What is the Seeded Planet (http://www.theseededplanet.com)? It is the heart of darkness, seen through the battle-scarred eyes of Sans, the group's Iraq War veteran.
As enigmatic as R.E.M.'s early work but as black-clad and pissed off as Metallica and Alice in Chains, the Seeded Planet bring back the Rock, but not in the superficial way that a band like Hinder does. If Pearl Jam had given way to their more esoteric side, then the three tracks on the Seeded Planet's debut EP would provide a sneak peek as to what would've sounded like.
Mysterious yet brimming with passion and wounded emotion, the Seeded Planet focuses on texture as well as muscle. In other words, although the band can jam as loud as System of a Down, they're not just about surface noise. The opening track, "Nameless," has stomping riffs that Nirvana would've salivated over, but there's an undercurrent of ethereal atmospherics that gives it added depth. When the guitars begin to truly roar, "Nameless" is quite breathtaking. I can't fathom what Sans is singing here; however, I do have a feeling that, judging from the apocalyptic tension in the song, it has something to do with his experiences in Iraq, which earned him a Purple Heart.
|
"Mexico" and "Whispering" aren't as boisterous, but they, too, are unsettling. At first, I was lamenting the lack of a lyric sheet but it's probably more fun to sit back and try to interpret the cryptic messages that Sans is communicating. "Whispering" even has some eerie Middle Eastern touches that are seemed to be haunted by Iraq.
What Sans has presented here is an intriguing puzzle that takes shape after each captivating listen.
|
