Nevermore β Enemies of Reality
- intothewellsabyss
- Jul 28, 2023
- 5 min read
π πππ πππ ππππππ - πππππππππππ ππππ πππππ ππππππππ π’π§ ππ‘π πππππππ π¨πΒ ππππ ππππ & πππππ πππππβ¦
July 28, 2003 β Nevermore released their fifth full-length studio album, Enemies of Reality via Century Media Records. (Apple Music or Spotify)
Due to the mixed reception of the album's production by Kelly Gray, it was remixed and remastered by Andy Sneap in 2005.
Music video's were made for the songs Enemies of Reality (Watch video) and I, Voyager (Watch video).
Overview:
The worms on the album cover are a direct reference to the lyrics of the title track, Enemies of Reality, in which Warrel Dane sings, "πΎπππ π πππ πππ πππ πππ π ππππ ππ πππ πππππ’." There are other lyric-inspired images in the booklet, namely an open hand holding a glowing sun (taken from Ambivalent, where the lyrics say "πππ πππ ππ ππ’ ππππ πππππππ ππ’ πππππππ"). At the beginning of the song there is message played backwards that repeats the pre-chorus "π π πππ πππ πππππππ ππ’-πππππππ ππ ππππππππ ππππ."
On the last page of the CD booklet is a dedication to the late Death frontman Chuck Schuldiner, which reads: "ππππ ππππππ ππ πππππππππ ππ π²ππππ. π»ππ πππ πΌππππ ππππ ππππ ππππππππ’..."
The track Noumenon, is named after the philosophical concept of things as they actually are, as compared to the concept of phenomenon, which is how things appear. The term was popularized by Immanuel Kant, who used it to help explain his philosophy of transcendental idealism.
Background:
Enemies of Reality was written and recorded during a time of personal and professional tumult for the members of Nevermore. Warrel Dane attributes the sound of the album to the challenges that the band members faced during this period:
"π΄ππππππ πΎπ πππππππ’ π ππ π πππππππππ πππππ ππ ππππ. πππ πππ πππ πππππ πππππππ π πππππππππ ππππ ππ πππ πππππ. ππ π πππ πππ ππππππ’ πππππππ πππππ’ ππππππ, πππ πΈ πππππ ππππ ππππ ππ ππππ π ππ ππππ πππππ."
Among the professional challenges that the band faced was that Enemies of Reality was the final album in the band's inaugural recording contract with Century Media. This interfered with the album's creation in an audible way, with the recording budget for Enemies of Reality becoming an aspect of the negotiations.
However, Dane's description of the situation indicates that both band and label were tough in their negotiating positions;
βπ±ππππππππ’, ππππ’ [π²ππππππ’ πΌππππ] π πππππ ππ ππ ππ-ππππ πππ ππ π πππ ππππππππ ππππππ πππ πππ πππ π ππ ππππ πππ π π ππππβπ π πππ ππ ππ ππππ. ππ π πππππ ππ ππππππ πππππππππππ ππππππππ πππ ππππ ππ ππ ππππ πππππ πππππππ πππππ π πππ π ππππππ ππ ππππππ ππππ π πππ ππππππππππ ππ π ππππππ π πππ ππ... ππ π πππ ππππ’πππ ππππππππ ππππ πππ πππππ π πππ πππ πππππ πππ ππππβπ π ππ’ ππππ ππππππ ... ππ π ππ π πππππππππ ππππππ πππ ππ. ππ π πππ πππ ππππππ’ ππππππ πππ πππ πππππ’ πππ ππππ ππππ π ππ πππ πππππ. πΎππ ππππππ πππ πππππππ πππ ππππ ππππππ ππππ πππππππ ππ πππππππ ππππ π π πππ πππ ππ-ππππππ. πΈ πππππ ππ ππππ πππ π ππ "ππππ, ππ-ππππ πππ ππ ππππ ππ π’πππ ππππππ πππππππ ππππβπ π πππ ππ πππ’π ππ π’πππ ππππππππ. "
πππ πππβπ πππππ π πππ ππππ! ππ ππππβπ ππ-ππππ. ππ ππππβπ ππππππ πππππ πππ πΈ πππππ ππ ππππ πππ ππ πππ πππ πππππππ π π πππ π πππ π π π πππππ [πππ πππ πππ‘π ππππππππ]. ππ πππ πππππ’πππππ ππππ π π π πππππ ππ πππ πππ ππππππ ππππ ...πππππ’πππππ ππππ π πβππ π πππππ πππ πππππππ π’ππππ πππ πππ πππππππ, π π πππ. ππ πππππππ πππ ππ ππππ’ πππ ππππ πππ π π ππππ’ππ ππ ππππ’ π πππ.β
Production Controversy:
Enemies of Reality is infamous for its production by Kelly Gray, which was criticized as being inferior to the quality of previous albums. Speaking in 2003, contemporaneous with the initial release, Jeff Loomis spoke with qualified favor of the recording;
βπΊππππ’ πΆπππ’ ππ ππππ ππ π πΏππ ππππππππ ππππ ππ πππ’. π·πβπ π πππππ π πππ π²ππππππππ‘ ππππππ πππ ππππ ππππππππ ππ ππππππ π πππ ππππ, ππ π ππππππ π πππ ππ, π π π πππ ππππ ππ ππππ πππ πππ ππππ, π’ππ ππππ ? π·πβπ πππππ ππππππ’ ππππ π πΌππππ ππππ ππππππ πππ πππππππ πΈ πππππ ππ πππ π ππππππ’ πππππππππ πππ. π·π πππ π ππππ ππππ πππππππ’ πππ ππ ππ πππππππ π π π πππ πππ ππ’π ππππ ππ πππππ πππππ πππππ πππ ππππ πππ ππππ, πππ ππππ πππ ππππππ πππ ππππ πππ ππππππ ππ πππ ππππ’ πππ.
ππππ ππππ π π ππππππππ ππππ ππ πππ πππππ ππππ π πππ πππ π ππππ ππππ πππππππ πππππ πππ ππππ π ππ ππππ, ππππππ π ππππ πππππππππππ’ ππππ ππ ππ [πππππππ] ππ ππππππ πππ ππ [πππ πππππππ] ππ πππ ππππ’ πππ, π ππππ ππππ ππ πππππ πππ πππππ ππ πππ πππππππ πππππππππ πππππππ. πΈ πππππ πππ π ππππ πππππ π ππ ππππ ππ π ππππ’ πππππππππ ππππππππππ πππ ππππππ ππππ ππππππ ππππππ’ ππππ.β
By 2005, however, Loomis had soured on the recording. Moreover, he directly attributed the shortfall in the album's sonics to budgetary constraints related to the contract negotiations then ongoing with Century Media;
βππ π πππ ππ πππ πππ ππ πππ πππππππππ ππππππππ π πππ π²ππππππ’ πΌππππ, πππ πππππππππ’ ππππ’ ππππβπ ππππ ππ π π π πππ πππππ ππ ππ-ππππ π πππ ππππ, ππ ππππ’ ππππ ππ π ππππ’ πππππ ππππππ πππ πππ ππππ πππππ ππ π πππ π πππ. ππππ π ππ πππππ $πΈπΆ,πΆπΆπΆ π ππππ ππ π πππππππ ππππ ππ ππ πππππππ. ππππ π π ππππππ ππ ππ ππ πππ ππππ π ππ ππ ππππ π ππππππππ ππππ π ππ πππππππππππ’ πππππππππ ππ ππππ π ππππππ π πππ ππππ π πππππ ππππππ, πππ ππππ πππ’ π ππ πΊππππ’ πΆπππ’ (ππππππ). πππππππππππππ’, ππ π ππ ππππ πππ πππ πππππ πππ’ ππ ππ ππππ πππππ."
That year, Enemies of Reality was remixed by Andy Sneap, who produced Nevermore's Dead Heart in a Dead World and would later produce This Godless Endeavor, mix and master The Year of the Voyager, and mix and master The Obsidian Conspiracy. The remixed/remastered sound was received more positively. Warrel Dane admitted that "πππ πππππ‘ ππ πππ πππππ... πππππππππ’ ππππππ ππππππ. π±ππ ππ ππ, ππππβπ πππ ππππππ’ πππ πππππ πππππ ππππ πππππ. πΈ ππππ ππ ππππππ’ πππππππ ππππ πππ ππππππππππ ππ ππππ πππππ πππ ππππππ ππ ππππ ππππ πππ πππππ πππ."
Critical Reception:
Enemies of Reality received mostly positive reviews. While generally positive, Sputnikmusic described the album's commercial song structures as "ππππππ’ πππ πππππ’" yet also its "πππ πππππ" that led to the album seeming "π πππ πππ ππππππππππ πππ πππππππππππππ.... π΄ππππππ πππ ππππ πππ ππππ ππππ πΏππ πππππππππ."
Similarly, Deadtime.com praised the album's "πππππ’, πππππππππ ππππππ" while criticizing the band for "πππππππππ ππ ππππ ππππ πππππ πππππππ ππ π ππππ ππππ πππππ [ππππ] π ππππ ππππ ππππ ππππππ ππππ ππ πππ πππππππππ ππππ ππ ππ πππππ πππππ ππππ ππππππππππππ ππππ π½ππππ πΏπππππ’ ππ π°πππππππππ."
While KNAC.com lauded the album as Nevermore's "ππππ ππππππππππ, ππππππ’, ππππππππππ’ πππππππππ πππππππππ ππ ππππ," author Eden Capwell lambasted the production for being "π ππππππ" giving the impression of "ππ π-πππππππππππ ππππππππ".
Note: The reviews shared here are for historical reference. The views and opinions expressed within are not always supported (in full or in part) by Into the Wells. β E.N. Wells
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