A future uncertain

[flying_whale]

Bittersweet feast has its own thread, so i figured that A future uncertain needs a thread too! It is an awesome song that should be played live. It totally kicks ass. One of the best tracks from TGE. The intro is so strangely beautiful. The pre verse is so catchy and metal, but the best part is by far the verse. The solo is awesome too, beautiful phrasing that combines shred with kick ass melody.
3 questions for Steve:
1, what chords are in the verse from "why do we live this way...to.....the vision of the future is of blood"
2, Steve, Did you use any wha or wha filtering in the solo or any effects at all.
3 when you wrote the song did you work together with Warrel on how much to loop the riffs or change stuff around, because the lyrics and the riffs go so well together.

4 this song is brilliant and should be played live! Songs like a future uncertain, psalm of lydia, born, bittersweet feast and tge make tge my favorite nevermore album!

P.S.
Sell my heart for stones (an totally awesome ballad) thread is "in works" to come out soon

 

[Steve Smyth]

Hey LOTS, and thanks for your compliments! I appreciate it! Maybe you should let the guys know on the NM board how much you'd like to hear this song live! I tried to get it in there, but there was some stuff we had to work out with it.
To answer your questions, in order:
1. You'll have to study with me to get the chords to this song man! And, I know I have announced I was getting ready to launch my internet lessons a while back; my health has gotten in the way recently, and there's some biz matters I have to confirm first, before I am able to do this. I will say this, I am planning on starting this in January 2007 at this time. There's some stuff in front of me that must be done first, and I feel after the Holidays would be a better tie to start at this point in the year,due to what's in front of me.Stay tuned!
2.The solo is absolutely just guitar into amp, no wah effects. I think you may be hearing the way I inflected certain notes, like how I got a crazy pick harmonic in the middle of that higher register section; that just happened, and I wanted to keep it!
3.I originally wrote most of that song years ago, on my own, and did a current demo of it for Warrel, and asked him to let me know where his phrases were going, and we'd arrange it according to that. We did jam it many times in the studio, and me and him alone as well, to make sure everything was clicking in the right way, that it felt to all of us the way we recorded it. Andy made it sound spectacular! He and I worked for quite a while to get the tones to where they made it on record.
Well,like I said, don't just let me know, let the band know you want to hear it. And if there's more of you that want to hear it when I'm better, and back with the band on tour again, I'll do what I can to let them know, but it's got to come from you guys!!!

 

[flying_whale]

Whenever you start the lessons i will take some! my mom promised me some, as long as i keep my grades up!
about the live songs, i will try, but the quintessential nevermore fanboy, will, failed to get WD to put this sacrament or no more will on the seattle, 25 august setlist

 

[the phish]

I realllly cant figure out this song. I have however tabbed out ALL of sell my heart for stones in GP though.

 

[Steve Smyth]

I realllly cant figure out this song. I have however tabbed out ALL of sell my heart for stones in GP though.

Hey Phish, send it to me, and I can double check it for ya. When you send, please send in .pdf format please!

 

[kmanick]

the _Phish is the MAN!!!!
I'd love a copy of that
Great Song!!!

 

[Will Bozarth]

let the band know you want to hear it.

lol... I've been trying that method for Politics of Ecstasy, No More Will, and I Am the Dog since 2003, and it did nothing but let Europe hear those songs

 

[flying_whale]

oh, another question Steve, was the solo improvised?

 

[Steve Smyth]

oh, another question Steve, was the solo improvised?

It was about 50-50; I had the main themes worked in my head a little, and demoed, but largely let it go and did what came out when it did. The harmony section at the end was worked out in advance.

 

[Anvil]

lol... I've been trying that method for Politics of Ecstasy, No More Will, and I Am the Dog since 2003, and it did nothing but let Europe hear those songs

You and I both man... I think I even mentioned to Warrel that he needs to play "A Future Uncertain" live when You, Dan, Russell and I saw him in Seattle after the concert... Maybe I didn't... can't remember.

 

[Fragle]

" originally wrote most of that song years ago, on my own"
so originally it wasn't even intended to become a nevermore song, or am i getting you wrong here?

i *really* enjoy the riffs to that song, starting with the very thrashy riff that comes in right after the intro, to the verse riff itself (nice 2 guitar idea there), and that crazy prechorus riff that reappears after the interlude (i've seen the coming plague...) fits sooo well with these lyrics. nice job.

 

[Steve Smyth]

" originally wrote most of that song years ago, on my own"
so originally it wasn't even intended to become a nevermore song, or am i getting you wrong here?

i *really* enjoy the riffs to that song, starting with the very thrashy riff that comes in right after the intro, to the verse riff itself (nice 2 guitar idea there), and that crazy prechorus riff that reappears after the interlude (i've seen the coming plague...) fits sooo well with these lyrics. nice job.

Yes, that would be right, Fragle! I wrote that for a band that my buddy Steve and I had a few incarnations of, called Ariah. This was written around the second time we tried( unsuccesfully) to reinvent the band; the song at that time was in a little bit more of a prog. vein, but still heavy, than what made it on to the Nevermore album today.Tha transition riff you speaking of before the verse being one of those riffs. The other riff you're mentioning, being something I came up with for the demo I made for the NM guys. Thanks man! I appreciate that you like the song/riffs!

 

[lad]

Yes, truly one of the greatest and most over-looked tracks on TGE. Still, hard to pick gems out of a classic record, seriously.

 

[flying_whale]

Yes, truly one of the greatest and most over-looked tracks on TGE. Still, hard to pick gems out of a classic record, seriously.

i totally agree

 

[flying_whale]

One more question Steve.
When did you record/come up with the solo? After everything, including the vocals were done or you did the whole song with the solo, and then WD picked it up from there?
and also for the part that kicks in at around 4:21/4:22 on the disc, did you alternate pick that part or use legatto? My ears suck so i can't tell that much, unless it is really obvious picking like jeff's 1st psalm of lydia solo, not the intro solo.
muchas gracias,
Paul