Metal Reviews

I agree. My point being that if Dream Theater are doing it before your band is, you are way behind.

And "Not one album is better than the other?" Come on, man. I also love that whenever someone backs up an opinion with points and a little backbone people pull the "over analyzing" card. This is a review site. I thought that the album got an absurdly high review and I pointed out why it should have gotten a lower using points rather than just saying, "I don't like it." Simple as that.

...Or you just don't want to use blast beats and growls. Way behind? It's not neccesary to have blast beats and growls, and it's not like a band will suck if they don't use them. You make it sound almost like "blast beats and growls are the 'in' thing, and that all the cool kids are doing it, so why isn't your band?".

This makes absolutely no sense. You mention that Dream Theater has added growls into some songs, as if that somehow means Nevermore is lesser for not doing so. Then, when someone rightfully points out that the DT growls are rather shit and don't add anything to their songs, you agree. Then you try to make the point that Nevermore just isn't progressing because they haven't added growls like Dream Theater.

Progression for the sake of progression is not a good thing. Nevermore doesn't need growls. They can build atmosphere, be heavy, dark, and brooding all without it. In fact, I think growls and Black metal influences would sound pretty damn cheesy in a Nevermore song.

Much as I love Black Metal, I have to agree with Orion here.

Maybe it's just me then. I personally think it would sound like a natural progression for the band that would push them into a really cool direction. I don't believe that Nevermore HAVE to do this, I just think that if they are going to simplify their music (which they did, by a LOT) then they have to make up for it with that extra heaviness and with the current set of tools at their disposal they can't make up for it so the music is cheapened. Warrel Dane doesn't use his awesome falsetto anymore, so growls would add a layer to even out the layer that has been taken away. They are mainly just ideas, but as it is Nevermore, at the height of the bands popularity made an album that plays it safe and will probably end up setting them back rather than going for the gold.

As for the Dream Theater comment, it was more of a joke than anything.

I don't think they have simplified their music to a great extent, and Dane has a breathy growly thing he does that sounds far better than Dream Theater's lovable GNNNNRRRRRAAAAAAHHHH! nonsense. They should get a keyboard player, take a lesson from Clutch.

I thought this album was much simpler than Godless Endeavor, particularly the (lack of) guitar soloing.

Less solos, sure, but they're not dumbed down like Crash was suggesting.

Not dumbed down in terms of technicality, no. Jeff Loomis has never had "better" guitar playing in terms of technicality of riffage. But in terms of songwriting, themes, moods, etc. It is very much a one trick album. One of my favorite things about Godless Endeavor was that the first 4 songs all blended together in a way that I could not imagine listening to them in a different order. Same way with Enemies of Reality or Dreaming Neon Black. I feel like this is a collection of songs that may go over well live, but are packaged together in an inconsequential order. Some of the songs are good, and some songs have good parts, but overall I feel like a band as talented as Nevermore should have been able to come up with something better than this after 5 years.

I think this has some of the most varied songwriting they've ever done. Each song has it's own unique identity and things that make it a great song. I'm perfectly ok with that.

I mean, I can honestly go through song by song and name characteristics about each that I think make it great. There are very few albums that I can do that with.

The solos on This Godless Endeavor are just pure

Very disappointing that there wasn't more of that going on with this album. Still, there are some pretty awesome riffs spread throughout.

You do that.

So what's the consensus on this? Half like it half don't?

I guess that's the thing. No one has said that they "kinda" like it or are middle of the road. It's either a masterpiece or a bomb. I really wouldn't call it a bomb in comparison to everything out now, just by Nevermore's standards (which in reality is still better than most people's best). I'm harsh on Nevermore because if you are good enough to deserve heavy praise, then you are good enough to handle heavy criticism.

Eh, I wouldn't call it a masterpiece, but it is a very good album. It's suffering mainly in comparison to TGE, which is easily a 95/100 album - any band's subsequent works would look poorer automatically.

And I wouldn't call it a turd either, just a disappointment for a band like Nevermore.

My only problem with the album is, that the songs are too short. And that's sad, because they are mostly very good, but 3 minutes for a Nevermore song? Come on...

I like the album 'as is' therefore I can't offer any complaints or criticisms. Oh, and thumbs up for a good review as well Aleksie.

Just heard "Emptienss Unobstructed," and if that's the worst song on this album, then it ought to skullfuck me with its raging boner of musical excellence.