The Obsidian Conspiracy
2010 studio album by Nevermore
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Obsidian Conspiracy is the seventh studio album by American heavy metal band Nevermore. It was released on June 8, 2010, in North America by Century Media[10] and at the end of May in Europe.[11] This was Nevermore's final album before they went on a thirteen-year hiatus between mid-2011 and late 2024, following the departures of guitarist Jeff Loomis and drummer Van Williams. It would also be the band's final studio album to feature frontman Warrel Dane, who died in 2017.
51:13 (limited box-set edition)
| The Obsidian Conspiracy | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 8, 2010 | |||
| Recorded | August–October 2009 | |||
| Genre | Progressive metal, thrash metal | |||
| Length | 45:01 51:13 (limited box-set edition) | |||
| Label | Century Media | |||
| Producer | Peter Wichers | |||
| Nevermore chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [1] |
| Bloody Disgusting | [2] |
| Drop-D | [3] |
| Metal Review | [4] |
| The New Review | [5] |
| PopMatters | [6] |
| Rock Reviews | [7] |
| Sputnikmusic | [8] |
| Rock Hard | [9] |
The Obsidian Conspiracy was met with generally positive reviews. It was the band's first album to chart in Austria, Belgium, the United Kingdom, and the United States Billboard 200.
Writing and recording
Nevermore, having written 13 new songs, entered Wichers Studio in North Carolina in August 2009 to record the album. Van Williams completed recording the drumming on the album by August 17 in Seattle. The entire recording process was finished in October.
Warrel Dane commented on the writing process: "These songs are full of newfound rage, lyrically and musically. Jeff Loomis has come up with some amazing new riffs that will no doubt please old and new fans alike. Also, I think the combination of Peter and Andy (production and mixing) will result in something very, very special."[12]
Jeff Loomis commented on the writing of the album: "I think that with the new Nevermore, it still sounds like the band, but I think I'm giving Warrel a little bit more room this time around for more vocals rather than all the notey, kind of complex stuff and all that. So this time around, it's just a little bit more wide open musically for him to really be able to do whatever he wants vocally. So we'll see what happens. It's gonna be an interesting album for us, for sure."[13]
Loomis also stated that Peter Wichers had a major role in the songwriting, encouraging him to "cut out the fat and make the songs catchier and hookier," thus creating a simplistic and stripped-down sound that differs from the original 7–8 minute complex tracks Loomis initially wanted to record.[14]
Track listing
All lyrics are written by Warrel Dane; all music is composed by Jeff Loomis.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Termination Proclamation" | 3:12 |
| 2. | "Your Poison Throne" | 3:54 |
| 3. | "Moonrise (Through Mirrors of Death)" | 4:03 |
| 4. | "And the Maiden Spoke" | 5:00 |
| 5. | "Emptiness Unobstructed" | 4:39 |
| 6. | "The Blue Marble and the New Soul" | 4:41 |
| 7. | "Without Morals" | 4:19 |
| 8. | "The Day You Built the Wall" | 4:23 |
| 9. | "She Comes in Colors" | 5:34 |
| 10. | "The Obsidian Conspiracy" | 5:16 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Temptation" (The Tea Party cover) | 3:26 |
| 12. | "The Crystal Ship" (The Doors cover) | 2:49 |
| 13. | "The Purist's Drug" | 4:45 |
Personnel
Nevermore
- Warrel Dane – vocals
- Jeff Loomis – guitars
- Jim Sheppard – bass
- Van Williams – drums
Production
- Peter Wichers – production, engineering
- Andy Sneap – mixing, mastering
- Travis Smith – cover art
Charts
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[17] | 34 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[18] | 87 |
| Canadian Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)[19] | 94 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[20] | 69 |
| Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[21] | 35 |
| French Albums (SNEP)[22] | 108 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[23] | 13 |
| Greek Albums (IFPI)[24] | 3 |
| Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[25] | 27 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[26] | 41 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[27] | 40 |
| UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC)[28] | 18 |
| US Billboard 200[29] | 132 |
| US Independent Albums (Billboard)[30] | 18 |
| US Indie Store Album Sales (Billboard)[31] | 19 |
| US Top Hard Rock Albums (Billboard)[32] | 13 |
| US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[33] | 41 |
Release history
| Region | Date |
|---|---|
| Australia[34] | May 28, 2010 |
| Austria[35] | |
| Germany[36] | |
| Switzerland[37] | |
| Denmark[38] | May 31, 2010 |
| France[39] | |
| Greece[40] | |
| Norway[41] | |
| Portugal[42] | |
| United Kingdom[43] | |
| Italy[44] | June 1, 2010 |
| Spain[45] | |
| Finland[46] | June 2, 2010 |
| Sweden[47] | |
| Brazil | June 6, 2010 |
| United States[48] | June 8, 2010 |
| Japan | July 21, 2010 |