Band:	Nevermore
Album:	In Memory
Style:	Heavy metal, Progressive metal, Thrash metal
Release date:	May 1996

01. Optimist Or Pessimist
02. Matricide
03. In Memory
04. Silent Hedges / Double Dare [Bauhaus cover]
05. The Sorrowed Man

2006 re-release bonus tracks:
06. The Tiananmen Man [demo]
07. The Seven Tongues Of God [demo]
08. Passenger [demo]
09. This Sacrament [demo]
10. 42147 [demo]

Just before the release of what would become their masterpiece, Nevermore released this little EP called "In Memory". These sort of releases are usually meant to have us turn on the engine and get steaming, and this little disc does that job perfectly.

Kicking in with "Optimist Or Pessimist", they want us to believe this is going to be a good experience for the headbangers among us. With its catchy rhythm and great solos it is a promise for the songs to come. But then they walk a different path with the second track "Matricide". Warrel Dane sings how we are raping our Earth, our Mother, and there should of course be a more saddening atmosphere with these lyrics. It is too heavy to call it a ballad but it is definitely not as heavy as the first song, which goes for the rest of the album. What follows is the title track, "In Memory", a song in which Dane tells us to forget who is to blame, after all, we're "just foolish mortal men". Fourth track "Silent Hedges/Double Dare" is a cover and a very unusual one, as it is from a band (Bauhaus) with a style significantly different from Nevermore's own and not a cover of just one song but two songs blended into one. An awesome medley, where they combine and improve the best parts of the two original versions from the Gothic band. The closer is another sad ballad-type song. With this EP they clearly wanted to explore a more soft and sad part of the music spectrum, and they succeeded! Guitar virtuoso Loomis demonstrates he is perfectly capable of writing very emotional solos and the amazing vocal performance in this particular song also proves once again Warrel Dane is perfectly able to handle multiple types of singing.

In summary this EP served its goal well as it was a good warming up for both the fans and the band. What else can be said of a warming up that spawned "Politics.."? Since it is an EP it is very short, only 26 minutes, but if you stumble upon it for a cheap price I strongly advise you not to let it go!