Review: Art Of Dying- Nevermore

Less than a year after releasing their sophomore full-length record- Rise Up– Art Of Dying are fresh off their label contract with Eleven Seven/Better Noise Records and they\’re finally on their own with complete freedom. To celebrate, the band isn\’t wasting any time, releasing an EP, aptly titled Nevermore. While Rise Up was a very solid record, it had some experimental musical avenues. Nevermore shows the band embracing their roots a lot more and going back to the route they took with their major labeldebut record- Vices & Virtues. In a nutshell- it rocks and it rocks hard! There\’s absolutely not filler on this one- but with an EP, filler would be fatal. These guys know how to write good rock songs and there\’s no denying that. Nevermore is six songs of pure intensity. The record kicks off with “All or Nothing,” which is guaranteed to get the adrenaline pumping and is catchy as any other song the band has written. Take that and run into lead single “Torn Down,” which is an emotional anthem that screams everything Art Of Dying are all about. Title track “Nevermore” is a ballad that stands right up there with “Sorry” and may very well be the strongest song the band has written yet- this could be the one they\’re remembered for. Anyone who\’s moved on to someone better than they were with before will find their new victory song with “Nevermore.” “Seen This Coming” and “Paradise” are the perfect lead into final track “Cages.” “Cages” is an aggression-fueled stadium anthem that is exactly what you wanna hear from the band after hits like “Die Trying” and “Get Thru This.” When it\’s all said and done, Art Of Dying are off and running with a vengeance on their independent career. Add in another lineup change (longtime drum tech and stage manager Cody Watkins has taken over the kit for longtime drummer Jeff Brown) and they\’re at a point in their career where it\’s make or break and they\’ve exactly the record they needed to write. This is what Art Of Dying are all about and it\’s an album that\’s loaded with memorable moments. This is the strongest release of their career and these are the songs they will be remembered by. If you want music you can connect with and be proud to crank up to max, Nevermore is that record. Rating: 9.5/10 -Reggie Edwards