Noisecreep can hear the excitement in Dale Stewart's voice. During a recent phone chat, the Seether bassist discussed 'Holding Onto Strings Better Left to Fray,' the South African rockers' fifth studio album.

'We worked with producer Brendan O'Brien [Bruce Springsteen, Stone Temple Pilots] this time out, and it's the best stuff we've ever done. I just can't wait for people to finally hear it," an excited Stewart told Noisecreep.

When we told the bassist that their album title sounded like something a metal band would come up with, he laughed but heartily agreed. "Everyone in the band listens to all kinds of different styles of music, but yes, we definitely love heavy metal."

"When we were kids we listened to bands like Metallica and Iron Maiden. As we got a bit older, we got into heavier stuff like Pantera and Sepultura."

Stewart also shared Seether's secret pre-show metal ritual. "Every night before we go out on stage, Shaun [Morgan, vocalist-guitarist] and I will put on some Sepultura and we'll jam out in our dressing room to a couple of songs. Metal is something that we enjoy and it's a big reason why we started playing music in the first place.

"We're not always such a heavy band, but we do appreciate heavy metal and it's part of what we do. The sense of melody that we try and maintain – whether it's in the vocals or the guitars – makes our music more accessible and maybe not as heavy sounding. On the new album, we try and find a balance of the heavier stuff with the melodic side of what Seether is known for."

'Holding Onto Strings Better Left to Fray' is out May 17th.

Watch Seether's 'Country Song' video

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Seether tour dates:

MAY

13 Council Bluffs, IA Westfair Amphitheatre

14 Milwaukee, WI Eagles Ballroom

15 Indianola, IN KAZR Lazerfest 2011

16 Pontiac, MI Clutch Cargo

19 Clifton Park, NY Northern Lights

20 Hartford, CT WCCC Summer Show

21 Washington, DC RFK Stadium

22 Camden, NJ WMMR BBQ 2011

24 New York, NY Gramercy Theatre

27 Cleveland, OH Nautica Stage

29 Pryor, OK Rocklahoma

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