Kalistani Major History

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Seizure Releases Sophomore Album
Fans enjoy noise and happy for new music, but critics blast highly personal lyrics
Kaliburg, Ananto
April 10, 5330


Noise Alternative seems to faded further into Alternative on Seizure's Second outing "Neveras"

Leaning harder on alternative than even in their own previous album, Kaliburg's Seizure released their second album this week. Though it did good in first week sales, it did not break any records for opening weekend unit shifting. In addition, most critics panned the lyrics as indulgent, self-focused and bourgeoisie.

Seizure has, since their debut in three and a half years ago, developed a legion of devoted fans, many of whom describe themselves as "socially awkward" and "introverted", or basically the polar opposite of the audience for RF. Many consider themselves music "curators" who engage in online discussions about the contents of their vast library. Seizure's music and the culture that has grown up around the band has lent to this, with Seizure's band members themselves engaging in discussions in various forums about what music people should be listening to, and the changing styles of music over Kalistan's history.

This fanbase has generally supported the band by making their debut release a multiplatinum album. They also snapped up the various eps and live recordings of Seizure's legendary shows. "Unfortunately for Seizure, their propensity to destroy their instruments during shows and blow out their amplifiers costs money," said Modern rock critic Arthur Fitzgerald, writing for the small Sulari weekly, Renegade. "Their need to fund their shoegazing habits has kept them on the road which has caused delays in writing and recording of new material. Plus, its clear that they drank a lot of their own koolaid with this new album. 'Neveras' really seems aimless, indulgent, and a product of bourgeoisie culture. No band has demonstrated such a propensity for yuppiedom as Seizure, who never abandoned their nerdy looks, but instead started wearing polo shits instead of videogame tshirts. They are a solidly middleclass, suburban band now, and this worldview is reflected in some of their lyrics."

Other critics have hit the band for discussing themes like the fetishization and exotification of foreign women (singer and songwriter Roger Capelli has notably had several very public relationships with Indralan and Seko models.) unattainability and infatuation in romance, mommy issues, and frustration. "This album is like the anthem of the involuntarily celebate," said music writer Margaret Forester, writing for The Republic, "the frustrated young men who do not know that in order to actually find a love interest, you have to take your significant other off the pedestal and be fine with the fact that they are just humans. You also need to stop spending so much time in your mom's basement, take a shower and go out to where other humans are. Like a club, or the theater, or a bar, or any social situation. But for god's sake: Don't look for love at the Seizure Concert: Everyone there is just like you, while you and they all think they are the only people in the whole world that feel like you all do, and they are all as afraid of you as you are of them."

Seizure was asked to respond to the criticism of the record. "Most of it is completely unfair," said Capelli. "I mean, its like these people would rather discuss our fans than listen to our music. But goddamn: maybe we are middle class. Is that a crime? We made the loudest rock record we could-- Sh-t man. Did you hear the opening on the third song "Don't Play Around"? We turned our guitars into a frickin chain saw- Did you hear those harmonics? But we're not gutter punks: unlike a lot of these Noise Bands, we actually know how to play our instruments. If the critics don't like that, then they suck. And who asked them for their opinions anyway?"

Fans generally sided with the band in the controversy. "Seizure makes all kinds of music," said 13 year old Tabitha Nelson, of Vrassa City. "Yeah, some of their music is kind of lonely, and a lot of it is like grittier than their first record, but we have been waiting for new music from this band for three frickin years. The fidelity on this record is pure. Have you all even listened to it? It totally speaks to both me and my older brother Ron. We saw Seizure last year and it was the best show I ever went to." Marcy Ulyssees, 19 of Sulari was asked what she thought of the new album. "I mean, its a little different, and they seem kind of list frustrated, but its more like they write songs for their base. And yes, this record is indeed loud. Which is what's really important, right? The songs are pretty good, and while it took a little getting used to, I think I'd give it like a 9. Nothing will be better than 'The Return of...' so a 9 is pretty good."

Regardless of what the critics think, "Vrassa" is on the same trajectory for success that has kept Seizure going these last few years. Vrassa is conservatively expected to sell more than 500,000 units in the coming months, and more than a million is not completely outside the realm of possibility. "It won't be as big as our first album," said Capelli. "We're fine with that. We can live off royalties from 'It ain't so" [from "The Return of..."] alone. This was always going to be a more inward focused record anyway and if a few parents don't buy it for their kids, we will be alright. Whatever anyone says, we made a good record and we ain't apologizing for it. Our fans would hate us if we did anyway."

Listen to "Last Girl on Earth", the first single from Seizure's "Neveras" here or check out the video premiering this week on M7. You can stream the whole album here.

[Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjy3XbxMW1A]