Nevermore's 6th full length album has received loads of praising reviews over the net. So you're thinking, whether is this review gonna be different? I can tell you; no, this too is a praising one! I begun to pay attention to the band when their 4th album 'Dead Heart in a Dead World' was released back in 2000. I don't mean, that the older ones are bad albums, I simply found the band because of that album.

So you thought they'd put out a grunge album after a bad-sounding previous platter 'Enemies of Reality' (2003)? No, no, no need to be afraid... Nevermore are simply Nevermore. There's no other way around it. Their most striking trademark is vocalist Warrel Dane, whose unique voice easily divides opinions, thanks to his odd style of sometimes singing what sounds like a bit out of key. His voice goes from howling to snarling, portray amount of feelings varying from psychotic to insane to melancholic without forgetting aggressiveness.

As 'Born' blasts out of speakers, it's clear that Nevermore are back with a vengeance. Gone is the previous album's flat rock production, and thanks belong to Andy Sneap! While being modern, the sound's not plastic. Truly heavy and aggressive yet lucid, good balancing between the elements, simply one of the best production jobs I've heard. Probably, because it fits perfectly with Nevermore's turbulent music. The band's unique mixture is really hard to be described, it's not just something, it's many things. Pure American metal (one foot in the past and one foot in modern times, which has nothing to do with Slipknot and shite), with more some extreme leanings toward thrash metal and death metal, and performed technically yet with explosive energy. I can name some bands I hear more or less slight similarities with: Death's later recordings 'Symbolic' and 'The Sound of Perseverance' (1995 and 1998 respectively) and Control Denied, Queensrÿche, second half of 1980s Metallica, Fear Factory's 'Demanufacture' (1995), Machine Head's 'Burn My Eyes' (1994) and Testament. 'This Godless Endeavor' is full of surprising, even ambivalent turns, but in no way are the songs splintered. The songs have quantity of atmospheres, from attacking (e.g. 'Born') to slithering (e.g. 'Sentient 6') to melancholic (e.g. 'Sell My Heart for Stones'). Every song is sufficiently different to each other and there is no single song lowering from the high standard.

Guitarist Jeff Loomis found a new sparring partner from Dragonlord, ex-Testament, ex-Vicious Rumours axewielder Steve Smyth. They shred and they show such enormous technical skill that will leave noone cold. Solos are composed, but they too can be shredding at times. Drummer Van Williams is a man-machine. He can do it with exactitude of a metronome, but there's also groove in his playing. Bassist Jim Sheppard does as good as his skilled partners' require.

Lyrics-wise, the album is on the moment and we also have a possible glimpse of future. Media controlling the world, as do religions, then drug problem, artificial intelligences learning things and such topics can be found on this album. The lyrics are profound and are able to evoke feelings. Cover artwork by Hugh Syme is really quite disturbing. Sadly, the booklet has some pages without artwork.

Just check out this band, if you never have or for some weird reason you didn't find their previous work appealing. In short, I find this like a mix between 'Dead Heart in a Dead World' and 'Dreaming Neon Black' (1999). Both aggressive and melancholic, totally spellbinding, at least for a broad-minded metal head like myself. This should appeal to metal fans of several styles. One of the most important metal albums of 21st century, and the most important one from USA in 2005. At least I can't find anything to whine about this album.

Rating: 9 (out of 10) ratings explained

Reviewed by Lane
02/07/2006 13:31