Band: Nevermore Album: The Politics Of Ecstacy (Century Media, 1996) Personal Rating: 9 Tracks: 01 - The Seven Tongues Of God 02 - This Sacrament 03 - Next In Line 04 - Passanger 05 - The Politics Of Ecstacy 06 - Lost 07 - The Tiananmen Man 08 - Precognition (Instrumental) 09 - 42147 10 - The Learning Review:
Nevermore's second release, "The Politics Of Ecstacy" is one of those few albums that, once hooked, never lets you go until the severe pummeling it deals is over. This album is pure aural pleasure. Strong songwriting, intricate arrangements, and sheer brute force make this rollercoaser of a disc something that must be experianced, not just listened to. Track one is a good song, but next to the rest of the material...well...The album really takes off with track two and just keeps going from there. The one bump in the road is the title track (it just plods along until the incredible Dream Theater-esque instrumental break halfway through the track), but this is easily forgiven by the rest of the album. The high point here has to be "The Tiananmen Man" though. What starts off as a good enough song just makes your day with its anthemic, high flying chorus (author starts headbanging just thinking about it!!!). The strongest track in an already strong album. But it's not over yet! The rest of the disc continues to punish right up until the end as Mr. Dane sneer's "freedom's never free, the politics of ecstacy...". If you can only buy one CD this year, make it Nevermores slab o' brillance...you won't regret it.
JC
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