I don't agree with your review almost at all, although it's well written. For example, you say that "Final Product" is a bit repetitive, but it's a song; this isn't a prog CD—how should it have been made differently? It has the typical structure of countless metal songs and others (verse-chorus, solo, etc.), and it's the sick melody and Dane's voice that make it one of the best songs on the album. Then, your point that the songs all sound alike—I don't understand this consideration. Perhaps it would be better to say that the album is homogeneous, carrying forward a certain sound, but it doesn't seem to me that "Born" (with very "Swedish" guitars and almost on the edge of melodic death) and "Final Product" are similar. Maybe you're just too used to listening to Dream Theater, and indeed, saying that Nevermore are thrash metal is misleading. In the sense that if you place them in the thrash category, you compare them to people like Slayer, Testament, Exodus, and it seems to me that Nevermore are a bit more complex, melancholic, and melodic than that group. Nonetheless, thrash metal is certainly abundant in their music. Regarding Warrel Dane, it's not his best performance, that's true, but he can still be appreciated here.
Great reception, excellent "Final Product," "Born," the title track, and "My Acid Words"... one of the most beautiful albums by Nevermore alongside "Dreaming Neon Black." The band's sound is quite melancholic but with some hints of thrash.
I believe that giving this album anything less than five stars is impossible... "excellent ideas but not fully realized": I completely disagree, the ideas sown in the previous albums come to full fruition here, creating a sound that balances between thrash and prog, one of the most personal in circulation in the last ten years. The compositions are meticulously crafted, both in terms of songwriting and the sound of the instruments... not to mention the performance of every single musician (Jeff Loomis above all!!!). Guys, if we can still talk about metal done with class today, we owe it to bands like Nevermore.
I don't vote for you because I'm biased, and your review seems to be written without much understanding of the subject. Is this the only track you've listened to from Nevermore? Because there are zilions of things to say, which are not a very inaccurate track-by-track that doesn't capture the essence of the songs at all. The CD is very good but ranks among the lower positions in the Nevermore discography. Some standout tracks, some flat tracks, some tracks to forget. Loomis in a state of grace. However, it feels like they're starting to walk all over their "sound."
Senmayan
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