The Seer

The Seer is an Australian musician from New South Wales. The name also refers to a German rock band from Augsburg, founded in 1990, but the artist entry here relates to the Australian metal project.

Style and material

The Seer’s music is described as progressive death metal, with elements drawn from several metal subgenres and with orchestral arrangements appearing in some songs. The writing combines blast beats, growled vocals and melodic guitar solos, alongside influences from thrash metal, death metal and classical music. The project is also associated with melodic death metal, death metal, symphonic deathcore and rock.

Formation and line-up

The project begins in 2006 as a solo undertaking by Ryan Huthnance, who also performs or has performed in Mortal Sin, Kindred and Chrome Bison. He starts it with the aim of making music that is more complex and intense than his earlier work. As the project develops into a live band, Ben Rommell joins on second guitar, Allan Swaffield on bass and Pete Downtong on drums. Later line-up changes bring in Luke Cook on drums, Rohan Macdonald on guitar and Mark Van Tongeren on drums. The verified line-up also includes Felgrim, Midnight Betrothed, Nightreign, Pissmoon, Sceptre of the Fading Dawn, Solipsism, Thorns of Malice, Vulnakkthra and Faerie Magic.

Recording history

Between 2006 and 2007, at least 20 songs are written for a debut release titled Prologue, with 10 selected for the final track listing. The album is first recorded, mixed and mastered in 2008 at Emissary Studios, Ryan Huthnance’s home studio, but the result is considered unsatisfactory and the material is re-recorded from late 2008 into early 2009. Five tracks from the original Prologue recordings are later chosen again for an EP of the same name after the live line-up changes the arrangements. The project has releases on Atrocity Altar and Fog of Eternity.

Live activity

After the first local shows, The Seer continues as a live act with a changing membership. The project’s development is framed around moving from studio-only material to a full band capable of regular live performance.