Nevermore

1. What Tomorrow Knows
2. C.B.F.
3. The Sanity Assassin
4. Garden of Gray
5. Sea of Possibilities
6. The Hurting Words
7. Timothy Leary
8. Godmoney

Line-Up

Warrel Dane - Vocals

Jeff Loomis - Guitar

Jim Sheppard - Bass

Van Williams - Drums

Mark Arrington - Drums on tracks 1, 4, 6, 8

After the break-up of Sanctuary, harpy from hell Warrel Dane, Jim Sheppard and recent recruit Jeff Loomis decided to forge ahead under a new moniker representive of a change in musical direction. Keeping the technicality of their former band, Nevermore cross the best parts of 80's power metal with an aural crunch indicative of Seattle in the 90's. (I hear more than a little AIC in The Hurting Words...) I must say though, the difference in drum styles of the two players changes the entire feel, as Arrington seems to play exactly on the beat in contrast to Williams, who pushes the feel a bit. This may also be noticable as Arrington does play on some of the slower, broodier material. Both styles are appropriate for the mood of the music, which is dark, dank and gritty. Dane's voice still has the bite for which he was known for in Sanctuary, but here is toned down a tad. Guitar sound is just awesome, produced with confidence by Neil Kernon. An excellent release that unfortunately loses me after track 6 (I can't take a song about Timothy Leary that seriously) although the delivery is in earnest. Otherwise Dane's lyrics are aptly representative of society and their poetic quality is noticable. More "metal" than the next L.P., which begins to explore cybernetic areas.
7 1/2 out of 10

In Memory

1. Optomist or Pessimist
2. Matricide
3. In Memory
4. Silent Hedges/Double Dare
5. The Sorrowed Man

Line-Up

Warrel Dane - Vocals

Jeff Loomis - Guitar

Pat O'Brien - Guitar

Jim Sheppard - Bass

Van Williams - Drums

Making up the other piece of the demo which got them their record deal, In Memory was released as a limited edition E.P. to tide us over to the next release. Usually, I don't really get into E.P.s, as they don't really offer much "new", but here I make an exception. The one new track (Optimist or Pessimist) is also the quickest in pace, hinting as to what's to come. Some really inspired drumming by Williams really allows the axework to float on its own. The mix is jus tright as well, not letting Dane's voice overpower the feel of the songs. A pretty dark E.P., but man does it just kill. There's an undercurrent of power here which just surges through you. I just find myself completely carried away by the music, and that doesn't seem to happen as much as it should anymore.
8 out of 10 (25 min E.P.)

The Politics of Ecstacy

1. The Seven Tongues of God
2. This Sacrament
3. Next in Line
4. The Passenger
5. The Politics of Esctasy
6. Lost
7. The Tienanman Man
8. Precognition
9. 42147
10. The Learning

Line-Up

Warrel Dane - Vocals

Jeff Loomis - Guitar

Pat O'Brien - Guitar

Jim Sheppard - Bass

Van Williams - Drums

Continuing the progression made from Sanctuary to Nevermore, Politics is a stunning mix of the last two generations of metal. The whole album has a very mechanical feel, dominated by robotic double bass barrages which lie underneath some incredible axework. Loomis and O'Brien manage to let flow some really amazing leads. Almost inluenced by bands such as Helmet, the stop/start approach works well, only adding to the force contained within. Biggest change to my ears though is Dane's vocal delivery, which is heavily effected, and mixed much lower than on his previous work. Not a detriment, the mix actually allows everyone breathing room on this beast, forming a bombastic mass of molten power (whew!). AS with both the S/T and Sanctuary, the album starts of strong, but begins to meld together towards the end. First few tracks are killer though, and again, the lyrics (all penned by Dane) are all top-notch, adding a point in my book. A definite step forward, The Politics of Ecstasy is a crucial power metal album to have, hold and cherish.
8 1/2 out of 10

Dreaming Neon Black

1. Ophidian
2. Beyond Within
3. The Death of Passion
4. I am the Dog
5. Dreaming Neon Black
6. Deconstruction
7. The Fault of the Flesh
8. The Lotus Eaters
9. Poison Godmachine
10. All Play Dead
11. Cenotaph
12. No More Will
13. Forever

Line-Up

Warrel Dane - Vocals

Jeff Loomis - Guitar

Tim Calvert - Guitar

Jim Sheppard - Bass

Van Williams - Drums

Not much of a departure here for Nevermore, even with Tim Calvert (ex-Forbidden) replacing the "Cannibal"ized Pat O'Brien on guitar duties. Somewhat of an average of the last two full-lengths, Dreaming Neon Black captures the mood of the S/T with the technicality of "Politics", yet falling a little flat in between the two. I'm not sure if Nevermore is shooting for a broader fan base, but with this, their most accessible release to date, they may have hit the mark. That's saying a lot actually, because the guitarwork here is as technical as it gets, matched by the off-the-wall percussive permutations of Van Williams. Lyrically, more poetic infusions from Dane, this time breaking one storyline into individual songsC delivered in the usual syle, yet harkening back more to the Sanctuary days then recent years. So with all the positives, I find it strange that while I really get into the album while listening, I take almost nothing away, which makes me wonder just how long it'll stay in rotation. I also may be a little harsher than I should, since I expect so much from this great band, and this album is definitely up to par, but I was hoping for them to jump it up a notch. Once again produced by Neil Kernan, which may be a con within a plus, as his overall production, while outstanding as compared to other groups, tends to make each Nevermore Release sound similar to others. Actually, the overall sound reminds me of the In Memory E.P., with less of an emotional attack.
7 out of 10