Nevermore - In Memory + 5

The "In Memory" EP were songs recorded during the "Politics of Ecstasy" sessions, released prior to that album of course. The interesting thing about this EP is that despite being recorded during those sessions, it does have a different feel then those songs. It seems like they overloaded that album with the more technical material, as well as the material that was a bit heavier, and this resulting EP isn't as "destructive". Jeff Loomis and Pat O'Brien were an interesting combination in early Nevermore, just listen to the opener "Optimist or Pessimist". The main riff is death/thrash riff provided courtesy of the malevolent Pat O'Brien. Then Loomis swoops in at all the right times to add an eerie sounding clean guitar break, that leads into a great solo, as well as another one at the end of the song. "Matricide" and the title track "In Memory" are both great semi-ballads, Warrel Dane is in a class of his own when it comes to expressing emotion. This EP really hinted at the direction this band was going to take with subsequent albums, and it provided an excellent appetizer for the accompanying release, "Politics of Ecstasy".