Customer Reviews

In Memory (Reis)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Even though this is only an EP, it's one of my favourite Nevermore disks. The songs "Matricide" and "In Memory" are two of their best. Highly recommended, do yourself a favour and don't overlook this one.

The "In Memory" EP were songs recorded during the "Politics of Ecstasy" sessions, released prior to that album of course. The interesting thing about this EP is that despite being recorded during those sessions, it does have a different feel then those songs. It seems like they overloaded that album with the more technical material, as well as the material that was a bit heavier, and this resulting EP isn't as "destructive". Jeff Loomis and Pat O'Brien were an interesting combination in early Nevermore, just listen to the opener "Optimist or Pessimist". The main riff is death/thrash riff provided courtesy of the malevolent Pat O'Brien. Then Loomis swoops in at all the right times to add an eerie sounding clean guitar break, that leads into a great solo, as well as another one at the end of the song. "Matricide" and the title track "In Memory" are both great semi-ballads, Warrel Dane is in a class of his own when it comes to expressing emotion. This EP really hinted at the direction this band was going to take with subsequent albums, and it provided an excellent appetizer for the accompanying release, "Politics of Ecstasy".

Seattle-based metal act Nevermore followed up their self-titled 1995 debut album with the 5-song EP In Memory. In Memory finds the band continuing to develop their post-thrash, sort of doomy, sort of gothic, sort of power metal, but always dark style, which to this day remains almost impossible to categorize. The four studio tracks - Optimist or Pessimist, Matricide, Sorrowed Man, and the title track - are as good as anything you'd find on Politics of Ecstasy or the band's debut, but the real highlight is the unexpected inclusion of a cover medley of Bauhaus's Silent Hedges and Double Dare. I love when bands come up with cover songs that showcase their versatility and range, and this is one of the best.

These stop-gap EPs often tend to get overlooked, but In Memory remains an important chapter in the Nevermore legacy, and one that all Nevermore fans should own.

Century Media's 2006 reissue of In Memory features digitally remastered sound, 5 bonus demo versions of The Politics of Ecstasy songs, and expanded liner notes. Even though they double the original EP's length, demo tracks don't do much for me. I am, however, a sucker for improved sound quality, so I was happy to replace my older version of In Memory with this reissue. The liner notes, which include additional photos and behind the scenes info from the band and metal scribe Martin Popoff, are a nice touch as well. If you're content with the sound quality of the old In Memory disc, you may want to pass on this reissue, but die-hard Nevermore fans will definitely want to check it out.