Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces
Untitled | |
---|---|
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | (39/100)[1] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [2] |
Billboard | (favorable)[3] |
Blogcritics | [4] |
PopMatters | [5] |
Q | [6] |
Rolling Stone | [7] |
Sputnikmusic | 2.5/5[8] |
Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces is the fourth studio album by South African rock band Seether. The album was released in South Africa and Switzerland on 19 October 2007, and released worldwide on 23 October 2007. It is the first album by the band without lead guitarist Pat Callahan.
The cover artwork was designed by David Ho, the same artist who designed the Vicious Delicious cover for Infected Mushroom. The covers apparently display the same character: Candice the Ghost.[9]
Three singles, "Fake It", "Rise Above This" and "Breakdown" have been released from the album with all three being top 10 singles, the former two reaching the top position on several Billboard charts, despite generally negative reviews from critics, scoring a 39 out of 100 on Metacritic.[6] The album was reissued in 2009, featuring a fourth single, a cover of George Michael's "Careless Whisper", as the final single from the album. It is the first Seether album to reach gold status in their home country, South Africa.
Track listing
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Like Suicide" | 4:14 |
2. | "Fake It" | 3:13 |
3. | "Breakdown" | 3:29 |
4. | "FMLYHM" ("Fuck Me Like You Hate Me") | 3:28 |
5. | "Fallen" | 4:18 |
6. | "Rise Above This" | 3:23 |
7. | "No Jesus Christ" | 7:05 |
8. | "Six Gun Quota" | 3:23 |
9. | "Walk Away from the Sun" | 4:13 |
10. | "Eyes of the Devil" | 5:00 |
11. | "Don't Believe" | 4:34 |
12. | "Waste" | 4:26 |
13. | "Careless Whisper" (bonus track) | 5:01 |
14. | "Careless Whisper (Strings Version)" (bonus track) | 4:26 |
Total length: | 60:13 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
15. | "Quirk" | 3:46 |
Total length: | 63:59 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
16. | "Naked" | 5:13 |
17. | "Left for Dead" | 4:00 |
18. | "Untitled" | 3:50 |
Total length: | 75:19 |
- "Quirk" is a demo version of "Fake It" & was apparently recorded in Morgan's bedroom.
- Later versions of the album, pressed after the release of "Careless Whisper", were released with tracks 13 & 14 added on.
Credits
- Seether
- Shaun Morgan – lead vocals, guitar
- Dale Stewart – bass, backing vocals
- John Humphrey – drums
- Troy McLawhorn – guitar (tracks 13 & 14)
- Additional musicians
- Howard Benson – keyboards, programming
- Space – guitar
- Technical credits
- Howard Benson – producer, audio production
- Mike Plotnikoff – engineer
- Hatsukazu "Hatch" Inagaki – engineer
- Paul DeCarli – digital editing
- Ted Jensen – mastering
- Jon Nicholson – drum technician
- Marc VanGool – guitar technician
- Scott D. – guitar technician
- Stu Sobol – management
- Nicki Loranger – management
- David Ho – illustrations
- Gail Marowitz – art direction
- Shaun Morgan – composer
- Seether – composer
Album information
The band updated both their official web page and Myspace on 23 August 2007, with the new single, "Fake It", being uploaded to both. The band had this to say on their official webpage:
Here we are, about to embark on the release of our favorite Seether record to date and can guarantee that you will all feel the same. Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces is a hearty serving of the usual Seether sting and grit with an added twist of lime. We have been working hard in the studio for months recording the album and there are only a few loose ends to cinch up before all is said and done. We can't wait to hit the road to share the new shit with everyone. In the meantime the remolded site should make it easier for you guys to share your undying love for us, keep up with everyone, and get all the news that will pass through here in coming weeks. The album is dedicated to Eugene "Junior" Welgemoed. Junior has always offered the band more support and love than we've ever given ourselves. He has lit an uncontainable fire under us, and without him we will never be the same again. Cheers to taking the world by storm...[10]
In the lower right corner where the album title appears, one can faintly see a Chinese symbol overwritten by the letters of the title.[11] The symbol shown is 美, the Chinese character for the word "beauty", or "America".[12]
Commercial performance
The album debuted at number nine on the Billboard 200 chart in the US with 56,900 copies moved in its first week,[13] and ended up being certified Gold for shipping 500,000 copies.[14] Seether claimed their first South African Music Award in the category "Best Rock: English" for Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces.
Chart (2007) | Peak position |
---|---|
Canadian Albums Chart[15] | 10 |
French Albums Chart[16] | 154 |
New Zealand Albums Chart[17] | 9 |
Swiss Albums Chart[18] | 39 |
UK Rock Albums | 38 |
US Billboard 200[15] | 9 |
US Alternative Albums Chart[15] | 4 |
US Catalog Albums Chart[15] | 26 |
US Digital Albums Chart[15] | 9 |
US Hard Rock Albums Chart[15] | 4 |
US Rock Albums Chart[15] | 5 |
US Tastmakers Albums Chart[15] | 7 |
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Canada (Music Canada)[19] | Gold | 50,000^ |
New Zealand (RMNZ)[20] | Gold | 7,500^ |
United States (RIAA)[14] | Gold | 500,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
References
- ^ "Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces". Metacritic. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces - Seether". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
- ^ Graff, Gary (2007). "Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces". Billboard. Archived from the original on 21 October 2007. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
{{cite web}}
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suggested) (help) - ^ "Music Review Review: Seether - Finding Beauty In Negative Spaces". Blogcritics.
- ^ Blackie, Andrew (1 November 2007). "Seether: Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces". PopMatters. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
- ^ a b "Critic Reviews for Finding Beauty In Negative Spaces". Metacritic.
- ^ Hiatt, Brian (1 November 2007). "Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces : Seether : review". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2 February 2009. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
- ^ Jom (23 October 2007). "Seether - Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces Review". Sputnikmusic. Archived from the original on 29 October 2007. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
{{cite web}}
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suggested) (help) - ^ David Ho personal gallery
- ^ "Seether". Myspace.
- ^ The Chinese character can be seen clearly here.
- ^ "America", in Chinese in full, is 美國, literally, "beautiful country".
- ^ Harris, Chris (31 October 2007). "Carrie Underwood Has An Easy Ride To First Billboard #1". MTV.
- ^ a b "American album certifications – Seether – Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces". Recording Industry Association of America.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces - Seether". Billboard.
{{cite web}}
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(help) - ^ "Seether - Finding Beauty In Negative Spaces". lescharts.com.
- ^ "Seether - Finding Beauty In Negative Spaces". charts.org.nz.
- ^ "Seether - Finding Beauty In Negative Spaces". hitparade.ch.
- ^ "Canadian album certifications – Seether – Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces". Music Canada.
- ^ "New Zealand album certifications – Seether – Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces". Recorded Music NZ.