Nevermore

Nevermore is an American heavy metal band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1992 by vocalist Warrel Dane, bassist Jim Sheppard and guitarist Jeff Loomis following the dissolution of their previous band Sanctuary. The group initially worked with several drummers before recruiting Van Williams in 1994. Over the course of its career the band underwent numerous line-up changes, and by the 2020s Loomis remained the only original member still associated with the project. Read more on Last.fm …read full bio

Nevermore is an American heavy metal band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1992 by vocalist Warrel Dane, bassist Jim Sheppard and guitarist Jeff Loomis following the dissolution of their previous band Sanctuary. The group initially worked with several drummers before recruiting Van Williams in 1994. Over the course of its career the band underwent numerous line-up changes, and by the 2020s Loomis remained the only original member still associated with the project. Nevermore became a five-piece in 1996 when guitarist Pat O'Brien joined the band. He performed on the EP "In Memory" and the album "The Politics of Ecstasy" before leaving to join Cannibal Corpse. He was replaced by Tim Calvert, who appeared on the 1999 album "Dreaming Neon Black" and departed the following year. The band subsequently continued as a four-piece for the albums "Dead Heart in a Dead World" (2000) and "Enemies of Reality" (2003). Guitarist Steve Smyth joined in 2004 and appeared on "This Godless Endeavor" (2005), but left the band in 2007, after which Nevermore again performed as a quartet. The group originated in the early 1990s when Sanctuary’s record label encouraged the band to adopt a grunge-oriented style following the commercial success of Seattle acts such as Nirvana and Pearl Jam. Dane and Sheppard opposed the shift and formed Nevermore instead. By the end of 1994 the band had established a stable line-up with the addition of Van Williams and Jeff Loomis, who had previously toured with Sanctuary. Their self-titled debut album, "Nevermore", was released in 1995 through Century Media Records and was followed by tours in Europe with Blind Guardian and in North America with Death. Pat O'Brien joined shortly before the recording of "In Memory" and "The Politics of Ecstasy" in 1996. After his departure, Curran Murphy temporarily served as touring guitarist until Tim Calvert joined the band. In 1999 Nevermore released "Dreaming Neon Black", a concept album partly inspired by personal experiences of Warrel Dane. The band toured extensively in support of the release with groups including Mercyful Fate, Arch Enemy, Iced Earth and Opeth. Following the tour, Calvert left the band and Nevermore chose not to replace him permanently, instead using session and touring guitarists such as Curran Murphy and Chris Broderick. The band recorded "Dead Heart in a Dead World" in 2000 and subsequently toured with acts including In Flames, Shadows Fall and Savatage. The fifth studio album, "Enemies of Reality", was released in 2003 after a lengthy production period. Its production was widely criticised and the album was remixed by Andy Sneap for a reissue in 2005. Around this time Steve Smyth joined the band and later appeared on the album "This Godless Endeavor", released in 2005. Nevermore toured extensively in support of the record, including appearances on Dave Mustaine’s Gigantour and tours with Disturbed and In Flames. During this period several members experienced health issues, including Jim Sheppard’s treatment for Crohn’s disease and Steve Smyth’s kidney transplant. In 2006 the band performed at Wacken Open Air and planned to record a live DVD at the Zeche club in Bochum, Germany. The show was postponed after Warrel Dane became ill, and the performance was eventually recorded later that year. The resulting live CD and DVD, "The Year of the Voyager", was released in 2008 and included a documentary and promotional videos. Around the same time Dane and Loomis each released solo albums: "Praises to the War Machine" and "Zero Order Phase", respectively. Nevermore began work on their seventh studio album in 2009 and recorded "The Obsidian Conspiracy" with producer Peter Wichers. The album was released in 2010 and followed by a North American tour with Warbringer, Hatesphere and Blackguard. In 2011 the band cancelled a planned tour with Symphony X, and shortly afterwards Jeff Loomis and Van Williams announced their departure due to personal and musical differences. Although Nevermore never formally disbanded, activity effectively ceased thereafter. Dane later stated that he would consider recording another album only if Loomis returned. Warrel Dane died of a heart attack in São Paulo, Brazil on 13 December 2017 at the age of 56. Former guitarist Tim Calvert died on 30 April 2018 from complications related to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. In December 2024 Jeff Loomis and Van Williams announced plans to revive Nevermore and begin searching worldwide for new members. The announcement generated discussion regarding the use of the band name, as Jim Sheppard had not been involved in the plans and was reported to have retired from music. In August 2025 Nevermore announced their first performance in fifteen years, scheduled for the 2026 edition of the Wacken Open Air festival, and were later confirmed for the 2026 Bloodstock Open Air festival. On 12 February 2026 the band announced a new line-up and a recording contract with Reigning Phoenix Music. The line-up consisted of Jeff Loomis, Van Williams, vocalist Berzan Önen, guitarist Jack Cattoi and bassist Semir Özerkan. Their first performance with the new line-up was scheduled for 1 April 2026 in Istanbul. Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nevermore Studio albums Nevermore (1995) The Politics of Ecstasy (1996) Dreaming Neon Black (1999) Dead Heart in a Dead World (2000) Enemies of Reality (2003) This Godless Endeavor (2005) The Obsidian Conspiracy (2010) Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.

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…shrink me down again