Seattle-based
metalheads Nevermore are back, following up 2003's somewhat disappointing
‘Enemies of Reality’ with ‘This Godless Endeavor’, a compelling return to form.
Featuring new guitarist Steve Smyth, the new twin-guitar attack version of the
band is lethal as fuck. Right from the opening jackhammer riff of “Born (The
Retribution of Spiritual Sickness)”, Nevermore shows that they've come to kick
ass and take no prisoners. The band has never sounded better, and tracks like
“Final Product”, “Sentient 6”, and “The Holocaust of Thought” remind the
listener just why they loved this band in the first place. Drummer Van Williams
is especially mind-blowing, playing with a precision and crispness not often
heard outside of computer-generated grooves. Singer Warrel Dane is in his
muscular throated glory, being as harsh or as melodic as the song needs. Lots
of bands are mixing extreme and melodic vocals these days, but few outside of
Warrel or Mikael Akerfelt from Opeth can pull it off with just one person at the
mic. ‘This Godless Endeavor’ shows that Nevermore is headed towards the realms
of metal legends, along side of their own idols. The Heathen Hippy gives it
five fallen deities. (Taliesin Govannon)
This album
is probably somebody's favorite. Somewhere out there, there are people who will
really try to convince you that this is the most brilliant, original musical
statement since the Beatles' ‘Sgt. Pepper’. And you know what? Those are
people who probably come from Matt's home town, or have seen him in a small club
somewhere and were just blown away by his personal, introspective songwriting
style. And for them, it's probably true. For me, however, I just got the
feeling that I've heard this before. Every town has someone like this, a local
musician who's been playing the clubs forever, has built up a loyal following,
and starts to put out the kind of album that his established fans adore. For
those unfamiliar with Matt Sery's style, it's a good, solid Midwestern rock and
roll (even though he's from Connecticut) with a real blue-collar ethic. This is
Michael Stanley for the east coast, and if you like the old MSB then you'll
probably like this, too. It's well recorded and competent, however, and so the
Heathen Hippy gives this three last calls. (Taliesin Govannon)
In
the greater scheme of things, Tristania has never really gotten the respect they
deserve. After all, would we really have so many gothic extreme/clean female
vocal bands coming out of Europe if Tristania hadn't paved the way with their
1997 ‘Midwinter Tears’ demo? I think not. And even though guitarist Morten
Veland is off with Sirenia, the band continues on. However, those old demos and
singles still deserve a second look, and Napalm has helped this tremendously by
re-releasing both the ‘Midwinter Tears’ and ‘Angina’ EP's on one single CD.
Both are well worth hearing again, with songs like “Pale Enchantress”,
“Saturnine” and “Sirene” showing a trailblazer in their prime. The CD booklet is
also a nice addition, with all of the original artwork reproduced. A special
bonus is the fact that Napalm has included a DVD along with the CD, featuring
the band live in concert. The video is clearly shot and the production is kick
ass. Best of all, you get both discs for the price of a regular CD. All in
all, a great buy. The Heathen Hippy gives it four gothic tolls. (Taliesin
Govannon)
May
the Lords of Metal be praised! After far too long being ignored by the rest of
the universe, Akron FINALLY has it's own label dedicated to the fresh,
innovative metal being produced down here. The ‘Akron Metal Assault’ is a
compilation of some of the best that the rubber city has to offer, and it kicks
serious ass. One thing that strikes me is just how much influence classic
metal, i.e. Priest, Maiden, etc., has on this scene as a whole. Some acts,
especially Mobscene, God's Black Revolver, and Liquid Earth, have a fantastic
post-New Wave Of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) feel to their music that's been
all too absent in this proto-punk "metal core" shite that we've been hearing a
lot lately. And there's NO NU-METAL! In fact, if there's one band that's
common to most of these groups as an influence, it's Pantera, not Disturbed.
Standout bands include Mobscene, Liquid Earth, Soul Divice, and God's Black
Revolver. If you like your metal heavy, then do yourself a favor and pick this
one up. The Heathen Hippy gives it four and a half fists in the air.
(Taliesin Govannon)
Seattle-based
metalheads Nevermore are back, following up 2003's somewhat disappointing
‘Enemies of Reality’ with ‘This Godless Endeavor’, a compelling return to form.
Featuring new guitarist Steve Smyth, the new twin-guitar attack version of the
band is lethal as fuck. Right from the opening jackhammer riff of “Born (The
Retribution of Spiritual Sickness)”, Nevermore shows that they've come to kick
ass and take no prisoners. The band has never sounded better, and tracks like
“Final Product”, “Sentient 6”, and “The Holocaust of Thought” remind the
listener just why they loved this band in the first place. Drummer Van Williams
is especially mind-blowing, playing with a precision and crispness not often
heard outside of computer-generated grooves. Singer Warrel Dane is in his
muscular throated glory, being as harsh or as melodic as the song needs. Lots
of bands are mixing extreme and melodic vocals these days, but few outside of
Warrel or Mikael Akerfelt from Opeth can pull it off with just one person at the
mic. ‘This Godless Endeavor’ shows that Nevermore is headed towards the realms
of metal legends, along side of their own idols. The Heathen Hippy gives it
five fallen deities. (Taliesin Govannon)
This album
is probably somebody's favorite. Somewhere out there, there are people who will
really try to convince you that this is the most brilliant, original musical
statement since the Beatles' ‘Sgt. Pepper’. And you know what? Those are
people who probably come from Matt's home town, or have seen him in a small club
somewhere and were just blown away by his personal, introspective songwriting
style. And for them, it's probably true. For me, however, I just got the
feeling that I've heard this before. Every town has someone like this, a local
musician who's been playing the clubs forever, has built up a loyal following,
and starts to put out the kind of album that his established fans adore. For
those unfamiliar with Matt Sery's style, it's a good, solid Midwestern rock and
roll (even though he's from Connecticut) with a real blue-collar ethic. This is
Michael Stanley for the east coast, and if you like the old MSB then you'll
probably like this, too. It's well recorded and competent, however, and so the
Heathen Hippy gives this three last calls. (Taliesin Govannon)
In
the greater scheme of things, Tristania has never really gotten the respect they
deserve. After all, would we really have so many gothic extreme/clean female
vocal bands coming out of Europe if Tristania hadn't paved the way with their
1997 ‘Midwinter Tears’ demo? I think not. And even though guitarist Morten
Veland is off with Sirenia, the band continues on. However, those old demos and
singles still deserve a second look, and Napalm has helped this tremendously by
re-releasing both the ‘Midwinter Tears’ and ‘Angina’ EP's on one single CD.
Both are well worth hearing again, with songs like “Pale Enchantress”,
“Saturnine” and “Sirene” showing a trailblazer in their prime. The CD booklet is
also a nice addition, with all of the original artwork reproduced. A special
bonus is the fact that Napalm has included a DVD along with the CD, featuring
the band live in concert. The video is clearly shot and the production is kick
ass. Best of all, you get both discs for the price of a regular CD. All in
all, a great buy. The Heathen Hippy gives it four gothic tolls. (Taliesin
Govannon)
May
the Lords of Metal be praised! After far too long being ignored by the rest of
the universe, Akron FINALLY has it's own label dedicated to the fresh,
innovative metal being produced down here. The ‘Akron Metal Assault’ is a
compilation of some of the best that the rubber city has to offer, and it kicks
serious ass. One thing that strikes me is just how much influence classic
metal, i.e. Priest, Maiden, etc., has on this scene as a whole. Some acts,
especially Mobscene, God's Black Revolver, and Liquid Earth, have a fantastic
post-New Wave Of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) feel to their music that's been
all too absent in this proto-punk "metal core" shite that we've been hearing a
lot lately. And there's NO NU-METAL! In fact, if there's one band that's
common to most of these groups as an influence, it's Pantera, not Disturbed.
Standout bands include Mobscene, Liquid Earth, Soul Divice, and God's Black
Revolver. If you like your metal heavy, then do yourself a favor and pick this
one up. The Heathen Hippy gives it four and a half fists in the air.
(Taliesin Govannon)