Dreaming Neon Black - Nevermore (CD 1999)

    Nevermore come of age with this album!  It has more impact than their previous full length album "The Politics of Ectasy."  Heavy riffs, very melodic yet strong vocals and many, many, quirky chord changes. I assume that the woman in the pictures and lyrics is a lost lover. I guess she's meant to be the fans' own interpretation. Whoever she is, she adds to the moodiness of the album. All in all, this is a great album for Nevermore fans!

   I have learned to look at things from an objective point of view, and I can honestly say that there isn't anything bad to say about this album and Nevermore in general. Dreaming Neon Black has the potential to be in the new millennium what Operation Mindcrime or Master of Puppets was to the 80s. Combining virtuoso musicianship, aggression, beauty, progression, and intelligence, Nevermore displays a maturity and integrity that puts them in the same league with musically articulate bands such as Fates Warning, Dream Theater, and Queensryche, with twice the aggression. Dreaming Neon Black not only gets the adrenaline going, but moves the emotions as well. Fans of the band will be happy to know that new guitarist Tim Calvert (ex-Forbidden) has not altered the sound at all, and in fact adds to it with sweeping technicality and dense, strange chord structures that compliments Jeff Loomis's original style. Van Williams has cut back a little on the perpetual double-kicks, but his drumming is precise and imaginitive. He could give Mike Portnoy a run for his money. The vocals are more along the lines of 'In Memory' as opposed to the restraint displayed on 'Politics..', and that's part of the reason why this album works so well. Warrel Dane sings with power and emotion, in the tradition of Tate, Alder, and LaBrie, and is responsible for all of the lyrics,which are, to say the least, brilliant. This guy is no dummy. 'Dreaming..' is an altogether darker affair than their previous works, and at times combines Bauhuas-like influences with metallic stacatto-picking. It's a concept album about the mental decline of a character confronted with personal loss, but would work just as well if the themes had varied. There isn't one bad song on here, and some of the ones that stick in my mind are the title track, 'The Fault of the Flesh', 'The Lotus Eaters'(and if the chorus doesn't bring a tear to your eye, check your pulse),Poison Godmachine, and 'No More Will'. For fical fans comparing 'Dreaming..' with 'Politics..', trust me, it gets better with each listen. It doesn't seem to want to leave my CD player. Given the proper exposure, Nevermore could probably take off in a major way, but of course here in the U.S., they'll have to rely on word of mouth due to the industry's notion that Americans only buy rap and R&B, and that's too bad because'Dreaming'..is one of the best pieces of work to come down the pike in a long time. If this album is hard to find, for God's sakes order it. You'll thank yourself.

The disc and insert are the original 1999 Century Media release and are in mint condition.