Nevermore

Nevermore
Nevermore at Summer Breeze , 2007
General information
origin	Seattle , United States
Genre (s)	Progressive Metal , Thrash Metal , Power Metal
founding	1991
resolution	2017
Website	www.nevermore.tv
Founding members
singing	Warrel Dane († 2017)
guitar	Jeff Loomis (until 2011)
bass	Jim Sheppard
Drums	Mark Arrington (until 1994)
former members
guitar	Pat O'Brien (1994-1996)
guitar	Tim Calvert (1997–2000, † 2018)
guitar	Steve Smyth (2003-2005 (live), 2005-2007)
Drums	Van Williams (1994-2011)
Live support
guitar	Curran Murphy (1996-1997, 2000-2001)
guitar	Chris Broderick (2001-2003, 2006-2007 / 2008)
guitar	Attila Vörös (2010-2011)
bass	James MacDonough (2006)
bass	Tim Johnston (2007)
bass	Dagna Silesia (2011)
Drums	Adam Gardner (1995-1996)

Nevermore was an American Metal - band from Seattle that the band Sanctuary emerged. Their stylistic classification is not uniform. Most often their music is classified as Progressive Metal or Thrash Metal , occasionally referring to elements from Power Metal .

history

Nevermore emerged from the remnants of the Seattle- based power metal band Sanctuary , who had released two albums ( Refuge Denied and Into the Mirror Black ) in 1988 and 1990 . Singer Warrel Dane and bassist Jim Sheppard as well as guitarist Jeff Loomis , who joined them on the last Sanctuary tour, are the cornerstones of the band alongside drummer Van Williams. After the band signed a recording contract with the German label Century Media in 1994, their first album, bearing the band name, was released in early 1995. Neil Kernon, who has worked with Queensrÿche before, is at the controls on this album.

This was followed by a European tour supporting Blind Guardian and an American tour with Death , before an EP called In Memory was released in 1996 , which mostly contains songs that did not make it on the debut album. Another European tour with Iced Earth followed before Nevermore released the somewhat tricky follow-up The Politics of Ecstasy that same year . Meanwhile belonged Pat O'Brien to line-up the band. A short time later, however, he said goodbye to Cannibal Corpse . Curran Murphy represented him live. O'Brien's successor was Tim Calvert in 1997, previously with Forbidden . With him the band recorded the 1999 album Dreaming Neon Black . A headlining tour through Europe with Morgana Lefay and Sacred Steel consolidated their status as an excellent live band. However, Calvert's stay with the band was only of limited duration. He left the band in 2000 after getting married, and the band, which had shrunk to a quartet, toured live with guest guitarists for several years.

The following album Dead Heart in a Dead World was therefore recorded with Loomis as the sole guitarist. Dead Heart in a Dead World is considered the album that brought the band the final breakthrough in the metal scene. Critics and fans everywhere were largely in agreement. It moved the band from the eternal insider tip into the spotlight of the scene. Producer Andy Sneap had a decisive influence on the end result of the record . On the tours, Curran Murphy supported the band again as the second guitarist. An American tour with Fates Warning and in September 2001 with Savatage was followed by a European tour with Annihilator . Murphy joined the latter after the tour, and so Nevermore were again without a second guitarist. Chris Broderick from Jag Panzer and former Testament and Vicious Rumors guitarist Steve Smyth, who initially only belonged to the band as a live guitarist and was not yet part of the 2003 follow-up album, Enemies of Reality , were called in as live support over the next few years is heard.

Because Century Media limited the production budget due to the expiring contract with the band, Enemies of Reality was recorded at home in Seattle with Kelly Gray as producer. The sound result was considered disappointing by many fans and also by the band and so a new version of the record was released in 2005 by Andy Sneap. Despite the unsatisfactory sound, the band's popularity continued unabated. The album was placed in the German charts at number 34 and also made it into the charts in Italy and the Netherlands. A co-headlining tour through Europe with Arch Enemy and a US tour with Children of Bodom , Dimmu Borgir and Hypocrisy ended the promotion for Enemies of Reality .

The band extended their contract with Century Media and so the next album was recorded again with the producer of choice Andy Sneap. This Godless Endeavor was released in July 2005 and Nevermore was part of the gigantic tour through the USA initiated by Dave Mustaine , which also included bands such as Megadeth , Dream Theater and Fear Factory . This was followed by a European tour with the support bands Dew-Scented and Mercenary . This Godless Endeavor entered the album charts at number 26 in Germany and also made it into the charts in countries such as France, Italy and Switzerland. It was also “album of the month” in various trendy magazines. Jim Sheppard had to be temporarily represented by James MacDonough at concerts because of Crohn's disease .

In January 2008, Chris Broderick, who has been touring the band for years, decided to end his live engagement with Nevermore, as he was busy with his new role as lead guitarist with Megadeth . He also got out of Jag Panzer. Warrel Dane and Jeff Loomis released their solo albums in the same year. On May 28, 2010, the album The Obsidian Conspiracy was released after a five-year break . The Hungarian Attila Vörös was confirmed as tour guitarist .

On April 21, 2011, Jeff Loomis and Van Williams announced their exit from Nevermore. This was justified with musical and personal differences. Warrel Dane concentrated on his old band Sanctuary from now on . He died on December 13, 2017 in São Paulo as a result of a heart attack .

Discography

→ Main article : Nevermore / discography

Studio albums

year	Title music label	Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, music label , placements, weeks, awards, notes)				Remarks
		DE	AT	CH	US
1995	Nevermore Century Media	-	-	-	-	First published: February 14, 1995
1996	The Politics of Ecstasy Century Media	-	-	-	-	First published: November 5, 1996
1999	Dreaming Neon Black Century Media	DE80 (1 week) DE	-	-	-	First published: January 26, 1999
2000	Dead Heart in a Dead World Century Media	DE57 (1 week) DE	-	-	-	First published: October 17, 2000
2003	Enemies of Reality Century Media	DE34 (2 weeks) DE	-	-	-	First release: July 29, 2003 , remixed and re-released in 2005
2005	This Godless Endeavor Century Media	DE26 (4 weeks) DE	CH63 (2 weeks) CH	-	-	First published: July 26, 2005
2010	The Obsidian Conspiracy Century Media	DE13 (2 weeks) DE	CH40 (1 week) CH	AT34 (1 week) AT	US132 (1 week) US	First published: June 8, 2010

Web links

Commons : Nevermore  - album with pictures, videos and audio files

• Official website (English)
• Never More at Discogs (English)