 Nevermore
 This Godless Endeavour
 Review by Mike Korn

The American heavy metal scene is healthier than ever, with bands such as Mastodon, Shadows Fall and High On Fire each making a mark in their own unique style. Nevermore is often lumped in with these younger bands, but the truth is, their roots are very deep in the scene, going all the way back to the late 80's with the band Sanctuary. They have really persevered through some difficult times for "real" metal, weathering the onslaughts of the grunge and nu-metal fads. In fact, this dogged tenacity has laid a lot of the groundwork for metal's current resurgence.
I didn't think the band would ever top their classic "Dead Heart In a Dead World". Their last album "Enemies of Reality" certainly didn't do it and wound up being a kind of debacle for Nevermore. With "This Godless Endeavour" , they are back on the winning track and have matched if not surpassed "Dead Heart". This is an amazing sounding record full of brutal heaviness, haunting melody and the unique sound that has always typified Nevermore in full flight.
What makes this record so striking is how heavy and thrashy it is and yet there's a prevailing sadness that colors the whole effort. The superb lyrics are deeply pessimistic and well delivered by Warrel Dane's unmistakeable voice. Somehow the music, no matter how frantic, echoes the gloominess of the words. The record is a seamless combination of speed metal precision, crushing groove, progressive melody and guitar heroics that is hard to find fault with. This should be the break-out album for Nevermore that makes them the modern equivalent of a Megadeth, a Testament or a Metallica.
This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2005 Year Book Volume 3 at https://garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2005.
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