Nevermore members Jeff Loomis and Van Williams are looking for a new singer and a new bassist to join the reactivated prog metal band.
The Seattle outfit, who originally split in 2011, announced their comeback last week. Missing from the lineup are bassist James Sheppard and singer Warrel Dane. Dane died in 2017, aged 56.
Now, the returning guitarist and drummer are holding open auditions to see who’ll round out Nevermore 2.0. The pair have announced via social media that prospective vocalists and bassists should record themselves performing certain songs, upload the footage to Youtube as a private video, then email it to the band.
See full terms and details via the embedded post below.
Loomis and Williams have also defended the Nevermore reunion from criticism from Sheppard, who co-founded the band in 1991. On Monday, December 30, the bassist’s wife said on social media that he had not been contacted regarding a potential return.
“We do not know about their plans, and it is completely disrespectful of them to use the name Nevermore without consulting Jim Sheppard, as he is one of the founders of the band,” she wrote (via The PRP).
Loomis and Williams’ response says that those who feel the absence of Sheppard is disrespectful “don’t know the history of the band or the behind-the-scenes dynamics that led to this decision”. They also mention “irreconcilable” differences between Sheppard and his ex-bandmates.
Williams’ portion of the statement reads in part: “We felt that sometimes, for the sake of a fresh start, it’s necessary to move on from relationships that may no longer be conducive to growth or new beginnings.
“We made this decision with the intention of honoring the legacy of the band while moving forward in a way that felt right for us at the time. That said, we wish him good health and he is free to pursue whatever path he chooses.
“Without going into too much detail, I’ll just say respect goes both ways, and certain things became irreconcilable over time for us. At this point in my life, I don’t feel the need to explain myself further on this, so take from that what you will.”
Loomis writes that he “couldn’t agree more” with Williams, before paying respects to the late Dane. “No one can replace Warrel Dane. Bottom line,” he writes. “With his interesting melodies and charisma onstage, he was a force that was a huge part of the band both lyrically and spiritually.
“With that being said, we aren’t looking for a Warrel Dane clone. We are looking for someone that can carry the older Nevermore tunes in his vocal style, and someone who can add something new and refreshing to the next chapter of the band. Obviously, this won’t be the easiest thing to do.”
During their 20-year tenure, Nevermore became underground heroes by fusing prog, thrash, power and traditional metal, but didn’t crack the US Billboard 200 albums charts until their 2010 swan song The Obsidian Conspiracy.
Their split was chalked up to personal and musical differences, and Loomis went on to play for Arch Enemy from 2014 to 2023.
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