It is with great surprise and anticipation that Nevermore has announced that they will be back in 2025! Guitarist Jeff Loomis and drummer Van Williams issued teasers on their social media pages with phrases “Resurrecting The Dream” and “A New Chapter Rises”. Nevermore split in 2011 when Loomis and Williams departed the band due to problems with singer Warrel Dane and bassist Jim Sheppard. Dane and Sheppard would focus their efforts on Sanctuary after Loomis and Williams left. Dane died of a heart attack in 2017 while working on solo material in São Paulo, Brazil.
BraveWords has a long history with the band and in 1999, we spoke with Warrel Dane and Jeff Loomis about their latest Herculean achievement, Dreaming Neon Black, that ranks as one of the finest pieces of conceptual work, as the world was welcoming a new millennium.
BraveWords: The conclusion of Dreaming Neon Black is very tragic. Were there any other possible endings in mind?
Dane: ”No. That's kind of always where I wanted it to go. I know that it's kind of depressing and dark and all that, but I think it's just more interesting to write about dark subjects because they can get very emotional and tragic. I would like to say that the ending should have been more uplifting maybe, but why? Life isn't always that way. Sometimes life's little problems do have tragic endings."
BraveWords: Even though the record is a concept album, but for the sake of packaging, possible videos or singles, what tracks stand alone?
Dane: "I think a number of them could stand alone, like 'Dreaming Neon Black' or 'Poison Godmachine'. 'Fault Of The Flesh,' perhaps too. The thing is, if you get into it, and you realize there's a whole story line woven into it, then you can take it as a concept record. If you don't want to go that far with it, you don't feel like investing that kind of time, I think pretty much any of the songs can be taken on their own. I guess that's why when I was working on the lyrics I didn't want to make it such a high concept album, which would mean pretty much the whole thing was rammed down your throat, whether you wanted to get into it or not. Kind of like The Wall. I think it's more interesting that way. It leaves it open so that different people will get different things out of it."
BraveWords: In what ways did you want to make this record different from other concept albums?
Dane: "I think the element of personal experience is one thing and also I didn't want it to be laid out in literal terms where 'This is what it all means,' because for me that kind of gets boring. There are things within the story that you can take differently from what I actually meant at the time. It was kind of written that way on purpose to make it so that it's kind of a different experience for everyone who listens to it. Within just the aspect of loss and despair that goes through most of it, I think at one point or another there's something akin to that in most people's lives, that they can latch on to."
BraveWords: How is Dreaming Neon Black going to be performed live?
Dane: "We've talked about doing the whole thing, from start to finish. I'm really not sure if we are going to do that yet. I mean like what we were talking about before, most of the songs can stand on their own without having to be performed one after another in sequence, which, we might try to rehearse, but it might get kind of boring. We'll see what happens when we really start rehearsing hard, and that won't be until after the holidays are over."
BraveWords: The storyline of the record is based on a true life experience for you. How close are the events in the album to what happened to you personally?
Dane: "Well there was somebody that I did lose that I was very close to. As far as myself, this was something that I was able to get past and move on and deal with. But what I think I wanted to touch on here was that sometimes people can't get over traumatic experiences like that, and sometimes they're just fucked up for life basically. Everybody's not that way, and maybe by writing a story like this, something kind of depressing and tragic, where people see that I'm still OK, where this is just a way to get it out, maybe that can touch people that have had similar problems and make them feel better about it. I guess it's a bizarre kind of psycho-therapy, and a bit of catharsis for me, but I'm hoping in the end it has a positive effect, even though it is kind of a dark, tragic, romantic, depression vibe going through the whole thing."
BraveWords: Other than character illustration, what were the reasons for having the female vocals join in on 'Dreaming Neon Black'?'
Dane: "We know this girl (Christine Rinehart) really well, I've know her for years. She sings in another band here in Seattle that's much, much different from Nevermore. She had done some vocals on 'Garden Of Gray,' from our first album and when I was developing what I was writing about I knew right away that she had to sing on it. I guess I enjoy getting her to sing that way because she's playing like trip-hop music. She sings really mellow and laid back. It's good for that, if you like that sort of thing, but I know that she's got this potential in her voice to really belt and just really, really sing intensely. It was kind of fun getting her to do that. She always hates it when I tell her that she's not using her voice in the music she's doing."
BraveWords: In past albums you have delved more into the political spectrum with your lyrics, and on this CD they're more emotional. Why the shift?
Dane: "I think with Politics Of Ecstasy, I pretty much burned through all the political things that I could, and I think it would have been pretty redundant if I did that again. It was more of a challenge to kind of enter a subject realm that I hadn't tackled already. It's always fun to do that when you're writing records; to challenge yourself and push your limits."
BraveWords: Is there any unfinished business with your old band, Sanctuary?
Dane: "No, not really. I just saw one of the guitar players at a Christmas party. We're nice to each other now. Everything's OK, it's all better. We don't want to kick the shit out of each other anymore. That's a good feeling, just to know that there's closure on those past hostilities, but as far as ever playing together again, that's not going to happen. The thing is, every time I get together with this guy he always throws that in, 'You know, maybe it's time for that reunion album' and I just have to say 'No.' We don't really need to, and besides, I know what it's like working with those people."
BraveWords: So now that it's good and done, how do you feel about your new album?
Loomis: “Well, it's definitely our best effort to date. A little different from Politics, a little more song-oriented, I think. We're pretty proud of it."
BraveWords: When you created Nevermore, there were so many avenues for you to take: death, grunge, trash, etc. Why power metal?
Loomis: "I don't know man. That's a damn good question. I never really put us in any kind of category. I don't even know if I would call us power metal. I don't know if I can answer this. I think it's just something that popped out of our heads. We're just trying to be as original as we can. Lots of people probably don't think we're original, but I think we're going to win a lot of people over as far as us seeming original. I think we're a lot different sounding than your average metal band, per se."
BraveWords: What's the difference between working with your last guitar player, Pat O'Brien, and Tim Calvert?
Loomis: "It's definitely more of a pleasure writing with Tim because we seem to have more of the same kind of technique, ideas and influences. Pat was more of a kind of death metal head. There's nothing wrong with that. I was in a death metal band and I do love that stuff. It's just that I think now that he's in Cannibal Corpse I think he's much more of a happier individual. I think that's what he's always been looking for. Me and Tim, I think, hit it off really well"
BraveWords: Every LP you've put out comes almost exactly two years after the last. Is that planned?
Loomis: "No. Realistically, I think we want to do one album a year, but it's like with all the line-up changes in the past and trying to find the right members to fit in the band, the hardest thing is just to complete the project. All those changes have really taken time. For instance say, one guitarist leaves and you have a tour to do. There's a lot of time involved showing him all the music. It's not your basic music either and can be difficult to play at some times. Finding that particular person, I mean, it was kind of hard to fill the shoes of Pat, but now that Tim's in the band I'm sure we'll have another album out in a year."
BraveWords: What would you say is your favorite or best guitar work on the Dreaming Neon Black?
Loomis: "I would have to say my favorite thing is the flamenco guitar thing I did on 'Deconstruction,' before Tim's solo. That was really cool. It was kind of spontaneous. It was like 'Hmmm, let's try this and see if it works.' I think it added a nice colour to that song. Also the solo that's in 'No More Will.' It's got different kinds of time changes and stuff. It's really cool."
BraveWords: What are the highlights for you from the rest of your bandmates?
Loomis: "Van, our drummer, probably his most solid drumming is in 'The Death Of Passion.' Warrel's singing, that I loved the most, in the last song 'Forever.' Jim's (Sheppard, bass) thing probably was 'The Lotus Eaters.' It's like one flowing bass line. It's the same thing over and over, but I think it's kind of his signature style. My favorite thing that Tim does is probably 'Deconstruction.' The whole song he pretty much wrote and I think it's really solid and pounding."
BraveWords: Neil Kernon has produced every album and EP for Nevermore. What is the relationship between him and the band?
Loomis: "It all comes down to, number one, Neil being a friend. He knows us so well, he knows the way we play musically which is a huge plus. Also, I think personally, going to a new producer is actually kind of taking a step back in a way. If you go to somebody brand new they're going to treat you the same way too. They have to find out how you play, how you work the best. Neil Kernon has kind of studied our musicianship over the past years and he knows the way we work. He knows how to steer us in the right direction. He's like this really positive producer. He's got a great great work ethic and attitude and we love working with the guy."
BraveWords: The band bio says you guys have always wanted Tim in the band, so why not scoop him when you made the first album?
Loomis: "He was probably at the point where Forbidden was giving him personal problems. I think contractually, he probably couldn't leave the band at the time. There were still things that needed to be done. It was kind of like a waiting process to see what would actually happen down in San Francisco first. But when it finally all took its toll, years later, and he was out of the band, he came here."
BraveWords: The upcoming west coast and European tour will be your first foray into headlining. Are you ready for the spotlight?
Loomis: "Dude, we are like more than ready. You can only open up and not get a sound check for so long, and we've been doing that for like two years. I think that we have enough experience and knowledge as to what we're going to be doing. I think that we're definitely ready. I just hope that we're going to have a great light guy, and a great sound guy, because that's the most important thing about headlining. You gotta have those two people to make the show look great."
