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Nevermore > The Year of the Voyager > Reviews > PowerDaso
Nevermore - The Year of the Voyager

Perfect Performance. What did you expected? - 100%

PowerDaso, July 16th, 2010

Nevermore is one of the biggest names in extreme metal due to their huge variation in sound among their songs. Not only this, but the technicallity in their music is very highlightable. So, if there is a band this big and also this technical, would they be able to play themselves live? The answer is this, "The Year of the Voyager", or in other words, yes, it is possible.

As mentioned earlier, Nevermore is extremelly technical. They got a great management of their compositions, as they abuse usage of dissonant melodies. This mentioned doesn't mean that they are unlisteneable, but the whole opposite, after all, that's why they are technical: they know how and when to use the dissonances. Jeff Loomis is considered one of the best guitarrists in the whole metal, and the title is not gifted, it's earned. Warrel Dane is one of the most skilled singers, as he uses diverse types of singing, such as growls, harsh vocals, high pitched screams, and some kind of melancholic singing. Although most of the time the highlights don't go towards him, Van Williams is an impressive drummer. He creates excellent rhythms, so good that at times they seem improvisations or drum solos. Now, all of these is just a mere description of what the members do in studio, and why it would be hard for them to perform live.

Now, as skillful as the members are, they are also able to perform live. For Dane, it was an amazing night. He could manage to sing all the songs properly, changing his vocal style accurately in each song. Warrel also had a good control and communication with the audience, which is great since it would not be a live album without them. Loomis was flawless, every single riff sounded as great as in the albums, he didn't miss a note in any solo. Van Williams, of course, added his talent in here with his extreme drumming and completed this songs. Sheppard did a good job, too, but nothing extremelly highlightable, though.

The setlist is one of my favorite parts. Many people say "This Godless Endeavor" is their best so far. They played six songs from that album. They also played great songs from other albums like "The River Dragon Has Come" (from "Dead Heart in a Dead World", whose title track was played too). The fact that they closed the concert with "This Godless Endeavor" was great, since that, for me, symbolizes an appreciation towards that song and that they consider it to be among their best.

This night was a very special night for Nevermore, they did an excellent performance of each song, chose a great setlist and knew how to manage the audience properly. I think this is really a must for every Nevermore fan and also a good way to introduce yourself to the band if you have not heard them before.