From the ashes of Seattle band Sanctuary came the band known as Nevermore. A series of changes, some in the lineup and musically, and the eventual signing with Century Media has led to this release. Initially the band had recorded over 90 minutes of music. It was decided that some of that would go onto an EP and then the rest, over an hour's worth, would end up on this CD "The Politics Of Ecstasy". And what an impressive hour of music that it is.
This album has a very strong technical side to it. The guitars are blended extremely well, every riff falls into the next and trails from the last without flaw. Timings between instruments achieve a very precise level. Being by far more an engineered album rather than a performed album it's unfortunate this promo copy doesn't list the production crew. Not to be misleading, there is nothing on this album that is simply trickery of the mixer though. It all sounds so real and alive, trying not to be just technical in nature.
The speed of the album varies from the very slow, as in the atmosphere of "Passenger" to the extreme speeds provided mainly by drummer Williams. While this variance does ruin the chance of an overall mood to the album, it provides for an excellent richness for the active listener. Unfortunately some of this richness is tarnished, particularily in the title song "The Politics Of Ecstasy". I'm not quite sure what they were trying in that song, but whatever it was, it failed.
A personal deciding point of foundness for the album will likely be the vocals of Warrel Dane. They are sometimes harsh, sometimes whispery and fluffy. Generally they fall at least and octave higher than what you'd expect from the music. Despite providing for a unique sound this draws away from the heaviness of the album. While I personally find them to be a little misplaced after a while, it's one of those things that each listener will have to decide for themselves.
Overall then Nevermore is a fairly good band with a nice lengthy recording. Neglecting the few problems it's an impressive album that will keep many people interested in continued listening.
Nevermore is: Pat O'Brien - Guitars Warrel Dane - Vocals Jim Sheppard - Bass Van Williams - Drum Jeff Loomis - Guitars
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