Nevermore is one of those bands that can make oil and water mix. You know what I mean: they're one of these companies that mix two things that normally aren't expected to go together. In Nevermore's case, it's thrash/death metal riffs with *gasp* operatic clean vocals. Now, how does one unite, in the world of metal purists, two totally different styles of music with each other?
By releasing the Politics of Ecstasy, dammit. This album is easily Nevermore's best to date. Yeah, rant all you want about Dead Heart in a Dead World, but just listen to The Seven Tongues of God, the rampaging album opener, and can you tell me with a straight face it doesn't stomp all over Narcosynthesis? Or compare This Godless Endeavour's title track with TPOE's title track, and can't you come to the same conclusion I do everytime? Yeah, The Politics of Ecstasy's that much better.
First of all, there is one big reason why this album trumps every other Nevermore album (though none of them are shabby.) Guitar riffs. Nevermore still had Pat O'Brien here, and damn, does it show. With the slightly muddy production, the stomping, breakneck metal riffs pummel all over you. This Sacrament, the album's second track, contains such a huge, monstrous main theme the strength of it alone carries the song home. Lost's main riff is an instant winner. It's all good, catchy, and most important, you can bang your head to it any time of the day and never get tired.
Oh, let's not forget one thing: Pat O'Brien may riff his buttocks off on this album, but he's a wishy-washy guitar rookie when it comes to the pro guitar master in the band. Yeah, I'm talking about Loomis. Not only does he combo with the now Cannibal Corpse guitarist to stomp the listeners head off every song, he solos with the best of them. Licks and leads abound freely on the album, every one as technical, speedy, yet supremely melodic. The Learning's solos reign absolutely supreme. This guy can be accused of typical metal shred wanking, yet he still blows away the listener everytime he unleashes another furious string-of-notes assault.
The guitarists don't convince you? How about the drums, then? Van Williams is a complete beast behind the drums. The pounding double-bass thrashing is all over the album (as always with thrash metal bands), but he isn't limited to that: just check out the leviathan of a drum pattern on (again) the album opener The Seven Tongues of God. Gives Lombardo a run for his money. Keeps time, smashes his kit into utter oblivion, and still manages to make every single song sound good: yep, what you call "stellar drum performance."
Adding to all this, the band reigns supreme over any other thrash metal band simply because the vocals don't sound like someone keeps yelling into the mic. Warrel Dane can sing! Yeah, at first the contrast between the melodic vocals and the all-crushing guitars is kind of off-putting. It takes time to get used to. But once you listen closely, you'll understand why Warrel is so much better than say, Tom Araya. It's because he never overdoes it on this album. He keeps the falsetto screeches toned down to a minimum. Everything goes in a melodic bellow that encompasses the anger and fury resident on here.
Lyrically the album is the typical metal fare. It's all about politics and religion, and yeah, the world is not a happy place. Touching on topics like the incident at Tiananmen Square and the political corruption inherent, or the Christians that preach utter lies day by day; Nevermore portrays a genuine sense of bleakness with its music. Perhaps the best slab of evidence is the slow, moody Passenger. Going at a much slower tempo than most of the other songs on here, Nevermore sounds like they've mastered doom metal just as much as thrash. Plus Warrel's bleak melodic yelp works very well with the gloom of the song.
If there is one Nevermore album you are planning to purchase, make it this one. It's quite simply the best piece the band has ever released. It's heavy, it's melodic, it's crushing, it's relevant, it's just an all around stellar release with some excellent musicianship bouncing about. Do yourself a favour and see how thrash was really meant to sound.
