THE SEER

The Seer is somehow both a culmination of meticulous technical practice, and lightning in a bottle. Swans, along with additional musicians from YGR partner bands, manage to bring forth a very rich and varied selection of sound. As an additional miracle, this rich selection of voices manages to be a cohesive whole.

The soundscapes are very oppressive, with heavy droning and noise being poured down on the listener. This oppression is occasionally broken by more light tracks like "The Daugther brings the water", letting the listener recover for the next noise barrage. The soundscapes themselves are varied with their instruments, and at points more experimental sound sources get blended into the mix, like fire crackle or breathing.

Thematically The Seer can be summarized by the following; "Hatred of God". It's a bit more nuanced than that, but when boiled down it's the same old theme present in earlier Swans albums. This time the reflection is that humans are ravaging and defiling the earth with no remorse or care, and god is despicable for bringing such creatures into the world and letting them roam free. The Seer character is brought into a doomed world, despairs, and becomes an apostate that curses God.

The Seer is a very dear record for me. Even as it is filled spite and hatred for the world, I see it as an starting point for spiritual healing, and re-discovering the joys of life. This has mainly to do with the interviews Michael Gira has given after the album's release and the following live tour, as he seemed more optimistic after it. The Swans material following The Seer is also more light in comparison to it, not by much, but its noticeable. It's this contrast with the rest of the discography that makes me appreciate The Seer as much as I do, it's hate being a spiritual cleansing that prepares both the artist and the listener for a new, more honest begining.