SMEER - Dischord

Lion Music

Posted: 1/17/05

Reviewed by: Steve Gottlieb

Category: Modern Hard Rock

Released: 2004

Label URL: www.lionmusic.com

Artist URL: www.smeer.com

1/2

Where do these bands come up with these names?  This band name sounds like it’s the cousin to Smiegel from Lord of The Rings.  Musically, this Canadian band isn’t too bad, falling somewhere on the heaviness scale between Godsmack and Nickelback, but the style of music they play is so commonplace and generic these days that they get a big fat “0” for originality.  I hate to call this ‘nu-metal’ since a) that’s such an ambiguous, over-used phrase, and b) I tend to think of nu-metal as having little or no talent musically and lame, gruff vocals (hmm, can you say Limp Bizkit?).  Smeer plays tuned-down guitars, but they can at least put together some riffs and rhythms and, occasionally, a solo.  And more importantly, Ryan Leclair has a decent singing voice.  Unfortunately, the songs are a little too similar to everything else out there, and worse, too similar to the other songs on the album.  Most of them start with an eerie acoustic melody before cranking into the main riff of a song that’s mid-paced, neither too fast nor too slow.  You’ve heard this sort of thing a thousand times before, probably by some other nameless, faceless band and used as background music on MTV Cribs or Viva la Bam.  But, if this is the style you’re into, Smeer do it pretty well.  Lyrically, these guys are also singing about the same old thing, and some of the lyrics are downright silly, like in “Snob” when they sing “…we will get along just famously.”  Even better, check out this inspired chorus to “Seed,” the obligatory acoustic, ‘serious introspective’ song:

“When I was a boy

I played as a boy

But when I became a man

I put away, I put away childish things

Oh I miss the boy”

Trust me, it’s even sillier when you hear it in the song.  This track also appeared on their 2003 album Loud & Clear, and surprisingly, was ranked #3 in a Canadian "2003 Song of the Year” voting contest, with only Evanescence's "Bring Me to Life" and Audioslave's "Like a Stone" receiving more votes.  Clearly, there are certainly many good qualities to the album, and, like I said, if this style is your thing, Smeer will probably satisfy.  If, however, you’re looking for some real metal, this ain’t it.

The Bloody Truth:  Smeer are good at what they do, but unfortunately what they do has been done so many times before that no one really wants to hear it anymore.  They should take their positive qualities, such as the vocals and ability to play their instruments, and translate them into songs that will actually stick in your head.  Honestly, I can barely remember a single riff, chorus, or melody since I’ve taken the cd out of the player.