Seether still tops in US

Johannesburg – Alternative metal band Seether has come a long way since starting out in Pretoria and on campuses in the late 1990's.

Their latest album Holding Onto Strings Better Left to Fray debuted in second place on America's Billboard 200 album chart.

This is the best position the band has ever achieved on the chart and compared to the previous album, Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces, there was a 10% improvement in sales in its first week.

First single Country song is doing very well on American radio station's hit charts and has already achieved three number one spots.

Saron Gas

The album will be released in South Africa next week, but not in the same format.

Locally it will be a deluxe CD and DVD edition with bonus tracks.

Seether comprises of singer, guitar player and song writer Shaun Morgan (Welgemoed) and base player Dale Stewart, both from South Africa, and American drummer John Humphrey.

The band was originally known as Saron Gas and their debut album Fragile was released in 2000 in South Africa. After the release, an American Record company started to show interest in the band.

They became Seether shortly thereafter.

'I don't scream'

It was their 2002 release Disclaimer that grabbed America's attention. The single Fine Again was used in the videogame Madden 2000 and a slot on that year's Ozzfest tour further helped to establish their name.

Strings is Seethers fifth studio album.

Morgan said the following about the album on the bands official website: "I don't scream too much on this album, because it is not what I wanted to do.”

On their website there is talk about heading in a new direction but without compromising the traditional Seether sound.

Producer Brendan O’Brien, who has worked with Rage Against the Machine, AC/DC and Pearl Jam, was the force behind Strings.