Five gold and platinum albums along, Seether is as vibrant and relevant as ever on their ninth studio record, The Surface Seems So Far. The follow-up to 2020’s Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum finds the Shaun Morgan-fronted rock quartet flexing the creative chops. Written in pieces over an 18-month period, The Surface Seems So Far is unapologetically aggressive, kicking off with the barn-burning “Judas Mind.” This is a statement track from the band as they wanted to come out swinging with the first song they released after a few years off. “The album definitely leans heavier than some of the previous ones,” notes Morgan, who says he chose from roughly 21 songs with input from the rest of the band, which includes bassist Dale Stewart, drummer John Humphrey, and guitarist Corey Lowery, and “Judas Mind” was at the top of everyone’s picks.