Nevermore - This Godless Endeavor (2005)^{Release ID: 2267}

I am always suspicious of bands that are the darlings of the metal press, as Nevermore certainly were at one time. Mags like Kerrang!, Metal Hammer and Terrrorizer always seemed to be the bitches of the record labels and would schmooze whatever crap the labels were pushing at the time. This is why I spend so much of my time mooching in the metal underground listening to obscure shit no one else cares about I suppose. I have no objection to popular bands, I just like to discover them my own way, not have them pushed into my face by some music press hack at the behest of a record label marketing exec. Furthermore I had somehow garnered the impression that Nevermore were some kind of Dream Theater clone (which certainly didn't help endear them to me).
Anyway, encouraged by positive reviews on this very site, I took the plunge and so, This Godless Endeavor is my first experience of the band. While it is undoubtedly true that they are more Dream Theater than Dream Death, luckily they eschew the endless technical wankery I associate with that bunch of insufferable prog metallers. At first listen I wasn't all that impressed I must confess. Having approached the album from the perspective of a member of The Pit, I was expecting a lot more on the thrash front, but the album seems to contain very little true thrash. I would say it's more akin to the thrash-derived power metal of early Iced Earth. So I then came at it from a different perspective, with more of an open mind to the prog elements. Now my current yardstick for progressive metal are albums like Blood Incantation's Hidden History... and Venenum's Trance of Death, both of which exhibit a degree of visceral aggression which contrasts the intellectual progressiveness and gives a more complete experience in my opinion. This Godless Endeavor does exhibit a little of this primal aggression, but it feels stilted and constrained compared to the more cerebral aspects of the album, which are still the main focus. However, even I must agree, it is done very well, there are some quite memorable, well-written songs and the performance is excellent. I can certainly hear why many people are fans, but it doesn't quite hit the intangibles for me. Sure, I'll nod my head in appreciation at a riff, a solo or a vocal melody but at no point did it make make me want to shout "FUCK YEAH!!" and I think the very best metal should do just that.

It's been about a year since I stopped listening to Nevermore, and I decided to re-review one of their albums. Enemies of Reality was controversial for the production job by ex-Queensrÿche guitarist Kelly Gray. Producer Andy Sneap remixed the album, which helped a little but not a lot. Dreaming Neon Black and Dead Heart in a Dead World were once golden classics for me, and this album, This Godless Endeavor, still takes on the greatness, with unique song structures of heavy riffing and excellent vocals.

This Godless Endeavor keeps the band's steady fire going, as greatly as they've done in Dead Heart in a Dead World. Guitarist Jeff Loomis performs complex riffing in 7-string slaughter, and drummer Van Williams goes heavy on his metallic drumming. Second guitarist Steve Smyth joins in on the action and contributed a bit of songwriting.

"Born" already speeds up right away with powerful thrash and Warrel Dane's vocal aggression before the melodic chorus. A great kick-A opener! The excellent "Final Product" isn't too special, but it represents the band's formula quite well. The chorus for "My Acid Words" is quite a heartful break from the heaviness that covers the rest of the highlight. The powerful composition "Bittersweet Feast" is another highlight.

"Sentient 6" lyrically continues from the epic closer of the band's earlier album The Politics of Ecstasy, starting off as a desperate ballad before ending with a vengeance. Jeff Loomis continues his guitar grace in "Medicated Nation". Then "The Holocaust of Thought" is a nice instrumental.

"Sell My Heart for Stones" is another calm ballad, though not as vengeful as the other ballad-like track. "The Psalm of Lydia" is full of surprises, such as acoustic guitar briefly snuck into the wild progressive thrash. The challenging progressive soloing can be found in ''A Future Uncertain'', which lyrics and riffing recycled from a demo. The 9-minute title epic is so fantastic and dynamic. The vocals and guitars truly add to the art, starting from monumental riffing and vocal layers, staying epic until the end.

This Godless Endeavor continued the band's greatness streak from Dead Heart in a Dead World, with a compact direction to love. Sadly, with the band's split and Dane's passing, they can no longer continue that streak. While there are other bands out there with killer releases, the vocals reign upon the modern metal throne! RIP Warrel Dane

Favorites: "Born", "My Acid Words", "Bittersweet Feast", "Sentient 6", "The Psalm of Lydia", "This Godless Endeavor"