Review of Nevermore - This Godless Endeavor

For Nevermore, 2005 has been all about making things right. First, they exorcized the specter haunting Enemies of Reality by releasing an Andy Sneap remixed version (at a reduced cost), an offering which went a long way to cleanse the bad taste left in the mouths of the fans and band alike. Of course, there was plenty of blame to go around for the bush league sound of Enemies of Reality, but fair or not, the band is the most reachable target. Therefore, fans were appreciative not only for the much superior version, but also that the band took steps to correct a mistake. The experience of Enemies of Reality has clearly stoked the fire in Nevermore’s collective belly, and in a show of their metal mettle, the band has sent a clear message with their latest effort. The kind that comes crashing through your window tied to a brick—a rude awakening that will catch listeners off balance, and fans wouldn’t have it any other way.

This Godless Endeavor is an all out, balls deep display of prowess that can stand toe to toe with the band’s best work. The album boasts all the heaviness of EoR, and with Sneap back behind the board, has the rich, full sound needed to fully showcase the material. But aside from the clarity and crunch, as satisfying as they are, the band has also revitalized their songwriting, most likely a result of their renewed hunger and the influence of new addition, guitarist Steve Smyth (ex-Testament). Smyth not only contributes creatively, but is a perfect foil for the fret punishing Jeff Loomis. Songs like “Born”, “Psalm of Lydia” and “The Final Product” seethe with vibrant, break neck aggression, and the wall of chaotic, technical riffing and pummeling double bass work provide a bombastic and dense structure that contrasts the graspable and catchy vocal melodies of Warrel Dane. True to their nature, the band varies their offense considerably, firing off grooving melodies on tracks like “Medicated Nation” and the snarling “Bittersweet Feast”, one of the strongest tracks among a consistently impressive field. The slower numbers, although a staple of the band’s style have often come off as bland and conventional in comparison to their other work, but on This Godless Endeavor the bleak “Sentient 6” and emotive “Sell My Heart For Stories” manage to not only carry their own weight but contribute to the album. The album’s consistency is impressive, from the powder keg opener “Born” through the epic closing song, the dynamic, jaw dropping title track.

Six albums in, and after decades in the game, the band is in top form, dealing out an undeniably classy offering of their trademark, indefinable metal. Loomis turns in another top shelf performance of awe inspiring shredding, spilling scores of dizzying melodic leads that interplay well with Smyth’s handiwork. The tandem of Van Williams and Jim Sheppard, who have reclaimed their rightful place in the mix, lay down battering rhythms, and Dane, who still has a hell of a set of pipes, turns in a performance that perfectly captures the hostility, despair, cynicism, and intellectualism of the material. As one who generally believes that Nevermore is a respectable outfit not entirely deserving of either the heaps of praise or scorn from metal fans on both sides of the fence, I can almost guarantee that This Godless Endeavor will leave no Nevermore fan unsatisfied. Although they have remained fairly consistent, the band needed to step up to the plate to truly banish any doubts lingering from their last effort. With This Godless Endeavor they have hit one out of the park, and in combination with their exposure to more mainstream fans on Gigantour, are poised to not only make up lost ground but usurp some of their peers.

Release Details

Nevermore

This Godless Endeavor

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