"Illusion" is a song by South African rock band Seether. It was released on August 23, 2024, as the second single from the band's ninth studio album, The Surface Seems So Far.[2] The song served as the follow-up to the album's lead single, Judas Mind.[3] Illusion peaked at No. 24 on Billboard's Hot Hard Rock Songs chart on September 7, 2024.
The song was written and produced entirely by lead singer Shaun Morgan at Blackbird Studio in Tennessee,[4] while mastering was conducted by Ted Jensen, and Matt Hyde served as its mixing engineer, with additional engineering work provided by guitarist Corey Lowery.[5][6]
"Illusion" originated during the extended writing sessions for The Surface Seems So Far, which the band revealed was in an 18-month timespan that overlapped with the COVID-19 pandemic.[7] Singer Shaun Morgan later described the writing and recording sessions, stating they were marked by existential crisis moments, emotional exhaustion, and periods of self-doubt about his future in music.[8] He explained it was those circumstances shaped the heavier direction of the new album, and that "Illusion" reflects the frustration and emotional intensity he experienced during COVID-19 lockdowns.[9]
In promotional interviews surrounding its release, the band named "Illusion" as one of the standout tracks from the new album's recording sessions, praising its hypnotic opening riff, haunting melodies, and forceful bridge. Lead singer Shaun Morgan expressed enthusiasm about performing the song live, stating that "Illusion" was among his favorite tracks on the new album and one he hoped to include in the band's touring setlist during their upcoming tour dates.[10]
Release and promotion
The track was officially released on August 23, 2024, as the second single from The Surface Seems So Far through Fantasy Records. The song served as a follow-up to "Judas Mind".[11][12] The band promoted the track in the lead-up to the album's release through interviews, radio appearances, and festival announcements. Shortly after its release, Seether received a Pandaora Billionaire Plaque commemorating more than four billion career streams on the platform.[13] The recognition was presented during the band's SiriusXM Octane session in Nashville.[14]
To support the album and its singles, Seether embarked on an 18-date co-headlining U.S. tour with Skillet beginning in September 2024.[15] They also performed at major rock festivals including Louder Than Life and the Aftershock Festival.[16]
On August 23, 2024, to coincide with the single's official release, it was announced the band would be releasing lyric video the same day. To accompany the announcement, bassist Dale Stewart commented on the track:[17]
"Illusion is one of the highlights for me on this album. With its hypnotic opening riff chugging away like industrial machinery, the haunting melodies in the chorus and the all-out intensity of the bridge, I feel this song is a step forward for us whilst simultaneously being Seether through and through. I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I do."
Composition and sound
The song has been described as an alternative meta and post-grunge song built around a thick, chugging guitar pattern.[18][19] The track opens with a pulsing riff that critics likened to "industrial machinery," leading into a chorus built on layered chords and haunting vocal melody.[20] with the bridge being one of the song's most aggressive passages heard in Morgan's harsher vocal delivery.[21]
Critical reception
"Illusion" received positive coverage from music publications upon its release, with reviewers praising its blend of melody and heaviness, atmospheric guitar work, and Shaun Morgan's forceful vocal performance.[22]Blabbermouth.net noted that the song showcased the band's heavier side, comparing its sharp, relentless guitar work and screamed vocal moments to early Seether tracks, describing the verses as more reminiscent of "Gasoline" and the emotional weight of the performance as comparable to "Broken."[23]
New Noise Magazine highlighted the strength of the track's opening riff and its seamless transition following the album's first song.[24]Sonic Perspectives described the single as a "straightforward groove machine," while Riff Magazine emphasized the song's harder edge and noted how Morgan's rougher vocal delivery added additional emotional weight to the arrangement.[25][26]
Overall, critics noted the song's dynamic structure and heavy atmosphere.[27]All Music Magazine described the track as "angry" and "hungry," highlighting how Morgan's vocals rise sharply in intensity following the album's opener, "Judas Mind."[28] Other reviewers compared elements of the guitar tone and vocal phrasing to the style of late-1990s and early-2000s alternative metal acts.[29]
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