Title: The Obsidian Conspiracy
Artist: Nevermore
Genre: Thrash, Power, Progressive Metal
Release Date: 28th May 2010
Label: Century Media Records
Album Review
NEVERMORE was formed by ex-members of thrash metal outfit SANCTUARY which split up due to problems with the record label when thrash started losing its popularity, giving way to grunge. By the end of 1994, the band already got a stable line-up and in 1995 they released the debut album through Century Media Records. During almost 16 years of existence, they recorded several CDs, most of which were highly successful and shared the stage with such formations as BLIND GURDIAN, OPETH and DISTURBED. This year, NEVERMORE releases the long-awaited 7th studio album, entitled ‘The Obsidian Conspiracy’.
The previous CD ‘The Godless Endeavor’ didn’t seem to produce a great impression on the audience, but the latest effort will definitely return the band its cult status. The rich and vigorous sound, the wonderful combination of different kinds of metal, in which we may notice the elements of death, thrash metal and a slight touch of progressive, make a listener assess the depth and beauty of the genre. Clean and at the same time a bit cracked vocals can easily strike with the diversity and completeness of every single detail and the composition in whole. I can’t say that the album is full of various sonic effects, symphonic arrangements and some other modern attributes of pomposity, but in this case that’s a big plus for the band. When you are tired of all kinds of frills you begin to regard them as unnecessary and sometimes it’s just like a breath of fresh air to listen to something good, old, heavy and qualitative, heartfelt and profound, with interesting, thought-provoking lyrics. In this context I’d like to mark out the ballad ‘The Blue Marble and the New Soul’ that is a heart-rending opus about loneliness and despair in which the acoustic parts fuse fancifully with classical heavy ones, and the voice displays different shades of expressiveness.
If ‘The Obsidian Conspiracy’ captivates you it will be seriously and for a long time, and of course the album will please the devoted fans of the band. In my opinion the only shortcoming that could be found on the CD is the lack of a grandiose, complicated 10-minute track as an ideal completion for the album. But even without that traditional heavy metal thing NEVERMORE’s newest creation is simply excellent.
Tracklist
01. The Termination Proclamation - 3:08
02. Your Poison Throne - 3:52
03. Moonrise (Through Mirrors of Death) - 4:01
04. And the Maiden Spoke - 4:58
05. Emptiness Unobstructed - 4:37
06. The Blue Marble and the New Soul - 4:37
07. Without Morals - 4:17
08. The Day You Built the Wall - 4:21
09. She Comes in Colors - 5:31
10. The Obsidian Conspiracy - 5:19
Line-up
Warrel Dane - Vocals
Jeff Loomis - Guitars
Jim Sheppard - Bass
Van Williams - Drums
Website
http://www.nevermore.tv/ / http://www.myspace.com/nevermorefans
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 9
Sound: 9
Extras: -
Total: 9 / 10
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