Seum is still going strong.
Since their debut in 2020, this Montreal-based band comprising Gaspard Carrey (vocals), Piotr Ignatowicz (bass), and Frédéric Lepoutre (drums) has been making a name for themselves in the guitar-less Stoner/Sludge scene, releasing their third album, Parking Life, six years later with the help of Black Throne Productions and Falling Apart Records.
We hit the road with the catchy Parking Life, the opening track with a jagged, highly abrasive, and effective rhythm that intensifies with the arrival of the vocals, borrowing from Hard Rock for the softer parts and then from Sludge during the more virulent screams. Stoner’s groovy Stoner aren’t left out, even allowing a sample to slow things down before charging into Employee of the Month, the next track, which keeps moving at a brisk pace, continuing to alternate between the two vocal extremes before the rhythm section calms down a bit. It’s worth noting, however, that the distortion becomes more intense in waves, leading into 666 Problems, where the trio welcomes Vince Houde (Dopethrone) to reinforce the screams, giving the upbeat track an even more sinister edge when the contrast reaches its peak. The musicians follow up with the dynamic Labrador, a fairly light-hearted track that naturally makes us nod our heads in time and surprises with its unexpected bursts of aggression, as well as its very clean break before the next eruption, which leads into the very short Solutions, a sampled interlude that stays true to that 1980s North American vibe while foreshadowing the rhythm section of Right Swipe Blues, the next track. While the riffs remain thick, there’s a certain softness in the vocals that eventually builds in intensity before letting the rhythm section break our necks, paving the way for Sad Labbath, yet another pun referencing the godfathers of Doom which proves to be as jerky as it is effective. The final arrives rather abruptly, but it’s quickly taken over by Always On My Mind, the last, rather ethereal track carried by the vocalist, who doesn’t hesitate to get fired up from time to time to reinforce the duality that’s already clashing, allowing us to fully savor it right up to the last note.
With its original concept of omitting guitars, Seum still manages to stand out with a thick rhythm section and penetrating harmonics. If you like the Stoner/Sludge mix, Parking Life is the obvious choice for the first half of 2026!
80/100