Seether are an outfit who boasts arguably one of the best singers in modern rock music in the shape of the Mr Iron Lungs himself; Shaun Morgan. Therefore, you don’t have to possess the tactical nouse of José Mourinho to figure out that a live acoustic album is a smart move, drawing attention to singing thrust at the band’s disposal that is akin conjoining the impact of Chris Cornell and Eddie Vedder. ‘Gasoline’ from the ‘Disclaimer 11’ album, captures the grunge spirit and burns it with lyrical disenchantment and a grinding backdrop, much to the appreciation of a Chicago crowd .The wallowing ‘Driven Under’ grabs dingy life and shakes it into shape with power and of course a little bit of emotion, dropping gritty reflection upon proceedings from a height that is ascended by the passion pushed vocals.

Metallic outbursts seem to have a bigger impact and effect coming from a shallower musical base, as increasingly the CD explores rock/post grunge music from a refreshing perspective. Appreciative audience yelps hit their peak for a Staind style interlude of ‘Truth’ that bobbles up and down on a percussion free-ride. The winding acoustic workmanship of Pat Callaghan joins the dots on most of the offerings, to bridge the gap left by the revolving power of their full band sound. Of course, many people’s first memory of Seether (and still the only one for some!), is ‘Broken’ which has, in the past, featured a guest appearance from Evanescence’s Amy Lee. On this outing it is turned into a solo-vocal power ballad that you can sense soaring around the venue. Also, on the accompanying DVD of the show, you can see the looks on the crowd’s face as the stripped down sound creates and emotional tie around them. Seether’s versatility seems to have created a shell that protects them against the sharp predator of trends and fads, something that picks off modern bands with the ruthlessness a lurking viper.

David Adair