity, to their early Post Rock workings of Soundtracks For The Blind, to their now new era of excellency, the band has gone through the thick of it that they have grown old, experienced, and absolutely brilliant. I found their music to be extremely powerful in every way, but never in their career have I never finished an album of theirs fully. Even some of their most insane, skull kicking records were pretty much easy to get through, albeit very bizarre and scary. That is, though, with the exception of The Seer.

Me and The Seer is something I cannot shake off. Ever since my first attempt, just something about it, while not rubbing me in the wrong way, was very overwhelming for me. This was one year ago in 2021 when I was a Sophomore in high school, when I was still experimenting with what music I liked most. I was listening to Mother Mother, Magma, Arctic Monkeys, Nine Inch Nails. It was a brewing pot of different artists and their ideas that would later shape my life experiences with music as a whole, resulting in who I am now. Swans was amongst those artists, and I always felt a strange connection to their music. I decided, around that time, to give The Seer a chance, and my first experience with this album was so mesmerizing, but so overbearing that before getting into A Piece Of The Sky I turned it off because it felt so intense. Looking at it now, with a much broader musical palette and more of a craving for some intense music, I can see why it was so strong for me. I just couldn't handle such power. Safe to say I was not ready for psychological warfare in my music.

After listening to it again, fully this time around, man, was I missing out on some amazing music. This is still not my favorite Swans album since that goes to To Be King, but The Seer does scratch my itch for cathartic music. Its power and presence alone is quite a treat for me in the grand scheme of things, and even if not all the songs can be real home runners like the title track, The Seer Returns, Song For A Warrior, or Lunacy, 99% of the tracks on here have moments that make me feel like I am both getting embraced in comfort, whilst also getting pelted by bricks in a guerilla war zone. The band's performances, combining Folk, Drone, American Gothic Country, Post Punk, Noise, and even a tiny bit of Brutal Prog to their mix of Post Rock really makes for performances that can be both highly profound and heartfelt, but also be highly brutal and oftentimes scarring. This album is not for those who want easy listening. As I said before, this is music for pain, and no matter what type of pain it is, this album will have it.

I absolutely love Michael Gira's singing here. I think his voice ages like a fine wine the older he grows. He has that outlaw charm to his voice, combined with the more grueling musical arrangements and you get a combination of both power, glory, and wit.

The Seer, for me, has the strongest feat of making the best masochistic music you'll ever hear, but because of it comes the fault of it being too overwhelming. This is a nearly two hour goliath of a record, spanning tracks that take well over 15 minutes, sometimes reaching upwards to the 30s. Despite all the praises I can give for this album, I must address that this is certainly an album that should be digested in small doses. Don't be like me and eat it whole, because this album demands everything from you. Your attention, your thoughts, your fears. 'Stead of listening to the near 2 hours catharsis of music on here, listen to 2 or 4 tracks and after a while, listen to another 2 or 4 tracks that you haven't heard before. Maybe start with the smaller tracks and then to the bigger epics. The album's biggest high and low I can say is that it is overwhelming and demanding, which is what I expect from a Swans release, but for some who want to check out the band or this album, maybe take the album on a date first and get to know it on its smaller, more subtler moments rather than its grander scale sores.

That said, what The Seer has to offer is music that should be experienced at least once in people's lives. There will never be another album in the history of Swans like The Seer, and I think that is perfectly fine. The Seer is Swans' first of three albums that have their own unique twists and turns, and The Seer is merely one of many great examples of the band's power and glory over Post Rock. I'll say, if you are curious about the stasis of experimental music back then or now, put on a Swans record, because I guarantee you that you'll have something quite special in your hands. An amazing record that I think holds its own in the sea of Lift Your Skinny Fists and Happy Songs For Happy Peoples.