Artist: Nevermore
Label: Century Media Records
Release Date: 7/26/05
Abyss's Review:
Nevermore have never been one of my favorite bands. But dammit if they don't seem to be doing everything right. Unsatisfied with the original production of their last album, Enemies of Reality, they re-released it with Andy Sneap turning the dials, significantly improving the finished product (and I wasn't even really that critical of the original output). If anything, this shows that the band are really invested in what they do, which is refreshing in and of itself.If this band has disappointed me at all in the last few years its only because their last two albums haven't eclipsed (in my opinion) their best work, Dreaming Neon Black. And while it may be too early to say this...we might have a new champion. Only time will tell, but this record is about as close to perfect as I could imagine. The melding of the guitars and rhythm section is electrifying, resulting in a sound that is as melodic as anything out there, all the while remaining brutal at its core. Their entire sound is so thick that it seems like it should be in a genre all its own. Take the heaviness of brutal death metal and mix it with the finest aspects of power and progressive, and you get Nevermore...a juggernaut of bombast and beauty.
"One word review: Immaculate." And while the guitarists deserve the lion's share of the credit for this album's success, I do have to give props to Warrel Dane. In the early days of this band, I took considerable issue with his vocals. He would often annoy the piss out of me with his over-the-top wailings, ruining many a song for me in the process. Recently, and most effectively on this album, he's learned the subtle art of restraint, evolving him from a guy with an impressive voice to a great singer. He also shakes things up a bit, finding a more aggressive voice within him, most evident in the first few bars of lead track "Born."
This Godless Endeavor is a songwriting clinic. Even the less aggressive songs here are exciting. They don't just serve as points for contrast, they make the album better as a whole. "Sentient 6" is a great example of this. It could be considered a ballad, but it maintains ballast that helps to keep the song anchored, and allows the (artificially) intelligent lyrics to really shine. This album rules. One word review: Immaculate.
Death's Review:
Nevermore is one of my favorite bands, and has been for quite some time. Classic albums like Dreaming Neon Black and Dead Heart in a Dead World seemed to possibly constitute the band's peak, once the great but not as well-produced Enemies of Reality hit the scene a couple of years back. Still, it's nice to see these warriors of metal gaining in popularity and strength after almost two decades of battle for the metal cause, and I'm happy to report that the new album, This Godless Endeavor, achieves a new level of accomplishment for the Nevermore catalogue, and is probably one of the band's best efforts to date.
"A perfect slab of organically grown, hydroponic and psychedelic precision." Nevermore's profile has certainly increased dramatically over the past year. Tours with other up-and-comers such as Children of Bodom last year set the stage, as did the videos for the tracks "Enemies of Reality" and "I, Voyager" off of the last album. But new, greater opportunities for Nevermore have presented themselves in 2005, with a main stage slot on Dave Mustaine's Gigantour the most prominent among them. The band really rises to the occasion with This Godless Endeavor, with the strength of the songwriting, the power of the crystal-clear production, and the intensity of the performances really forcing the issue and catapulting Nevermore to approximately 5,200 albums sold in its first week, good enough for #11 on Billboard's "Heat Seekers" chart and marking the greatest single-week sales in Nevermore's 13-year career.
The success is well deserved. This album is dark, heavy and powerful, and at all times totally metal (opener "Born" absolutely shreds like nothing the band has done before), yet within that framework the band seems confident enough to allow for a little experimentation and stretching out of the Nevermore sound. New guitarist Steve Smyth (Testament, Dragonlord) fits in perfectly. While the first video "Final Product" delivers the classic Nevermore sound we’ve come to expect - catchy chorus, true vocals, intricate riffs and shredding leads - other tracks such as "A Future Uncertain" and the closing, epic title track really crush with a psychodramatic intensity that is, to my ears, the bands’ most distinguished characteristic. Still other tracks such as "My Acid Words" are lyrical masterpieces and are destined to become staples of the live Nevermore set for years to come. There are even the requisite Nevermore ballads ("Sentient 6" and "Sell My Heart for Stones") that sound wonderful and help to diversify the overall listening experience. All in all, this album is sonically exciting, three-dimensional - a perfect slab of organically grown, hydroponic and psychedelic precision, the type which Nevermore has been trying to achieve for their entire career, with varying degrees of success. Neon black, indeed. This really is close to the perfect Nevermore record, and true fans will surely rejoice well into 2006. Good luck taking this one out of your six-disc changer or out of your regular iPod rotation. Bottom line: one of the best so far of 2005.
Hel's Review:
I've been onboard the Nevermore train since the very beginning and have long counted them among my favorite bands. Let me just tell you here and now: This Godless Endeavor rules. The songs stack up very well against their previous effort, with that almost intangible quality of being able to blend well into my mental catalog alongside older favorites.
"This is nothing less than truly masterful release from a band with a long history of awesome albums." The pigs and the worms have returned, both lyrical allegories of corrupt authority, a running theme throughout all of their albums. The songs are well crafted and each shows off the band’s amazing musical abilities. Like blistering technical guitarwork? Insanely complicated drumming? Intense, passionately performed lyrics? Look no further. Word on the street is that MegaDave choose the bands on Gigantour for their technical merit. Consider that.
So, yes, you should spend your hard earned cash on the newest Nevermore studio release. The production glitches that plagued their last effort are nowhere to be found, thanks to the formidable talents of Andy Sneap. This Godless Endeavor boasts crystal clear sound allowing every astounding note to ring true. This is nothing less than truly masterful release from a band with a long history of awesome albums. What a beautiful thing.
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