NEVERMORE INTERVIEW

Nevermore!!! A household name that no one in the Heavy Metal world doesn't know or has an opinion about. The band has established themselves as the forerunners of extreme technical American Power metal, and since they are releasing their 7th studio album entitled "This Godless Endeavour" in July, I needed to be enlightened by the man himself - vocalist Warrell Dane. Here's his view of life in the Nevermore camp and a bunch of other stuff.

Interview by Lars F. Larsen

Congratz on the new album…..little more hitpotential than on "Enemies Of Reality"?

"Thanks, well, Andy Sneap is GOD!! He makes everything sound fantastic."

I thought Ozzy was God?

"Hahaha, yeah I guess when it comes to lead singers, Ozzy is the man, but on the producer side, Andy is up there."

It seems like you have taken all your previous albums (minus the debut) and put them together as basis for everything on this album. Is it a summoning up on 10 years of apparent success?

"You are the first guy that has said that actually, but I guess it's just a natural evolving in the band, so it's good that it sounds like Nevermore I guess."

Yeah, better than the album sounding like Slipknot or something like that?

"Well, that wouldn't be good, although I do like to listen to Slipknot once in a while."

As I remember, you were on your way to stop the cooperation with Century Media. What made you re-sign with them? Money or visions that they'd be the best to do the job?

"I can't say that money didn't come up as a factor here. I see it this way, that after ten years of hard work, we wanted to be rewarded for our efforts, and we were. There were some things that needed to be cleared up, but since we have had a good relationship with the people at Century Media also on a personal level, we got over the business related problems and stayed with them. We had offers from other labels and Century Media wasn't necessarily the label with the largest offer, but we'd rather stay on a label where we know people and get along with everybody, so once things were cleared up it was an obvious choice."

So, here's a trick question: Having had several guitarists in the band, beside Jeff, has it been you guys oppressing them and not letting them in, or weren't they simply able to follow Jeff in talent and therefore releasing themselves of their duties in shame? :-)

"Hahaha - you know, it's really something to do with the guys who were in the band. Pat O'Brien was a HUGE Cannibal Corpse fan. While we recorded with him, he was constantly listening to that band. I mean CONSTANTLY, so I think it's quite good for him to be in the band that he loved that much. With Tim Calvert it just doesn't worked out due to several factors. Steve fits us better than the other guys, also on a personal level. He's just as nuts as the rest of us, and we feel that he's the right guy to do the job, hence the involvement. Funny how it looks like we have to go to San Fransisco now to get new people for the band :-)"

How is Steve to work with?? I know that he's fantastic in a live situation.

"He definitely is. He's fantastic to work with and the best fit so far. Actually we let him write a couple of songs for this album!"

OK. Which ones did he write?

"You never know, hehehe"

Oh, I guess that since I can't hear it, he must be pretty well incorporated and integrated into your style?

"Exactly my point."

Are you thinking about doing another concept album at some point?

"Not really. In my opinion, it would spoil the magic we did on our so far only concept album (Dreaming Neon Black, red.). Having said that, you never know what the future holds, but nothing like that is planned from our side."

Do you ever let any of the other guys write any lyrics?

"No! They don't even try, haha. I guess that it's just up to me, and honestly I don't really feel comfortable singing other people's lyrics, unless it's some kind of cover song we are doing. "

What do you think about the fact that somebody did a master degree at University by making a thesis upon you and your reflections on drugs and your view and inspiration from Timothy Leary?

"WHAT?????!!!! I don't know anything about that. Haven't seen it. I'd love to read it though."

Well, basically this guy has kind of psychoanalysed you, and gone through all the stuff you have ever done since the Sanctuary days.

"That sounds amazing - could you send that stuff to me?"

I'll do that, no problem. How come you changed artwork guy this time? Weren't you satisfied with what Travis Smith did anylonger?

"We have never been dissatisfied with anything Travis did. It was just that when we were discussing the artwork with Century Media, they told us that maybe we should have Hugh Syme do the cover artwork, and I was like OK!!!! I remember when I was a kid, buying the new Rush album "Permanent Waves". I'd listen to the music and stare at that cover for hours, man. It was huge, and it's a big honour to have Hugh doing our front cover. I can't say that we wouldn't use Travis again in the future coz he has been very good in interpreting the images I wanted to have on our covers, but who knows."

I know that you are going out on a joint European tour this fall with Candlemass. Are you looking forward to get out there with the old doom masters? Who'll be the 3rd band on the bill?

"Hmm…where'd you get this information?"

Well, I know stuff in the business, hehehe

"Ok. Well, the thing with Candlemass didn't work out, though I'd have loved to do it. Our management kept pushing for it, but it just didn't work out. So now we're going out with Mercenary and one more act for the tour. We might bring The Haunted, but nothing is settled about that yet."

How do you feel about being the inspirational source for numerous young vocalists out there today? The lead singer from Communic for instance?

"Hmmmm (deep thinking pause here!!) - it kind of making me feel old, hahaha. No, seriously, it makes me feel that I have done something valuable with my life. I don't think the guy from Communic sounds that much like me though. Of course it's good to have people using you as inspiration…let me put it this way: Emulation is the highest form of appreciation I guess."

Do any of you guys have children, and if so - how do you combine it with all the recording and touring?

"None of us have any kids yet, though some are trying. It's pretty hard to work out with all the activity going on around recordings, tours and so on. Of course I'd like to have some kids someday, but I don't have a girlfriend at the moment. I had one, but she gave me the ultimatum of choosing between staying with the band or staying with her, so my only answer to her was: Goodbye!"

Hahaha….respect for that. It's not really fair to put up an ultimatum like that, when this has been your life's dream.

"Exactly."

Have you guys come to the level where you are able to live off the music yet - last time you told me that Jim was working as a gardener or something like that?

"Yeah, finally we did manage to get up there. Yupp, Jim did some landscape arts back then. We have been very lucky regarding the financial situation. Both Jim and I are trained chefs, so we have had jobs at restaurants, skipping those jobs to go on tour, finding a new job when getting back home etc. So we have been able to make a living when we haven't been on the road, but now we can finally live of the music after 10 fucking years."

Well, 15 or more if you count in the Sanctuary years!!

"Yeah, and even then we didn't make ANY kind of money at all."

HUH??? You were on a major label?

"Yeah, and it's funny coz this label paid a ridiculously big advance, but somehow we had a manager who was able to spend it all on various shit. I think we ended up with 5.000 dollars each, which we spent on some equipment, so all in all it was without economical satisfaction."

Have you gotten more into the snowboarding or have you kept the normal ski's on since last interview (which was 2001)?

"You know what? I injured my knee, so I haven't been into that stuff lately, unfortunately. Even if I'm working out a lot and training the muscles around the knee, I simply don't dare do it at the moment. My doctor says I need a surgery, but I'm quite afraid of having it, so I don't know where I'm going with it. Maybe I need to talk to the doctor again. My ligament and my meniscus are damaged, so…."

Finally, last time I talked to you, you stated that your favourite beer was Erdinger Hefe Wiess bier that you were drinking during the interview. Is it still your favourite beer?

"I don't drink anymore!!"

WHAT?

"Yupp, that's true. I gave up on all that shit. First up, I realised that even drinking 2 beers before a show, would have bad influence on my voice during the show and secondly I was beginning to get real fat. I was carrying a whole case of beer around on my belly, so it was time to sober up and get rid of all the extra kilo's. It was also a thing of getting rid of the image of that "drunk dude from Nevermore" - to begin taking my career serious from now on. So I have completely stopped drinking. It's not cool to be drunk on stage."

Hmm, I never saw you drunk on stage?

"You must have attended the wrong shows then, hehehehe"

Maybe I did yeah?

"…BUT, if I was still drinking beer, I'd be drinking that Hefe Weiss beer now. I just think I'll go have a cappuccino in stead."

All right man. Cheers anyway and have a good day and hopefully we'll see you on tour here in Denmark (Copenhagen). Thanks for your time.

"Yeah, thanks for the interview Lars. Have a good day."