Neverafter are comprised of former members of NonGrata, Ferrous Patella, Inhumane (which I heard way back in the 90's on local metal radio shows and LOVED), Fallen Empire (another undisputed favorite local act of mine) Quixotic and Cinders to Ascension. So needless to say I was excited to listen to this band on Reverbnation.
Follow this link and give them a listen!
http://www.reverbnation.com/neverafter4?page_view_source=facebook_app
Neverafter have one of the best band names I've heard/saw in a long time! They have created a complete package with the name, image, graphics and even call their fans Neverminds! I love that about this new and upcoming band. It's rare these days when a band can have an original and catchy name and then back it up with a sound, image and work ethic! These guys are the local forerunners of this style and are sure to make some waves! Here's the rundown on what I'm calling a modern traditional Gothic sound!
Lost In Waiting - Really beautiful and emotional guitar and piano/synth work in this song. This is a power ballad for today's audience for sure and I wouldn't be shocked to hear this song on the radio and it certainly deserves to be. This is a pretty low key song but is solid and all members you can tell are accomplished musicians and you can hear that they put hours into practicing. The lead work and drum fills are impressive and the vocals are on point although she doesn't show much of her range in this tune. I'm impressed and ready to hear more!
Once Feared Fate - Now this one is a bit heavier and shows more of Lisa's vocal range. There are some blues stylings in the guitar work that I like and there is a melodic, atmospheric and emotional breakdown that I thoroughly enjoy! The guitar solo on this song rips too!
Debt To Pay - This is probably the fastest of the three songs yet but still mid tempo. I like this one the best and feel like this should be the song that they push to get their name out there. The riffs and melodies are simple yet effective and then it kicks in with some heavyness that I was kind of looking for all along. Still again a solid and enjoyable listen!
This is a damn fine effort! If these guys aren't on the radio soon it's of no fault of their own because they are surely putting in the effort and passion. I only draw comparisons for reference but I hear influences from modern gothic rock like Evanescence, traditional sounds like Priest, and more epic metal and new traditional leanings like Night Wish and Hammerfall. The sound quality on these recordings is excellent for a demo. Everything seemed to sound kind of far away but once I was well into the second song I didn't notice it any more. And maybe this is something that could be remedied with a final mastering. After all they are still in the studio and recording more! I wished I could pick out more bass parts in these songs and maybe it would benefit from just a hair more volume on the bass all around. Hands down though this is heavy radio rock with metal tendencies. This is a style that lots of different rock and metal listeners can wrap their ears around and enjoy.
Go find them on Facebook and like everything on their page! They are very active on there and give their Neverminds lots of updates!
https://www.facebook.com/neveraftermetal
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