Album Review: Nevermore – Obsidian Conspiracy

Nevermore - Obsidian Conspiracy

Once upon an MP3-eary, while I worked, weak and weary,
Over many a deprecated code and compiled kernel’s core
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly double bass came a tapping,
As if rapid machine gun rapping, rapping at my eardrum’s door.
“Tis ass kickery,” I muttered, “slapping at my eardrum’s door –
Only this and so much more.”

Ah, distinctly I remember it was the music beginning to dismember,
Obsidian Conspiracy’s embers wrought a ghost crafted by Nevermore.
I listened til the morrow – vainly I had no time to borrow,
Work forgotten without sorrow—no sorrow because of Nevermore
For it was the talented quartet who named themselves Nevermore
Who fled from grunge for evermore.

“The Termination Proclamation” bore Warrel Dane’s vocal modulation,
Thrilled me—filled me with fantastic terrors rarely felt before.
So that following with the beating of “Your Poison Throne” I stood repeating,
“Rise! Rise! Rise! Tis much more than a standard reaping of my eardrum’s door—
Tis no ordinary album this Obsidian Conspiracy thrashing me to the core;
It’s progressive, tech, thrash, and so much more.”

Jeff Loomis’ beguiling riffs, with mastery of the circle of fifths,
“Emptiness Unobstructed” lifts above erstwhile dark narrative lore,
An earworm eating, “Without Morals” beating and beating,
Repetitive treating without fleeting the constant beating of my eardrum’s door.
This is the essence of Nevermore.

Deep into the darkness peering, their lyrics weave a tale of fearing
The human psyche, eerily leering dreams of mortals dark to the core.
Each song tells a tale of sadness, beckoning me to the edge of madness,
But Obsidian Conspiracy contrary to any concept album of yore—
This was something new and so much more.

Twisting sound into new contortions, but keeping echoes of past distortions,
Nevermore’s growth epic in proportions, will rap, tap, tap on your eardrum door
Masters of their craft steadfast, consistent but building on albums past
Never falling for trends amassed, of faddish incongruity like metalcore
Obsidian Conspiracy is wonderfully dark, beautiful, and hard to the core
Quoth the reviewer, “I give it a four.”

Author’s Note: If none of the above made any sense to you, drink your milk and stay in school. Also I highly recommend you buy this album, as it’s Nevermore’s best work to date.