Nevermore rose out of the ashes of
Sanctuary. Singer Warrel Dane, bassist
Jim Sheppard, and newly acquired guitarist Jeff Loomis remained from the
original '80s power metal band. Van Williams was brought on as a drummer,
and Pat O'Brien was used as a second guitarist on "In Memory" and "The
Politics of Ecstasy," but he is now gone. Despite the lineage, Nevermore
is quite different from the band that Sanctuary was. In general,
Nevermore is heavier, less melodic, and apparently not the critical
sensation that Sanctuary was. Still, Warrel remains a great singer, Jeff
can really rip, and the band can come up with some killer tunes. As one of
the few American bands remaining true to the music that is heavy metal, they
are quite important to the scene.
Nevermore ('95) ***1/2
For anyone looking to the logical followup to Sanctuary's "Into the Mirror
Black," look elsewhere. Although Warrel Dane is still a great singer, and
there is a bit of melody to be found, this album is heavier and overall
less friendly than Sanctuary's work. There are several slower songs like
"The Hurting Words," but also some fast ones like "Sea of Possibilities."
Jeff Loomis seems to be an excellent guitarist, and I think it's his
high-pitched, sharp guitar playing that really creates the unique Nevermore
sound. There's a lot of thoughtful, if slightly vague, lyrics, a tribute to
Timothy Leary, and ever so popular anti-TV preacher song. Oh yeah, the cover
is a 3D stereogram (you know, Magic Eye?) and it's a really good one, so
take a look at it if you can.
In Memory EP ('96) ****
This 5-song EP is generally in the same style as the self-titled, but the
songs are a little better. The disc opens with a great thrasher, "Optimist
Or Pessimist." Then comes a mid-tempo song about Mother Earth, so now
Nevermore has covered the second most popular topic in metal. The title track
is probably the least interesting, but the Bauhaus cover/medley that follows
is pretty cool. Finally comes largely acoustic "The Sorrowed Man,"
Nevermore's most relaxed song to date, but quite beautiful.
The Politics of Ecstasy ('96) ***
This album is heavy. Probably the heaviest non-death metal
album I've heard. It's very dark, dissonant, and drug-oriented. Yes, it
seems that Warrel is quite the acid fiend. With Timothy Leary references
everywhere (all the psychadelic artwork, the titles...) the band seems to
think the psychadelic experience is a lot cooler than it actually is. Still,
once you get past that, there's a lot of good stuff to be found here. The
crushing heaviness is great, if that's what you're looking for. And there's
also some rather speedy numbers too, especially in the guitarwork. Bits of
Sanctuary still show through as well: Warrel clearly screams "Long since
dark!" there's a blurred picture of the old man from "Into the Mirror Black,"
and the politically based lyrics show up in "The Tiananman Man" and
the title track. Nine-minute "The Learning," is Nevermore's masterpiece, an
intriguing look at artificial intelligence (and maybe even religion) backed
by some excellent music.
Other Nevermore sites:
Back to the Bands
Questions, comments, complaints? Let me know:
gregie@students.uiuc.edu