Nevermore
The Politics Of Ecstasy

THE REVIEW

Year 1996.
Nevermore is about to release their second full-length: The Politics of Ecstasy. The classic lineup of the Seattle combo is completed with the addition of Pat O'Brien, a technical and versatile guitarist. The artwork alone is chilling: the cover depicts a newborn burning in flames, with the word "Controlled" stamped on its forehead.

A note of merit goes to the production, entrusted to the experienced hands of Neil Kernon. The sound is damned powerful and compact: just the first four chords are enough to floor you. This is how "The Seven Tongues Of God" begins, the opening song. There are a few chords that startle, a prelude to a soundstorm of considerable proportions. Warrel Dane's voice enchants, transporting us into his visionary and lysergic world. "The Seven..." is of great impact, an extremely powerful mid-tempo that unfolds into a malignant chorus, with Dane's voice doubling and recomposing itself, almost like a siren. Stunning piece.

The CD continues to maintain the same quality level: "Next in Line" has an incredible drive, while "The Passenger" is characterized by a slow and dramatic pace, with a Warrel Dane more theatrical than ever.
The title track overwhelms you like a speeding tank, with continuous rhythm changes. Here the excellent work of Van Williams should be highlighted, a drummer with great skills, often underestimated.
Then comes "Lost," in which Dane gives a great performance, both in vocal lines (gorgeous) and in lyrics.
The masterpiece arrives at track 7: "The Tiananmen Man." The track is a perfect blend of music and lyrics. A remarkable riff catapults us into a piece of history described and interpreted by Dane: it talks about the little man we usually only see in photos, facing a tank with his briefcase, in Tiananmen Square (1989). The lyrics are truly intelligent, not just describing the event, but also the emotions and intentions of that man alone against a power greater than him.
Throughout the album, what's jaw-dropping is the speed of execution of the two guitars. Jeff Loomis (guitarist and mastermind of the group) is a beast. He effortlessly and precisely churns out chords in sixteenths and thirty-seconds (!!!), every note is in its place, every chord well defined; Jeff always manages to create a wall of sound of considerable proportions.
"The Learning" (superb, needless to say) definitively closes the second chapter of Nevermore.

To conclude, it is perhaps the most difficult CD of Nevermore, certainly the most underestimated by the public, yet it remains a masterpiece, probably Their Masterpiece. Finally, quoting "Lost": "WHY SHOULD I COME DOWN?! FROM HERE I CAN SEE FOREVER!" in Olympus, Nevermore remains.