This Godless Endeavour

It is finally upon us. One of the, if not THE most anticipated records of this year for me - the new Nevermore. With just a few exceptions, no newer band has captured me in a way as Nevermore has. Anticipations as high as this have often a great danger of backfiring on themselves. Did they create mass destruction with This Godless Endeavour? Mostly, not at all, and even when they did, the results are in fact quite pleasing in the form of surprises. This is Nevermores most difficult album. The catchy choruses and overflowing melodybursts of Dead Heart In A Dead World (their best record in my view) are sidelined mostly by more brutal and even more progressive song structures than usual. Don’t get me wrong, this album is filled with an insidious amount of hooks and harmonies that stay circling in you brain for ages, but they are not so obvious, “out there in the open” as in some of the earlier works. This then again works wonders for the longevity of this album, because I guarantee that you wont find even close to everything this album has to offer on the first ten spins. Born kicks things off with a furious thrash metal beat and crushing riffs that lead us into a very singalongy chorus and insane guitar soloing. Those fearing that Loomis and new addition, ex-Testament axe-slinger Steve Smyth have slowed down the übershredding that abounds through Nevermores entire catalogue can sweat in anticipation with a light heart – awesome soloing is spilling all over This Godless Endeavour. Just for a short sample take a hear of the monstrously grooving masterpieces Final Product or The Psalm Of Lydia and try to keep up with that fingertwisting. I have difficulties on air guitar alone. More mellow, beautiful atmospheres that Nevermore has flashed stupendously in the past are also present, with the piano-carried Sentient 6 and Sell My Heart For Stones working as textbook examples of slower, touching heaviness. Warrel Dane is still the unbelievable vocal god of eternity, flexing his throat from insanity-drenched screaming to tear-soaked ballading. The lyrical themes continue on the very thought-provoking lines of the bands history and keeping intelligence in metal very much alive. Van Williams boggles the mind once again with the drumming – I seriously suspect that this guy has more than two arms and legs. The album closing title track wraps up the album tightly into nine minutes of metal bliss. Starting with acoustic guitars and leading us through punishing Pantera-grooves, magnificent soloing and almost blast-beatish thrashing, I can´t think of a more suitable closer for this record. The production values are pure sonic steel, as we have come to expect from the hands of Andy Sneap. There you have it, definitely one of the top albums of 2005. The real beauty is that I know that This Godless Endeavour will only continue to grow on me. Right now I wouldn’t say that even in all its excellence, it would be their best work, but in a month or so I might feel very differently. A must have for everyone into metal, and further proof that Nevermore is one the most incredible bands out there.