The guitars on this cd are amazing. So many good tracks. I like Sell My Heart for Stones, and The Psalm of Lydia the best. All tracks are great. Get this cd.

This is modern metal at its best -- crushing, crunching guitar riffs, manic, screaming leads, pummeling double bass drums, AND great vocals. Warrel Dane actually sings, enhancing the phenomenal playing instead of detracting from it with the one-dimensional screaming that ruins most metal albums these days. The songs are great too, very "catchy" in a beating-you-senseless sort of way. This cd is substantially longer than their last one, Enemies of Reality (especially if you subtract the three weak tracks on Enemies), and the songs are stronger too. Best of all, their guitar tone is even better than usual on this one. To me it literally sounds like metal scraping on metal; it's awesome! These guys are the kings of modern metal, and this is their best album.

At last, Nevermore strike the perfect balance between beauty and brutality. Every song, perfection.
Brilliant vocals.
Brilliant guitars.
Brilliant bass.
Brilliant drums.
Have I said brilliant enough times?
An absolute must have for music fans regardless of genre.
Buy this NOW!!!

There's simply no other way to say it; Jeff Loomis is, quite simply, a musical prodigy. Basically, there's nothing that can be done with a guitar that he hasn't done...at least to the extent of my knowledge of the instrument, and his music. If you're not convinced, check his myspace page and listen to the track of him playing at sixteen years old...his ability to flawlessly spew forth arpeggios is simply stunning, and at that age, one-in-a-million. If you're really still not convinced, go to youtube, search for his name, and play "Jeff Loomis (Nevermore)Clinic - NAMM 2008 (2/2)." Most of the insanity (especially at 1:58 and 3:05) is from his upcoming solo album, and there's little doubt that it will be one of the greatest instrumental metal albums ever created. He is simply a brilliant composer, with an obvious passion for classical that translates into metal absolutely impeccably in his control, and ultimately, he might be the best metal guitarist currently recording on the face of the Earth.

Why is this, then, a problem? Quite simply, the vocals on this album are, for the most part, cringe-inducing. I enjoy the melodies of them, and the lyrics/apocalyptic message within, but unfortunately, the messenger is simply not on the same level as Loomis (not that many vocalists are, but give the guy a break...he deserves better than this). The album has been properly heralded as a guitar masterpiece (see "born" or the title track) by various publications, as it should have been, and I, for one, would rather simply hear in its truest form...Loomis's show, with no distractions. This man deserves better! You're welcome to disagree, but that's my two cents.

While I like Dead Heart in a Dead World, this CD spends the most time in my player, more time than any other CD. Great mix, very versatile - these guys rock! I saw them open for Megadeth a few years ago and have been hooked ever since.