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Track Listing: The Termination Proclamation Your Poison Throne Moonrise (Through Mirrors Of Death) And The Maiden Spoke Emptiness Unobstructed The Blue Marble And The New Soul Without Morals The Day You Built The Wall She Comes In Colors The Obsidian Conspiracy

I've always been a huge Jeff Loomis fan, so there are high expectations every time I hear new material by him. Nevermore is a band driven by 7-string guitars, pounding drums and vocalist extrordinaire Warrel Dane's vocals. This album is one of their best. Barring a few songs this album is solid gold. Another thing to note here is that the mix sounds phenomenal. One of the few bands that have 7 string guitars, Nevermore has released an album that will be on my list of the top 10 albums of the year so far: The Obsidian Conspiracy. The songs just don't get old and the ones that don't appeal to you on the first listen grow on you. Here's a track-by-track review.

• The Termination Proclamation: This wailing skull-crushing song is one of the best album openers ever. I'm glad that more and more bands are putting some effort into the first song, even if it does eventually become a single. The song starts off with a kickass 7 string guitar riff and pounding double bass drums before a time change. Warrel Dane's vocals somehow go very well with the rest of the band. He is very melodic and the band continues to be an iconoclastic band. The solo here is really good and I think any self respecting guitarist will agree.
• Your Poison Throne: This type of song is something the band has never done before. It's a call to rise and reminds me of a Kamelot song (the name escapes me). The solo has a very nice backing acoustic track. Jeff Loomis is a very skilled guitar player and he proves that here. The song is pretty straightforward otherwise.
• Moonrise (Through Mirrors Of Death): This song has one of the weakest intro riffs I've heard. But don't let that fool you. It goes into an Arch Enemy-esque intro solo. The vocals shine in this song. The chorus is very catchy but this song is not commercial. The bridge before the solo is awesome and I can't wait to see this song performed live. The solo sounds very uninspired to me and forced.
• And The Maiden Spoke: This song has a very unique intro riff. It's not like anything I've heard before. The rest of the song's riffage is typical Nevermore. The song also features some spoken parts by Dane. Another plus point to this song is multiple guitar solos.
• Emptiness Unobstructed: This is one of my favourite songs of the year. The vocals and clean guitars sound brilliant together here. This song sticks in your head pretty fast and is very eclectic. Nevermore has showcased what they do best in a more accessible package with this one. This song is definitely going to be a staple at their live shows. I absolutely love the solo in this song.
• The Blue Marble And The New Soul : A clean guitar riff brings in the next song on the album. Dane comes in with his soft whispered vocals before he starts singing. This morose epic of a song features mostly clean guitars before the solo kicks in. It's not a ripping solo that melts your face. It is apt for the song and reminiscent of an Opeth solo.
• Without Morals: This is the weakest song on the album. The vocals while trying to seem angered come out forced. Loomis' guitar work is rather non-descriptive here and the solo is the only high point this song has.
• The Day You Built The Wall: This song starts with pounding drums with a delay on the guitars. I really like the way this song keeps fluctuating from a slow clean song to some chunky riff-driven song. The bass guitar can be heard clearly on this one and complements the drums very well. It is the most abstract song on the record. Warrel Dance utilizes his complete vocal range on this one and I really love that. You hear his blistering highs and his bassy lows.
• She Comes In Colors: This is the longest song on the album. It is more of a ballad than any of the other songs. I refuse to call Nevermore songs ballads. The somber feel to the song ends with the guitars and drums coming in and hitting you straight on the skull. Something that seems to be repeated on various songs on the record is a clean guitar break leading into the guitar solo. This song should have been cut to a minute less. I think it drags on.
• The Obsidian Conspiracy: Another favourite of mine on the album, the title track has been seen live at many of Loomis' guitar clinics. The song starts with Loomis' rapid riffage before he blasts out a guitar solo leading into the main riff of the song. The chorus here is very catchy and Dane's vocals overshadow the other instruments. I really like the odd timed background riff during the solo. They have chosen the perfect song to end their new masterpiece.

There have been high expectations for this record and Loomis et all have delivered. I guarantee these songs will be on your most played playlist this year and maybe for years to come. The album would have much better had it been limited to 8 songs and the weaker tracks cut.

I give this album 8.5 /10.

To buy the CD and for more information, please visit Nevermore's official website.