The Obsidian Conspiracy

A solid effort but, as some here have already pointed out, not their best. Saying that, when Nevermore are not hitting their average, they are still miles ahead of the competition. It is not the almost classic that 'This Godless Endeavour' was and does not even touch 'The Politics of Ecstasy' (my personal choice for the top of the Nevermore hall of fame) or indeed 'Dead Heart...' (which is a very close second). It nestles safely somewhere between 'Dreaming Neon Black' and 'Enemies...' in terms of tone and quality.There does seem to be a concerted effort to make the tracks more accessible and as a result it comes across as their least heaviest collection. This is no means a bad thing as most of the tracks are absolute corkers!'The Termination Proclamation' and 'Poison Throne' are 4 star, riff-tangled bread and butter Nevermore and are great without being particularly outstanding. It is with the following 3 tracks that the true meat of the feast is wheeled out. 'Moonrise', 'And the Maiden Spoke' and 'Emptiness Unobstructed' are all utter classics and by far the best tracks on the album. It is difficult to pick a favourite between them as they are all equally as good as well as being very different arrangements.'The Blue Marble & the New Soul' is not just a mouthful of a track but a bit dawdling and boring. Warrell Dane's influence as a solo artist is definitely seen here, as well as on 'She Comes in Colours' which is similar, slightly better but missing something - not sure what, passion I suppose, possibly a better, less plodding tune?'Without Morals' is a belter and only just misses out on instant classic status, but it is one of the better tracks. As is 'The Day they Built the Wall' which can plod at times but hits all the right notes. Not perfect but not bad. The title track is a great Nevermore closer, kind of similar to 'Seed Awakening' but (yes you guessed it) not as good. The 2 covers at the end are not really Nevermore at all and not very good.Overall it is a very good album and a good place to start if you are new to Nevermore as it is accessible and full of great songs. But if you want classic, it has to 'Politics', Dead...' or 'Godless...'Also the packaging and extra bumff is all top notch for the price.

Excelent

Another tour-de-force from this under-rated band. Perhaps not as brutal as "Dead Heart" but still astonishing in its range & power. File alongside Iced Earth & Arch Enemy

I didn't enjoy it quite as much as Warrel's solo effort (praises to the war machine), but it's still a terrific Metal album and well worth listening too.

I love Nevermore and this pack is very very beautiful!!! I recommend it very much

Great album

Son loved it :-).

Unlike the first couple of reviews The Obsidian Conspiracy is not quite a 4 for me. The first half sounds like recycled material from their previous efforts yet the second half is a little more creative. But after a 5 year wait it's a little underwhelming especially as it follows the beast that was 'This Godless Endevour'. It's as if they've not really tried and thrown some songs together without thinking whether they are worthy of following their past effort. The production is exactly the same which causes you to wonder if they've progressed at all. Add some pointless covers and you starting asking yourself if the fantastic packaging with the 'shred like Loomis' bonus CD, postcards and lyric cards all kept together in a natty box, is covering for the fact that there's not much depth to this release. However, once you get past this and listened to it on its own merits it's quite a solid effort with Nevermore finding a comfortable niche for themselves. I wouldn't rate it higher than Enemies Of Reality, it's more on a par with this album.