The Seer
by Swans
User Score
8.5

Universal acclaim- based on 138 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 124 out of 138
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 138
  3. Negative: 8 out of 138
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  1. All_ButTrU4
    Nov 28, 2021
    9
    redefines Swans by gathering the best of its past and re-centering the music on impulse and interplay, built with a preternatural sense of how long to let a section develop before moving on to the next idea
  2. HG_Kitara
    Jan 10, 2021
    9
    The Seer is an exciting, raw and encapsulating experience which questions the existence of a greater being, finding it through destruction, nature and love. Gira expresses his many questions surrounding the topic with some fantastic lyricism and some of the hardest, atmospheric and tension building instrumentals in their discography.
  3. kermie_the_frog
    Dec 28, 2019
    9
    Dark and gruesome introduction to Swans great rock trilogy. Not easily accessible but unquestionably brilliant.
  4. JLuis_001
    Apr 23, 2019
    9
    Probably one of the most ambitious albums I've heard in my life.

    Challenger and rewarding for the ear. Definitely not for everyone and that's not bad.
  5. r0tan0rtan
    Feb 11, 2015
    10
    This could quite possibly be my favourite album from the 2010's. As of now, it's hard to say between this, D'Angelo's Black Messiah, and Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. I will say, out of these three, The Seer is the most exhausting, exhilarating, and exciting. My favourite track is A Piece Of The Sky. The introduction is beautiful, and the wonderful outro caught me offThis could quite possibly be my favourite album from the 2010's. As of now, it's hard to say between this, D'Angelo's Black Messiah, and Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. I will say, out of these three, The Seer is the most exhausting, exhilarating, and exciting. My favourite track is A Piece Of The Sky. The introduction is beautiful, and the wonderful outro caught me off guard to waht I thought would be a lyric-les song. Song For A Warrior also caught me off gaurd, especially being only two songs after the brain crushing horror show that was 93 Ave Blues. If you have patience, give this album a listen. It does require a certain taste, but once you get into it, you REALLY get into it. LIKE HOLY RAVIOLI THIS ALBUM IS GOOD. I SEE IT ALL I SEE IT ALL I SEE IT ALL!!!!… Collapse
  6. chelonia
    Mar 12, 2014
    10
    I see it all I see it all I see it all I see it all I see it all I see it all I see it all I see it all I see it all I see it all I see it all I see it all
  7. jpotz
    Nov 8, 2013
    9
    This is my first Swans album, and I'm thoroughly blown away. The endless shifts of texture, mood, and soundscapes paint a dark, grim tapestry to just get lost in. There are just enough clearer spots that can be considered mildly accessible, yet nowhere does Swans vision falter on this flawless journey. This album completely altered my perception on what experimental music can achieve, andThis is my first Swans album, and I'm thoroughly blown away. The endless shifts of texture, mood, and soundscapes paint a dark, grim tapestry to just get lost in. There are just enough clearer spots that can be considered mildly accessible, yet nowhere does Swans vision falter on this flawless journey. This album completely altered my perception on what experimental music can achieve, and will undoubtedly be heralded as a classic in the near future.… Expand
  8. BENNEB
    May 28, 2013
    10
    For an album about two hours long, the attention span for maybe an average music listener would not be that long. For The Seer, Swans have the power to make powerful music so long you can't get your mind off it. Especially their 30 minute title track, that was the torture of great music. And 93 Ave. Blues, the noise, the abuse, the ugliness, and the pain, all smashing down on yourFor an album about two hours long, the attention span for maybe an average music listener would not be that long. For The Seer, Swans have the power to make powerful music so long you can't get your mind off it. Especially their 30 minute title track, that was the torture of great music. And 93 Ave. Blues, the noise, the abuse, the ugliness, and the pain, all smashing down on your eardrums.

    All I can say, this is not for the fainted hearts. It is also not something you will get to appreciate in just a short while...but it will be epic in years to come...an epic album waiting to be heard...or if you are brave enough...it is something you must hear...if you are for the abuse and ugly...get it!    … Expand
  9. Ricko
    Feb 23, 2013
    7
    If you look hard enough there are some great moments in amongst the self indulgence. For me, while it open and closes strongly, the middle third, essentially the heart of the record, is weak. If your big into your experimental noise you'll probably rant about it but I like a few more tunes/songs on my records.
  10. OhRly
    Feb 11, 2013
    10
    While some people may criticize it for invoking uncomfortable emotions inside them, or for being unmusical throughout, they haven't even listened through the whole album. Though before getting into my review, I must explain to those what music is ment for, as music is an expression, people don't make music so you can have fun and dance, no they make it to express themselves, or to tell aWhile some people may criticize it for invoking uncomfortable emotions inside them, or for being unmusical throughout, they haven't even listened through the whole album. Though before getting into my review, I must explain to those what music is ment for, as music is an expression, people don't make music so you can have fun and dance, no they make it to express themselves, or to tell a narrative. Music is an art form, and as art has shown us, not all art is cutesy and pretty, some art is made to invoke feelings of dread, sorrow, and fear, this album is just like that. While songs like Lunacy, The Apostate, and The Seer (Returns) are ment to invoke fear, disgust, and dread through their instrumentation, and lyrical content, A Song For A Warrior (vocals by Karen O) has beauty, but also feels sorrowful, like as if it were a funeral song. The best thing about this album as a whole are the instrumentations, which rely on repetition to catch you off guard when the song suddenly changes, or when a new layer of instrumentation is added, while Gira wouldn't be great for singing on this album, he's great for the mood of this album, he's utterly evil sounding and it's great. Though I want to back to some reviews of this album before this review is done, especially Rockman1976's (gave this album a 3 out of 10): I don't know, maybe it's just me, but music supposed to be fun to listen to. This album is depressing" Music is art, and in art we don't dislike stuff because it's depressing, or not happy and colourful, that's just Though on the other note, this album isn't for everyone, especially those who dislike repetition, highly cryptic lyrics, and some of the scariest songs you'll find, but if you are really open minded, give it a look! 10/10.… Expand
  11. simaog
    Dec 31, 2012
    10
    The Seer is, in my opinion, one of Swans' weirdest works to date. In that quality, it ranks among Cop or Filth. But the band as managed to make an album as good as those while using a completely different approach to the original idea of making music so "ugly" it's beautiful. In the mid 80s, they made dark, distorted, sludgy music that defined the new york "no wave" sound. Today, they makeThe Seer is, in my opinion, one of Swans' weirdest works to date. In that quality, it ranks among Cop or Filth. But the band as managed to make an album as good as those while using a completely different approach to the original idea of making music so "ugly" it's beautiful. In the mid 80s, they made dark, distorted, sludgy music that defined the new york "no wave" sound. Today, they make weird, psychedelic, repetitive music that makes good use of drones, dissonance and distortion, but at the same time takes a ton of influence from folk and americana. The feats (Karen O, Jarboe, Low) are amazing. If you like drone music you'll probably like this. It reminds me of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, "Soundtracks for the Blind" era Swans, maybe Earth. The obvious centerpiece is the 32 minute long title track, which starts as a drone played by a hurdy-gurdy, or maybe bagpipes, that develops in an amazing post-punk track, with Michael Gira chanting "I see it all" over and over. The track becomes just hits of noise played by all the instruments available: guitar, drums, percussion, lap steel, bass etc.... amazing. Avatar is also simply amazing, as is Song for a Warrior and the last two tracks. But it is in 93 Ave. B Blues that i see the weird peak of this album. If you like this track there is something really wrong with you. There is something really wrong with me.… Expand
  12. axelkoch
    Dec 22, 2012
    8
    I know everybody will call me a dumbass now, but I just don't get what the art of this album is. Listening to it is an adventure that is really depressing and dismal and it's set up very, very good but after all of it, I really think it's not that good. 'The Seer' is a weird one, full with probably unexplainable lyrics and strange noises coming from somewhere else. You can't take theI know everybody will call me a dumbass now, but I just don't get what the art of this album is. Listening to it is an adventure that is really depressing and dismal and it's set up very, very good but after all of it, I really think it's not that good. 'The Seer' is a weird one, full with probably unexplainable lyrics and strange noises coming from somewhere else. You can't take the single songs seriously, because when they're 18 minutes long and mostly instrumental, it's not remarkable. But as a whole work this is just like a strange independent movie. A little bit terrfying, full of metaphers and then comes this little spoken part. I can't really tell if it is a masterpiece because I'm also disappointed with this record, at least sort of. That is supposably by reason that I don't get the meaning. Maybe Swans just want to discombobulate, consternate me. When the two-hour-album finally dies away after the 23 minute closer 'The Apostate' you have to be stunned because of the wickedness (not in a bad way) of this disc. Maybe it's art, maybe it's not but it surely is astonishing work that is food for thought.… Expand
  13. marinosCyprus
    Oct 14, 2012
    10
    This is a masterpiece. I ve listened to the album 2 times and i cant wait to play it again and again. Noise is mixed with meditation turning into weird sounds. This is provocative material but suits so much for our times. Cant wait to clean my house listening to this album as the background.
  14. dolanclass
    Oct 14, 2012
    7
    A 7/10, and this is me being generous. To sit through the full two hours felt like a chore more than an enjoyable music-listening experience. Still, 'Avatar' is a fantastic song, and I'm bound to rate anything with Karen O's vocals highly, so 'Song for a Warrior' earns high marks as well. Overall though, needs more killer, less filler.
  15. ConnJack
    Sep 19, 2012
    10
    Swans' newest album The Seer is a epic record full of dark and ambient tunes that best represent the tone and feel, it makes the listener feel the dynamic sound on the tracks from the haunting acoustics of 'Song for a Warrior" with Karen O to it's dark and epic title track.
  16. Methusalah
    Sep 12, 2012
    9
    Dark and frequently terrifying. One of the few albums I've listened to that manages to be consistently creepy while remaining enjoyably musical even through its most dissonant moments. Experiencing this album is the audio equivalent of wandering through Tulgey Woods in Disney's version of Alice in Wonderland. Bleak and confusing, but populated with colorful twisted creatures thatDark and frequently terrifying. One of the few albums I've listened to that manages to be consistently creepy while remaining enjoyably musical even through its most dissonant moments. Experiencing this album is the audio equivalent of wandering through Tulgey Woods in Disney's version of Alice in Wonderland. Bleak and confusing, but populated with colorful twisted creatures that provide a strange sense of relief just as you are about to give into despair.… Expand
  17. sadpanda
    Aug 31, 2012
    10
    Undoubtedly my favorite album of the year thus far, The Seer is a fantastic work of art. The album oozes atmosphere from every aural pore; it's beautiful, introspective and yet soul-crushingly heavy all at once. Once The Seer gets you in its grip, it will not let you go. The payoff is more than worth the time and effort you have to put in to get into it. Incredible.
  18. Lodz
    Aug 30, 2012
    10
    As young Swans they used to be regarded as provocative, multitalented and special in a way that made them a choice for minority. Although critics seemed to always acclaim their work, people not really and one of the most important bands of the late 80-ties and 90-ties disbanded. Now they are back. They strike with such power, strength and reflection that it is hard to pass by. Once YouAs young Swans they used to be regarded as provocative, multitalented and special in a way that made them a choice for minority. Although critics seemed to always acclaim their work, people not really and one of the most important bands of the late 80-ties and 90-ties disbanded. Now they are back. They strike with such power, strength and reflection that it is hard to pass by. Once You start You may easily lost 2 hours digging in dark meditations and strong, "wall of noise" music. Yummy. Probably the best album this year. Probably their best work to date. Highly recommended. An instant classic.… Expand
  19. vaidtmm
    Aug 29, 2012
    9
    Engrossing collection. Dark , grant and thought provoking. The album tells us a long story whose plot contains all factors that one drama needs to fulfil our dreams.

Awards & Rankings

12
#12 Best Album of 2012
54
#54 Most Discussed Album of 2012
51
#51 Most Shared Album of 2012

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
87

Universal acclaim - based on 32 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 30 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 32
  3. Negative: 0 out of 32
  1. BBC Music
    Nov 28, 2012
    90
    The Seer might not be the album you spend most time with this year--it's too emotionally demanding for heavy rotation – but it's one you'll be listening to for years to come.
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  2. The A.V. Club
    Oct 11, 2012
    100
    Swans has never traveled a straightforward, clean, or uninterrupted path. But with The Seer, one thing is certain: Even during its quietest lulls, Gira has never sounded louder.
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  3. Delusions of Adequacy
    Sep 20, 2012
    60
    The final impression The Seer left me with is that of a sprawling, lacking in cohesion and over indulgent album that fails as often as it succeeds.
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