Nevermore - The Obsidian Conspiracy

Published June 06 2010

*=Staff's pick	The Termination Proclamation Your Poison Throne Moonrise (Through Mirrors Of Death) And The Maiden Spoke Emptiness Unobstructed* The Blue Marble And The New Soul Without Morals The Day You Built The Wall* She Comes In Colors* The Obsidian Conspiracy*

Genre	Progressive/Groove Metal	Warrel Dane	Vocals
Tracks	10	Jeff Loomis	Guitar
Runningtime	51 Min.	-	Guitar
Label	Century Media	Jim Sheppard	Bass
Release	31 May 2010	Van Williams	Drums
Country	USA	-	Keyboard
Producer	Peter Wichers
Similar artists	Trivium, Dream Theater

After hearing a quality song-snippet compilation a few months ago, I started to have some high expectations for Nevermore's latest full-length release, The Obsidian Conspiracy. With allusions that this album would elicit comparisons to the earlier era of Nevermore, with names such as The Politics of Ecstacy being dropped in interviews, my belief that this record would follow the trend of established bands coming out of a rut of mediocrity (see that latest from Megadeth and Overkill) was coming to a high. It appears my expectations were misplaced.

While certainly not deviating from the overall sound they have crafted since their inception, The Obsidian Conspiracy is somewhat of a mixed bag, which I feel reflects the two eras and sonic approaches of Nevermore. The first half of the album sounds largely like the band's previous two offerings. To some, this may be a boon, as is evidenced by the great reception this album's predecessor received. The overly intricate but inarticulate, wet-noodle riffing of This Godless Endeavor didn't do a whole lot for me; a trend that this release doesn't really break from until its latter three or four songs.

The songs that remain certainly do recall the earlier days of Nevermore. What made the band so compelling on its first releases was a combination of Jeff Loom's tight, chunky riffing contrasted with his more melodic and somber passages. The important facet is that the riffing was used to drive the song aggressively, without getting lost in a sea of muddy tone inherent to the lower tuning his seven-string style affords. The last three songs of the album offer exactly that, and prove that Nevermore are able to recall elements of what made their sound so intriguing and powerful. Why this wasn't done more consistently throughout The Obsidian Conspiracy is beyond me.

Warrel Dane was quoted as saying that, "I know [Jeff Loomis] said in some interviews that he was going to simplify things a little bit to make more room for the vocals," a statement that I feel is to the album's detriment. By "making room for the vocals," the listener is left wanting more of the elements mentioned previously. Because of the conscious decision to write songs in this way, the result is one that lacks enough punch, and ultimately makes many of the songs feel droning and mostly unforgettable, in spite of their catchy choruses.

Though The Obsidian Conspiracy is Nevermore through and through, and by no means a poor record by any means, but it is certainly not on the same level as some of the classics in the band's back catalog. While a few songs (including the two inspired covers on the deluxe and vinyl editions) and sections are phenomenal, Nevermore's latest lacks the consistency required to bring it to the next level.

See also review of: Enemies Of Reality , Praises To The War Machine

Performance	Originality	Production	Vocals	Songwriting
8	8	9	8	7

Summary
7,5 chalices of 10 - Dux