Nevermore - Obsidian Conspiracy
It’s no secret that if you know me; you know I have a complete obsession with all things metal. However, the face of metal is ever changing and there is a lot more bad and mediocre than there is anything worthwhile. It can be a sad state of affairs. We have jumped around from nu-metal, to metalcore, to more recently the two sub-genres that are flooding the market; thrash revival and deathcore. There are some really cool new bands out there that put a spin on the old regime of riffing and vocals (Warbeast and Holy Grail to name two) but most of it falls by the wayside. I don’t want to sound like an unprogressive metal head that listens to the same two Maiden albums all day (I don’t) but when times get cluttered with all these new un-memorable bands you want a tried and true band to show everyone how it’s done. Nevermore has been around for quite sometime and they are still semi underground. Maybe it’s the combination of ingredients that kind of turn people off. Jeff Loomis is one of the most underrated guitarists of all time. Jim Sheperd is a great bass player. Van Williams is pretty untouchable on the drums. Warrell Dane delivers poetic powerful vocals that are steeped in introspection and despair. That makes a pretty good equation for some good metal. Maybe its their progressive nature mixed with the vocal delivery that doesn’t do it for some people. All I know is that I have dug them for years and always try to shove them in someones face.
Their latest album which took 5 years to make dropped last week. The Obsidian Conspiracy. It’s not a return to form. It’s not the most revolutionary album they have ever had. It is however, a completely solid album. It’s actually a great album. There are a couple of low points (sometimes the chorus repetition on a few songs is pretty numerous) but mostly is is filled with high points and uniqueness within the structure of this band. Their last two albums were very brutal compared to their earlier stuff and it was a welcome addition to the catalog. This album has its moments of brutality but mostly it is a vehicle for Warrell Dane to deliver some of the best performances he has ever done on a CD. His lyrics are inspired as usual and as opposed to a whole lot of other metal he really digs deep to find the words and emotions that paint a vivid picture in your head. Its not the same formulaic stuff that modern metal is plagued with. They in fact took their own formula and twisted it until something new came out. There are some really touching moments on this album with the highlight being track 5 - Emptiness Unobstructed. It’s one of those songs that covers so much and will leave you awestuck at its simplicity. The album flows very well and its almost as if it were a concept album. You can listen to it from start to finish as one large opus and be satisfied. Its not a super long album either. (I come from the school of metal where a 33 minute album like Reign In Blood is a masterpiece) Hopefully this will be the first in a long line of good albums and a revitalization of the band for the masses. They are coming to NYC soon with a couple other good bands. They haven’t been here in forever and I gotta say - I’m pretty pumped. Check out the new album if you have some time. And check out this new video from the album. The song is amazing.
