Quoth the raven, "Nevermore"

I previously posted on Mike Portnoy's departure from Dream Theater.  That was disappointing, mostly because he was such a stalwart of the band.  For me though, Dream Theater hasn't really interested me for years, so I couldn't really get too worked up. 

Not today though.

Jeff Loomis and Van Williams, lead guitar and drummer for Nevermore, announced today their decision to split from the band.  Something was fishy when the band announced a week or so ago that they were cancelling the rest of their shows this year and that a statement would be forthcoming.

It never came.  Looks like this was probably it though. 

This is certainly disappointing.  Nevermore has but out some of the very best American prog/power/speed/thrash/technical metal for the past decade and a half.  And I really, really like Warrel Dane's voice.  There is no question in my mind though that Jeff Loomis' playing and writing has been the real heart of the band.  You need to look no further than his excellent solo album "Zero Order Phase" to hear just how crucial he is to the band.  Whether or not they continue with new people, as far as I am concerned, Nevermore is done.

I will look forward to what Jeff and Van do in the future, as they are both immensely talented musicians.

Album Review: Nevermore - The Obsidian Conspiracy

Nevermore: The Obsidian Conspiracy
Year: 2010
Click here for the artist's site

---

In life, there are few things you can reliably count on.  So it is welcome when you find those things.  For example, you can bet on the sun rising in the east in the morning.  Chances are pretty good that in the Northern Hemisphere, July will be warmer than January.  If you throw something up in the air, it will most likely fall to the ground at some point.  You can count on these things.

Guess what else you can count on.  Nevermore releasing killer music.