The Obsidian Conspiracy
Introduction '''''The Obsidian Conspiracy''''' is the seventh and final studio album by American heavy metal band Nevermore. It was released on June 8, 2010, in North America by Century Media and at the end of May in Europe. The band's previous album, ''This Godless Endeavor'', was released in 2005, making the five-year gap the longest between two consecutive Nevermore albums. ''The Obsidian Conspiracy'' was met with generally positive reviews. It was the band's first album to chart in Austria, Belgium, the United Kingdom, and the United States ''Billboard'' 200.The band went on an indefinite hiatus following the departure of guitarist Jeff Loomis and drummer Van Williams in mid-2011, subsequently the death of frontman Warrel Dane in 2017 ended any possibility of a reunion, making ''The Obsidian Conspiracy'' the last studio recording by Nevermore.
Writing and recording Nevermore, having written 13 new songs, entered Wichers studio, North Carolina in August 2009 to record the album. Van Williams completed recording the drumming on the album as August 17, in Seattle. The whole recording process was finished in October.Warrel Dane commented on the writing process: "These songs are full of newfound rage, lyrically and musically. Jeff Loomis has come up with some amazing new riffs that will no doubt please old and new fans alike. Also, I think the combination of Peter and Andy (production & mixing) will result in something very, very special. "Jeff Loomis commented on the writing of the album: "I think that with the new Nevermore, it still sounds like the band, but I think I'm giving Warrel a little bit more room this time around for more vocals rather than all the notey, kind of complex stuff and all that, so this time around it's just a little bit more wide open musically for him to really be able to do whatever he wants vocally this time around. So we'll see what happens. It's gonna be an interesting album for us, for sure. "Loomis has also stated that Peter Wichers had a major part in the songwriting, encouraging Loomis to "cut out the fat, and make the songs catchier and hookier", thus creating a simplistic and stripped down sound that differs from the original 7–8 minute complex tracks which Loomis originally wanted to record.
Track listing
Personnel === Nevermore ===*Warrel Dane – vocals*Jeff Loomis – guitars*Jim Sheppard – bass*Van Williams – drums=== Production ===*Peter Wichers – production, engineering*Andy Sneap – mixing, mastering*Travis Smith – cover art
Chart positions Chart (2010)Peakposition Austrian Albums Chart34 Belgian Albums Chart87 Dutch Albums Chart69 Finnish Albums Chart35 French Albums Chart108 German Albums Chart13 Greek Albums Chart3 Hungarian Albums Chart27 Swedish Albums Chart41 Swiss Albums Chart40 US ''Billboard'' 200132 US Rock Albums41 US Independent Albums18 US Hard Rock Albums13 US Tastemakers19
Release history  RegionDateAustraliaMay 28, 2010AustriaGermanySwitzerlandDenmarkMay 31, 2010FranceGreeceNorwayPortugalUnited KingdomItalyJune 1, 2010SpainFinlandJune 2, 2010SwedenBrazilJune 6, 2010United StatesJune 8, 2010JapanJuly 21, 2010
References