Seth-Apocrypha

Minotauro Records
2017

Boston's innovative rock band Seth, initial birthed in the early seventies and as always lead by founder/chief songwriter (and unsung hero!) Gerald "Gerry" Stafford (vocals, guitars, keys, mandolin and programming), originally appeared on these pages last year. Having previously covered Seth's 2CD complete discography, "Apocrypha" (unexpectedly) showed up in my mail just the other day, saints be praised and all that jazz. All of which goes to show that good things come along when you least expect it. And by "good" I actually mean great, "Apocrypha" being the kind of release that deserves much praise and recognition! Of course I am getting ahead of things (a common problem in these parts). My apologies to you, our dear readers. How about if we rewind the tape and at least do the name game? Bassist Wayne Guffey and drummer Billy Lee Bedwell now serve as the back up to (the) near-brilliant Gerry Stafford. The very definition of a power trio, Seth performs like a well-oiled veteran rock band. One with passion and fire. One with a renewed sense of purpose and direction. Even with new players involved they remain untouchable. Unwrapping this disc was like anticipating the long return of a honored and well-respected loved one. With talent that simply cannot be matched by today's rock bands, Seth covers a lot of territory between point A and point B. Rockers and jams, metal moments and a touch or two of sensitivity. All of it is brought to life by perseverance. "Apocrypha" is Gerry Stafford's dream and it is his vision. We are just thankful to have been invited along for the journey. Let's "Relive the glory days!" and come on and "Kick out the jams you glorious sons of bitches!" the album says, even as it slows down for a number like "Love's Hollowed Ground". This smooth love song (genuinely) reminds me of yesteryear, growing up to the sweet notes that came from AM rock radio and easy listening channels. Only a band like Seth, one as creative/one so extremely-clever, could make a love song powerful enough to move mountains. And they do it all with words. That is only one number, one of seven in fact. There is so much more to admire about "Apocrypha". Opening up strong with the progressive heavy rock and roll of  "I’m No Saint" (a garage rock version of Rush perhaps?), Seth's new album picks right up where the band left off in the eighties. Along with Blue Öyster Cult (yes!) and the aforementioned Rush (who I can take or leave), Seth's ingenious sound combines (all of the best parts of) classic rock, proto-metal, doom, folk, hard rock, blues rock, vintage heavy metal, and (amazingly enough) that whole AOR/easy listening bit! With it's mashup of hard rock, doom, and progressive rock, "There And Now" recalls some of the all-time greats of the seventies' classic rock scene while simultaneously hinting at the group's flirtation with the (early) N.W.O.B.M. movement. The fuzzy hard rock cut "Semaj" does the exact same thing, with both numbers ("Samaji" and "There And Now") brilliantly bringing to mind the cool (if sadly overlooked) N.W.O.B.H.M. band, Hammerhead . Somewhat disconnected and occasional feeling as if it's two or more separate parts of a couple of different numbers that has been crammed tightly into one track, "Free World" is next and while I like the heavy back end of it and the trippy vocal effect, Seth could have smoothed out it's edges. Those small criticisms aside, "Free World" is just a small bump in the road and (at their "worst") Seth still maneuvers it's vehicle like no one else I know. Second to last number "The First 29 Years", played with passion and precision by this heartfelt trio, is a slick take on Led Zeppelin...if (and only if) the Led Zep fellas had understood the finer points (and overwhelming appeal) of American rock. With the instrumental jam "Quadragy" closing things out on a positive note, "Apocrypha" easily grades out as a A-/B+ recording and adds to the legacy of this cult Boston band!

Seth-Seth (2CD Complete Discography)

Minotauro Records
2014

Straight up front class I've just got to say that this review is long overdue. And the reasoning behind that early morning admission reads a little something like this. As deep and expansive as this career retrospective is for Boston's Seth the actual music in question here is twice as explosive and captivating! Frankly-speaking there is far too much (top-of-the-shelf) hard rock and heavy metal here to cover in one sitting! Or if you will, "Seth" is one of those rare treats where you could write a full-pledged article on the band and still not even scratch the service as far as just what it is about these rockers that made them so great! And yet the band name Seth remains largely unheard of which is absolutely criminal! I was only a year old in 1974 and yet there was Boston's Seth, lead by the incredible voice of guitarist (occasional bassist/keyboardist) Gerald "Gerry" Stafford, starting out of the gate on a pathway towards personal glory. Yes, there were covers likely to be found in the band's initial start, but cover tracks merged with original compositions and over time a band like Seth covered an unreal amount of territory. Seventies hard rock mixed with progressive rock and the blues plowed headlong into the emerging N.W.O.B.H.M. sound. There was commercial rock and even folk with every new avenue bearing the fruits of their labors! For Seth it was seemingly all too easy as the strong songwriting and catchy melodies found on this 2CD set suggest. Covering everything the band did from the seventies to modern day, with the 2014 recording of "The Abbey of Thelema" posting proof-positive that a band like Seth never runs dry when it comes to top-tier material(!), "Seth" is jam-packed with material with each CD here filled to maximum capacity! With their self-titled LP from 1980 opening up this wonderful set I was hooked from the very start and left wondering out loud who it was that a group like this wasn't a bigger threat to eighties rock radio? Along with unreleased singles, demos, live material, home recordings and rehearsal tapes it's all here on this expansive set with Minotauro offering these Boston rockers the royal treatment! You'll find the band's history covered in the booklet as you find out more about not just band founder/chief songwriter Gerry Stafford, but fellow bandmates (and talented musicians in their own right!) Rich Santapaga (bass, synthesizer, and vocals) and Dom Marrtignetti (drums, percussion, and vocals). The mini LP gatefold Japanese-style paper-sleeve packaging holds a nice poster featuring colorful live shots of the band in action and thanks to the extra polishing that fantastic album received "Seth" rolls out of your speakers in grand fashion! I've provided a link below with the full track listing, but suffice to say  there's very little about this 2CD career-spanning collection not to like! For this sadly-forgotten band this double CD release is a start, but really Seth deserves all the high-praise and recognition that they can get! For fans of 70's hard rock, (light) metal and prog I simply cannot recommend this package enough! This Boston band ruled the local scene in the late 70s and early 80s and this magnificent 2 CD set helps show you exactly why that was and why you should not only care about Seth, but be vocally loud about their contributions to hard rock and progressive rock! On sale now for the incredible low price of only $16.90 (it's worth it's weight in gold if you ask me!!!!) you can now hold a piece of history in your own hands by heading here: http://www.minotaurorecords.com/#!cds/cnec And (as promised) for those who might want to check out this sweet set's full track listing in advance (and why not as it packs a real punch!) I suggest going right here: http://www.minotaurorecords.com/#!product/prd2/3279545621/seth-2-cd-complete-discography

PS: While there really is too much in the way of material here to cover in advance I would like to add the following note. Musically-speaking there is strong material here that would appeal to fans of Rush as well as fans of Kiss, Judas Priest and even Diamond Head! Seth were nothing short of masters when it came time to crafting heavy rocking songs and they covered so much ground that this 2CD set should easily appeal to just about everyone who values real rock and guitar-oriented hard rock. Any band that can move this easily between clean hard rock and complex progressive rock is worth investing time in and in a day and age where everything retro is suddenly hip a trio like Seth should be on the tip of every one's tongues!