Dead Heart in a Dead World

My first experience with Nevermore. I can't say I was disappointed, but I wasn't completely blown away either. This album definitely has its moments, but it isn't consitent. Almost all the song writing is top notch, but the music doesn't always meet that same level.

The opening track "Narcosynthesis" is really killer. Probably the best song on the album. The vocals during the verses seem like they could have been mixed a bit louder though. "We Disintegrate" is heavy, but not anything to write home about. The chorus vocals seem awkward. "Inside Four Walls" is a great song. I especially love the intro and I've always been somewhat of a sucker for songs that are critical of the government, whether I agree with the message or not. The next three tracks are really solid, but the riffs start to seem somewhat like repetitions of previous songs. "Engines of Hate" is heavy, but not very memorable. The riff is pretty cool, but it doesn't have any of the lyrical hooks some of the other songs have. "The Sound of Silence" is an interesting cover of a Simon & Garfunkel song that Nevermore has completely made their own. What can I say, it works. "Insignificant" and "Believe in Nothing" are two more of my favorite tracks. "Believe in Nothing" especially hooks you with the infectious lyrics. The title track really disappointed me. I can see where there were some great ideas, but in some places it just doesn't sound right. The heavy riff doesn't flow very well out the soft intro or the chorus portions. The chorus is definitely catchy, but the other problems with this song sort of ruin it for me.

Overall, this is a pretty good album. There are some great riffs and melodies, the quality of the solos is suprisingly good, and there are definitely some catchy lyrics.