It's a bit long, but I couldn't stop myself. Any opinion is welcome. 
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In a community overflowing with countless unoriginal bands, Nevermore's Jeff Loomis and Warrel Dane have once again joined forces, with substantial help from their band mates, to create a vivaciously hard hitting and impossibly heavy album that has already set a new standard in Heavy Metal, raising the bar considerably. When you write music, you have the perfect opportunity to create something that nobody else has done before, and this is the case with Nevermore. They continue to expand on their trademark style, seamlessly blending aggression and melody, and enriching it with numerous off-time signatures, technically mindblowing guitar work, unmistakable vocals, and an atomic rhythm department, all kept within the classic Nevermore context.
All that aside, This Godless Endeavor is easily the best metal album of 2005, and it seems very unlikely for any other release to surpass its brilliance, as far as the embodiment of pure and honest heavy metal is concerned.
If you were (even slightly) disappointed in Nevermore's previous work, perhaps because of the poor production quality, worry not, your faith in the band will be restored. Nevermore's sixth member Andy Sneap is back, rendering the album its crisp and dynamic mix that makes the riffs the focal point of the album at the same time emphasizing Warrel Dane's vocals. Dane is quite possibly giving his best delivery, as he seems to have found his head voice more. His approach to singing is a bit different - he is more focused with melodies, sings with enormous clarity and conviction, and never ceases to move around in his range and go into notes and phrases that distinguish him from pretty much any other vocalist in the genre. His vocal patterns are some of his most creative in his career, and the best vocal melodies of the year have already been determined. The chorus of the opening track "Born", given the way it breaks into the song after a merciless death metal-type of riffage laid down by the Loomis/Smyth tandem, easily annihilates everything in its path. It's filled with melody, power and dynamics that will stick in your head the second you hear it. Every single piece has a huge chorus that doesn't seem the least bit out of place, be it "Final Product", "My Acid Words", "Sell My Heart for Stones", or simply the title track. Warrel Dane is back like never before.
It is scary to think how guitarist Jeff Loomis has grown to such heights. He is quite possibly the best shredder in metal today - his playing continues to develop with each album and always experiments with profound musical ideas. His combination with Steve Smyth (ex-Testament) has proved majestic. Their riffage goes beyond the scopes of imagination, even unafraid to borrow from metal gods Meshuggah as on "Medicated Nation" with subtle stop-start passages mixing up with driving beats and thrash riffs. Besides the violent thrash meets death metal riffs, they also explore with dark acoustic guitars, best exemplified on "Sell My Heart for Stones", which is a bit evocative of "Deconstruction" off of Dreaming Neon Black. "Bittersweet Feast" also features some great acoustic work that breaks straight into an intricate riff amidst Dane's doubled vocals. Loomis adds some Spanish flair on the godly "The Psalm of Lydia", perhaps the song with the best intro and fastest drumming on the album. Van Williams is faster and more precise than a drum machine. I am lost for words about his performance on this one. "Sentient 6" is the sequel to "The Learning" from The Politics of Ecstasy. It is a haunting ballad with dual harmonic leads and a soothing piano melody. Dane's voice even sounds a bit like his work with Sanctuary. Appearing on the short bass instrumental "The Holocause of Thought" is James Murphy whose jazzy and experimental guitar solo feels like Death, Testament and Nevermore all rolled up in one song.
The last two songs are also the most complex ones, particularly the almost 9-minute long title track. They are built like labyrinths that are filled with intricate passages of acoustic and electric leads, melodic vocal harmonies, a rock solid bass bottom, and riffs that must come from another planet. Pay attention to the masterful solo tradeoff on "A Future Uncertain" - this song is the true successor of thrash metal filled with moments of glory we'd normally expect to hear on Dreaming Neon Black. Arguably, however, it's the title song that marks the climax of this disc. Not only is it the best song on the album, it is bound to become a future Nevermore classic. Its sludgy build-up, complex shifts of rhythms, technically flawless lead guitars, and even a somewhat industrial death metal vibe happening near the 5:00 mark, this song is the epitome of metal of the new millennium. The CD is worth the price alone for this song. The only disadvantage is that listeners will be emotionally drained by the time they get to it, so they will have to play it repeatedly to form a solid final opinion.
The cover art done by amazing artist Hugh Syme is dark and bleak. It aptly represents the subject matter explored on the album which, as with every Nevermore release, addresses the influence of media and religion on society, loss of innocence and spiritual unity, and the corrupt system we live in. Moreover, the artwork hints a similarity to Warrel Dane's fist band Sanctuary's Into the Mirror Black masterpiece, except that there is a young girl (who is actually Hugh Syme's own daughter) on the cover as opposed to an old man. Not only that, but musically the album also seems to harken back to Nevermore's The Politics of Ecstasy period with the whole band contributing to the songwriting process, including new guitarist Steve Smyth responsible for three songs. This has resulted in a more diverse-sounding record, as This Godless Endeavor proves to be a perfect mix of thrash, speed, death, and even dark power metal, all of the highest calibre.
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In a community overflowing with countless unoriginal bands, Nevermore's Jeff Loomis and Warrel Dane have once again joined forces, with substantial help from their band mates, to create a vivaciously hard hitting and impossibly heavy album that has already set a new standard in Heavy Metal, raising the bar considerably. When you write music, you have the perfect opportunity to create something that nobody else has done before, and this is the case with Nevermore. They continue to expand on their trademark style, seamlessly blending aggression and melody, and enriching it with numerous off-time signatures, technically mindblowing guitar work, unmistakable vocals, and an atomic rhythm department, all kept within the classic Nevermore context.
All that aside, This Godless Endeavor is easily the best metal album of 2005, and it seems very unlikely for any other release to surpass its brilliance, as far as the embodiment of pure and honest heavy metal is concerned.
If you were (even slightly) disappointed in Nevermore's previous work, perhaps because of the poor production quality, worry not, your faith in the band will be restored. Nevermore's sixth member Andy Sneap is back, rendering the album its crisp and dynamic mix that makes the riffs the focal point of the album at the same time emphasizing Warrel Dane's vocals. Dane is quite possibly giving his best delivery, as he seems to have found his head voice more. His approach to singing is a bit different - he is more focused with melodies, sings with enormous clarity and conviction, and never ceases to move around in his range and go into notes and phrases that distinguish him from pretty much any other vocalist in the genre. His vocal patterns are some of his most creative in his career, and the best vocal melodies of the year have already been determined. The chorus of the opening track "Born", given the way it breaks into the song after a merciless death metal-type of riffage laid down by the Loomis/Smyth tandem, easily annihilates everything in its path. It's filled with melody, power and dynamics that will stick in your head the second you hear it. Every single piece has a huge chorus that doesn't seem the least bit out of place, be it "Final Product", "My Acid Words", "Sell My Heart for Stones", or simply the title track. Warrel Dane is back like never before.
It is scary to think how guitarist Jeff Loomis has grown to such heights. He is quite possibly the best shredder in metal today - his playing continues to develop with each album and always experiments with profound musical ideas. His combination with Steve Smyth (ex-Testament) has proved majestic. Their riffage goes beyond the scopes of imagination, even unafraid to borrow from metal gods Meshuggah as on "Medicated Nation" with subtle stop-start passages mixing up with driving beats and thrash riffs. Besides the violent thrash meets death metal riffs, they also explore with dark acoustic guitars, best exemplified on "Sell My Heart for Stones", which is a bit evocative of "Deconstruction" off of Dreaming Neon Black. "Bittersweet Feast" also features some great acoustic work that breaks straight into an intricate riff amidst Dane's doubled vocals. Loomis adds some Spanish flair on the godly "The Psalm of Lydia", perhaps the song with the best intro and fastest drumming on the album. Van Williams is faster and more precise than a drum machine. I am lost for words about his performance on this one. "Sentient 6" is the sequel to "The Learning" from The Politics of Ecstasy. It is a haunting ballad with dual harmonic leads and a soothing piano melody. Dane's voice even sounds a bit like his work with Sanctuary. Appearing on the short bass instrumental "The Holocause of Thought" is James Murphy whose jazzy and experimental guitar solo feels like Death, Testament and Nevermore all rolled up in one song.
The last two songs are also the most complex ones, particularly the almost 9-minute long title track. They are built like labyrinths that are filled with intricate passages of acoustic and electric leads, melodic vocal harmonies, a rock solid bass bottom, and riffs that must come from another planet. Pay attention to the masterful solo tradeoff on "A Future Uncertain" - this song is the true successor of thrash metal filled with moments of glory we'd normally expect to hear on Dreaming Neon Black. Arguably, however, it's the title song that marks the climax of this disc. Not only is it the best song on the album, it is bound to become a future Nevermore classic. Its sludgy build-up, complex shifts of rhythms, technically flawless lead guitars, and even a somewhat industrial death metal vibe happening near the 5:00 mark, this song is the epitome of metal of the new millennium. The CD is worth the price alone for this song. The only disadvantage is that listeners will be emotionally drained by the time they get to it, so they will have to play it repeatedly to form a solid final opinion.
The cover art done by amazing artist Hugh Syme is dark and bleak. It aptly represents the subject matter explored on the album which, as with every Nevermore release, addresses the influence of media and religion on society, loss of innocence and spiritual unity, and the corrupt system we live in. Moreover, the artwork hints a similarity to Warrel Dane's fist band Sanctuary's Into the Mirror Black masterpiece, except that there is a young girl (who is actually Hugh Syme's own daughter) on the cover as opposed to an old man. Not only that, but musically the album also seems to harken back to Nevermore's The Politics of Ecstasy period with the whole band contributing to the songwriting process, including new guitarist Steve Smyth responsible for three songs. This has resulted in a more diverse-sounding record, as This Godless Endeavor proves to be a perfect mix of thrash, speed, death, and even dark power metal, all of the highest calibre.
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