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)
temptation
Nevermore Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I want what I need
Shacking as her sex takes hold
I've lost all control
Drowning in a sea of rage
I taste the embrace
Helpless as it steals my soul
We exist in a world where the fear of
Illusion is real
And we cling to the past to deny and confuse
The ideal
Once inside, we can conceive and believe in a god
we can't feel
Destined by a fate so cruel
And drugged to delight
Laughing as these lies unfold
I've lost all control
Temptation
It never lets me down
Temptation
One foot in the ground
Temptation
You satisfy my soul
Temptation
I've lost all control
The lyrics to Nevermore's "Temptation" deal with the theme of surrendering to one's desires and giving in to temptation. The first verse speaks of being driven by restrained desire, wanting what is needed, and losing control to the temptation of sex. The second verse speaks of drowning in a sea of rage, and being helpless as the embrace of temptation steals away the soul. The chorus repeats the word "Temptation", highlighting the fact that it can be addictive and powerful, capable of satisfying the soul, and also capable of destroying the self-control of the individual.
The bridge speaks of the way in which our fear of illusion is real, and how as humans, we prefer to cling to the past instead of embracing change and the unknown. We are capable of conceiving and believing in a god we can't feel, highlighting the idea of faith and the unseen. The final verse speaks of being destined by a fate so cruel, and being drugged to delight. The lies of temptation are unfolding, and the self-control of the individual is completely lost.
Overall, "Temptation" is a powerful song that speaks to the universal human struggle of giving into temptation and surrendering to desires, no matter the consequences.
Line by Line Meaning
Driven by restrained desire
My wants and needs are in conflict and I struggle to control them.
I want what I need
I crave what is required for my survival or wellbeing.
Shacking as her sex takes hold
I am overwhelmed by the physical pleasure of sexual arousal.
I've lost all control
I am powerless to resist my temptations and desires.
Drowning in a sea of rage
My anger and frustration are consuming me and I feel helpless.
I taste the embrace
I am seduced by the enticing and comforting sensations I experience.
Helpless as it steals my soul
I am unable to resist the temptation and it is taking over my being.
We exist in a world where the fear of
The world we live in is full of uncertainty and danger.
Illusion is real
What we perceive as reality is often distorted or misleading.
And we cling to the past to deny and confuse
In order to avoid confronting uncomfortable truths, we retreat into nostalgia and confusion.
The ideal
The perfect or idealized version of reality that we yearn for.
Once inside, we can conceive and believe in a god
When we open ourselves up to the possibility of something greater, we can find meaning and purpose.
we can't feel
Although we may not have tangible proof of a higher power, we can still have faith.
Destined by a fate so cruel
I am powerless to escape my predetermined fate, which is full of suffering.
And drugged to delight
I am addicted to the pleasure and escape that my vices provide.
Laughing as these lies unfold
Despite knowing that my choices will lead to destruction, I am unable to resist and instead find it amusing.
Temptation
The allure of pleasure or escape that is hard to resist.
It never lets me down
No matter how many times I give in to temptation, it always provides temporary relief and pleasure.
One foot in the ground
My addiction is leading me towards an early grave.
You satisfy my soul
My vices provide me with temporary relief and comfort, but ultimately lead to my destruction.
I've lost all control
Despite knowing the consequences, I am powerless to resist my vices.
Contributed by Muhammad Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Vicarious Viking
I just saw The Tea Party live last week and it was amazing. Nevermore are one of my favorite metal bands so this is a pretty awesome find.
SpinMeRoundStore
How could anyone not appreciate this song?
zpyromanicz
Warrell Dane is an incredible singer. I think he's perhaps a little too restrained on this, but still excellent.
Krobeles
i am in love with the way he allmost spits out the word GOD in the third verse. As if though he had to senserily struggle with himself just to have himself utter it. So fucking awesome! :D
don't hate me bcuz I'm way beautiful then you
Krobeles right? Love it !!!!
don't hate me bcuz I'm way beautiful then you
I love the tea party best group all times but i must said this is pretty good 🖒🖒🖒
musical roses
It's cool to hear them cover The Tea Party, but I much prefer the original.
AJ KreDo
I want this song on Apple Music
clauricaune
One of the best Tea Party covers I've heard.
Edward Rueter
The opening sounds like a Diablo game.