They started in the beginning of the 1990s, when the band Sanctuary was pressured by its recording label to change its musical style, switching from heavy metal to grunge, which was obtaining mainstream success at the time due to bands such as Nirvana and Pearl Jam. Two members of the band, vocalist Warrel Dane and bassist Jim Sheppard, didn't agree with the change and thus proceeded to create a project of their own. Nevermore.
By the end of 1994, the band assumed a stable line-up, which saw the additions of drummer Van Williams and former Sanctuary touring guitarist Jeff Loomis. In 1995 Nevermore released its first, self-titled, album through Century Media Records. This album received much attention and specialized review, as its release was followed by an European tour with Blind Guardian and a North American tour with Death, both internationally-renowned bands.
Second guitarist Pat O'Brien joined the band prior to the release of the "In Memory" EP, and also took part in the recording of the subsequent album "The Politics of Ecstasy", both from 1996. O'Brien left Nevermore to play in Cannibal Corpse, and guitarist Tim Calvert, who had previously contributed to Nevermore through songwriting, replaced O'Brien as on guitar.
Three years without releases followed, and in 1999 the album "Dreaming Neon Black" was released. Highly acclaimed, the album narrates the story of a man's slow decline into madness, subsequent to the death of the only woman he ever loved. The tracks of this albums are varied in style, ranging from slow and melodic to aggressive and progressive. Warrel Dane put much effort in interpretation, emitting varied emotions from his vocals. The album's lyrics are a partially true retelling of the events Dane underwent after the vanishing of his long-time girlfriend.
A long tour with several concerts followed, and Nevermore played together with bands such as Mercyful Fate, Arch Enemy, Iced Earth and Opeth. After the end of the tour, in 2000, guitarist Tim Calvert announced his departure from the band, subsequent to his marriage. Instead of finding a replacement, the band decided to continue as a quartet, only adding session guitarists for live appearances, such as Curran Murphy (who went on to play in Annihilator) and Jag Panzer's Chris Broderick.
Nevermore proceeded to record "Dead Heart in a Dead World", which was followed by tours with several bands, most notably with Savatage in 2001.
Their fifth album, "Enemies of Reality", remained in production for over a year, and was released in 2003. This album faced much criticism for its production and was re-released in 2005, after being remixed by Andy Sneap. On tour, the band was joined by second lead guitarist Steve Smyth, formerly of Vicious Rumors and Testament; Smyth was eventually added to the line-up on a permanent basis.
A sixth album, "This Godless Endeavor", was released in July of 2005. Nevermore then toured on Dave Mustaine's Gigantour during the summer of 2005. In 2006 they toured with Disturbed. They are also playing in direct support to In Flames on the second leg of their North American tour.
2006 held a bit of bad luck for Nevermore, as bassist Jim Sheppard underwent a procedure for Crohn's disease, which he has suffered from for over 15 years, and guitarist Steve Smyth was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease, he ultimately underwent a kidney transplant operation (which was successful). Warrel Dane developed type 2 diabetes, and the band was forced to cancel their show in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on May 13, 2006, due to an unspecified illness afflicting Dane.
According to the Official Nevermore website, www.nevermore.tv, their show on September, 12 2006 at the Zeche club in Bochum, Germany was to be filmed for Nevermore's first full length DVD. This event was captured by 7 cameras and the live recording was produced by Andy Sneap. The double DVD set includes a Nevermore documentary, all of the bands promo videos and past recordings from their whole career to date. This DVD was expected to be released in early 2007, but was pushed back and eventually came out the following year (2008).
In August 2007, Steve Smyth stated that he will be parting ways with Nevermore. He is currently promoting his solo album that was recently released, The EssenEss Project.
2007 was a slow year for Nevermore as Warrel Dane, Van Williams and Jeff Loomis all worked on their own side projects for a good part of the year, only taking time off to do various festivals and a small tour.
Nevermore released "The Year of the Voyager" in 2008. It is a double DVD / CD of live material.
In late 2009 Nevermore entered the studio with Peter Wichers to record their seventh album The Obsidian Conpiracy. It was released May 31st in Europe and June 8th in America. They also completed their line-up with the addition of Hungarian Guitarist Attila Vörös. The Obsidian Conspiracy is also available in a limited edition box with a bonus disc titled Shed Like Loomis (featuring sheet music and guitar tabs and videos of Jeff Loomis playing guitar for two of the new songs), postcards featuring artwork and lyrics, and a digipak version of the album with two bonus cover tracks (The Tea Party's Temptation, and The Doors' Crystal Ship).
On April 21 2011, long time and founding members Jeff Loomis and Van Williams announced their departure from Nevermore citing personal and musical differences. In addition, on May 3, 2011, it was announced that Nevermore had cancelled their entire Australian tour. Fans assumed the band had broken up until July 2011, Warrel Dane announced that Nevermore is not dead, and right now his main focus is on Sanctuary. Warrel Dane also mentioned that it'll be hard to keep Nevermore legacy alive, since Jeff Loomis will be tough to replace. Both Jeff Loomis and Warrel Dane talked about the possibility of a reunion, the latter citing that the band split amicably. Dane went on to say in a later interview, that while he does want to do another Nevermore record, he wouldn't do it without Jeff Loomis.
Last lineup of members:
Warrel Dane - vocals
Jim Sheppard - bass
Attila Vörös - touring guitarist
Former members:
Mark Arrington - drums, percussion (1991–1994)
Adam Gardner - alternative percussion (live, 1992–1993)
Pat O'Brien - rhythm guitars (1994–1996)
Tim Calvert - rhythm guitars (1997–2000)
James MacDonough - bass (live, 2006)
Curran Murphy - rhythm guitars (live, 2002–2004)
Steve Smyth - rhythm guitars (2004–2007)
Chris Broderick - rhythm guitars (live, 2003, 2006, 2007)
Jeff Loomis - lead, rhythm and acoustic guitar (1991–2011)
Van Williams - drums (1995–2011)
Evolution 169
Nevermore Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just rats in this experiment
Now learn the maze but don't tear yourself in two
Don't let it pull you down
And one by one we crawl,and two by two
Into the mouth of madness, we seek the perfect view
We reach another turn then fall out of time
Evolution 169
You can touch but never taste the answers
Like the way that I want you
Today I killed my ego,if hell is real
Dear god please tie my noose
And then he pulled me down
And one by one we crawl,and two by two
Into the mouth of madness we seek the perfect view
We reach another turn then fall out of time
In organized chaos
Evolution 169
And one by one we crawl,and two by two
Into the mouth of madness, we fly away
Don't set your mind to one side
Don't set your mind to one side
The opening lines of the song "Evolution 169" by Nevermore present a dystopian and scientific premise where the listener is invited to enter a pleasure dome under the observation of an unknown crowd. The metaphorical use of "rats in this experiment" indicates a sense of helplessness and lack of control over their fate. The following lines present the daunting task of learning the maze, whereby the listener is urged to maintain their wholeness and resist fragmentation. The line "don't let it pull you down" could imply that outside forces are trying to bring the listener under their influence.
The lyrics then shift towards the theme of madness and the pursuit of an elusive objective that can never be fully attained. The line "into the mouth of madness we seek the perfect view" highlights the irony and futility of chasing a goal that might not even exist. The use of "organized chaos" suggests that even though everything seems like it's in chaos, there might still be a certain pattern to it. The title of the song, "Evolution 169," adds another layer to this interpretation as it could indicate an evolutionary process wherein everything is in a constant state of flux and mutation.
Overall, the lyrics of "Evolution 169" deal with themes of powerlessness, fragmentation, madness, and the pursuit of an unattainable goal. It carries a warning against getting caught up in the chaos and losing one's sense of self in the process.
Line by Line Meaning
Welcome to the pleasure dome ,now take a seat the crowd is watching you
You are now within the confines of a hedonistic environment, and you are being observed by others.
Just rats in this experiment
We are mere test subjects, being examined within the realm of this experimental thesis.
Now learn the maze but don't tear yourself in two
Learn the intricacies of this labyrinthine obstacle, but do not succumb to its challenging nature.
Don't let it pull you down
Do not allow the maze to bring you down to its level of difficulty.
And one by one we crawl,and two by two
We slowly and methodically navigate through the obstacles, whether alone or with a partner.
Into the mouth of madness, we seek the perfect view
As we progress through the maze, we desire to find a clearer and more insightful view of our surroundings.
We reach another turn then fall out of time
We encounter another challenge and momentarily lose our sense of timing.
In organized chaos
The chaos we experience within the maze is actually organized and systematically designed.
Evolution 169
This is the 169th stage of the evolutionary process within this maze, which we are currently experiencing.
You can touch but never taste the answers
Although we may have the ability to come close to solving the maze's mysteries, we may never fully grasp the answers.
Like the way that I want you
Our hunger for understanding the maze is as intense as our desire for something we can never fully have.
Today I killed my ego,if hell is real
I have destroyed my sense of arrogance and self-importance, even if it means facing eternal damnation.
Dear god please tie my noose
I am requesting a means to end my life, as the maze has become too overwhelming.
And then he pulled me down
I am succumbing to my desire for life's ultimate escape.
And one by one we crawl,and two by two
We continue to move through the maze, navigating its challenges either alone or with someone else.
Into the mouth of madness we seek the perfect view
Our search for clarity and understanding within the madness of the maze continues.
We reach another turn then fall out of time
As we progress, we may occasionally lose our sense of time and direction.
In organized chaos
The chaos within the maze remains organized and purposeful.
Evolution 169
We are still within the 169th stage of our evolution through this maze.
And one by one we crawl,and two by two
Our movements continue in a repetitious and methodical manner through the maze.
Into the mouth of madness, we fly away
Eventually, we will escape the maze and its madness, and continue to progress in our evolutionary journey.
Don't set your mind to one side
Remain open-minded and adaptable to the challenges presented by the maze.
Don't set your mind to one side
Reinforcing the importance of maintaining an open mind in the face of the maze's obstacles.
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Vadim Kheyfets
This band is brilliant and never recieved the recognition it deserved. A band for a select few that understand how amazing they truly are. Will never leave my metal music rotation.
Steele Furey
Beautiful song, so dark. Warrel Dane is an amazing vocalist.
Erik Richardson
I first heard nevermore back in 1998. and i was only 2 and i remember riding in the car with my family and my dad putting this cd in the cd player and us all jamming. and when this album came out it was like a dream. ive never heard anything so beautiful. Nevermore for life \m/
Mirek
Yup.
Carlos Villaseñor Torres
This song is one of my favs from NV Warrel Had such an amazing voice. RIP
wusscake
Rest in Peace, Warrel Dane.
wusscake
@ungo lonungo Yes, he died almost three years ago to a heart attack.
ungo lonungo
What...he dead?
ungo lonungo
What.. he dead?..
Maria Silva
R.I.P. Warrel Dane. Such an incredible singer /songwriter. :(