The Obsidian Conspiracy

Nevermore has done it again, and their new release "The Obsidian Conspiracy" is a testament to this band's talent. Plenty of heavy, groovy riffs and intense solos overtop of a thumping (but not overpowering) bass and powerful drumming on part of Van Williams. But what do I mean when I say this?

Stylistically, this is a tad different than their previous works. They got Peter Wichers as the producer, so the riffs and solos bend a bit towards the melodic side as opposed to Jeff's traditional fretboard wizardry (though mind you, they still rule). The songs vary in structure, ranging from the incredibly fast "And the Maiden Spoke" and the title track to the slower "The Day You Built the Wall" and "Emptiness Unobstructed." So, essentially, the instrument section should please anyone who was a fan of their past works.

Now, onto the main reasons Nevermore receives alot of criticism; "consistency" and Warrel Dane's operatic vocal style. I myself never saw how any of the songs were "inconsistent" as many claim them to be; I just see that as varied song structuring, which helps keep things fresh (atleast in my opinion). Warrel's vocals have always impressed me, since day one of listening to Nevermore. Yes, he can get sort of spangly with his vocals at times, but all in all, I find his singing to be very powerful and unique sounding. He gives Nevermore it's signature sound.

This album doesn't get a full 100%, though, despite the amazing musicianship and the very tight passages and verses. The "melodic" aspect sometimes gets too out of hand and the solo ends up sounding like something Dark Tranquillity would do (not that I dislike that band, their solos are just piss terrible). On top of that, the song "Your Poison Throne" was a below-average song on this record; consisting of a few "hardcore"-ish style vocals (they say "RISE! RISE! RISE!" in one or two sections over and over again), and it's riffs were very lackluster for Nevermore's standards.

Regardless of those handful of flaws, this is an excellent record that I would highly recommend to anyone into progressive metal, heavy metal and even thrash metal. It is very enjoyable and it has both quantity and quality.

Favorite songs: The Termination Proclamation, Moonrise (Through Mirrors of Death), Emptiness Unobstructed, And the Maiden Spoke, Without Morals, The Obsidian Conspiracy.