C O L U M N S

Featured Demo

Neverland - Neverland

By: Frank Hill
Published: Wednesday, October 1, 2003
Neverland - Neverland

Tracklisting
1. Neverland
2. No Time To Lose
3. Express Your Servant
4. Mysteria

"Neverland stands for: energy filled metal with much melody.

The story of NEVERLAND began in autumn 1999 at the music school ACM, Academy of Contemporary Music at Zurich. There Boris Stoll and Daniel Huber decided to establish a new Band. They wanted to integrate their musical ideas in compositions, which everyone who listens to melodious vocals, progressive parts combined with classical riffs will like very much. After a long time with difficulties in completing the Band, they found with Manuel Wagner (key), Andreas Mislin (guit) and Roland Jost (bass) the appropriate musicians until early 2003 Mike Zotter (voc) completed today's line up of NEVERLAND." --Neverland

Pretty good summary of the extremely impressive demo from these six guys from Switzerland.

If I had to, I'd call them a power-prog band with a sound that is highly talented power metal or prog with catchy choruses and less musical indulgences. From the opening number "Neverland" to the last, "Mysteria", the songs on the four song set are pretty consistently played with power chord leads and melodic scale runs between the verses. Their musical education is appearent in not only the skill of each member but also the fine production and arrangements that were done by themselves.

Mike Zotter's vocals are clean and with only a slight accent. I didn't have any issues with his abilities overall, but they are in a somewhat safe range and I would have liked to see what kind of stretch his vocals are capable of. All of the guys are music school trained and it shows.

Each song is about 4 1/2 to 5 minutes long and nothing here is menacing or overly uplifting. None of it is overly triumphant or glorious, but it is well-crafted positive-styled metal that could easily find a market in the power-prog scene.

One of the most well-made demos we've recieved. Fans of bands like Dream Theater, Symphony X, Royal Hunt and Sonata Artica should check this band out.




[Other Maximum Metal Columns]

<< back >>





RANDOM ACTS OF METAL
. HammerFall. Scanner
. Mondo Generator. Perzonal War
. Grave Digger. Norma Jean
. Gun Barrel. Usurper
. Iron Maiden. Crematorium
. Masterplan. Angel Dust
. Powergod. Conquest
. Pyn Siren. H.I.M.
. Ion Vein. Evolution
. Endless Time. Supervillain
. Catch 22. Fireball Ministry
. Chainsnap. Runemagick
. Steel Preacher. Victory
. Axenstar. Savatage
. Drillpoint. Attacker
. Primal Fear. Defiled
. Asperity. Mother Misery
. Three Inches of Blood. Superchrist
. Jag Panzer. W.A.S.P.
. Outworld. Amityville Whore
. Edge Of Forever. Judas Priest
. Dimmu Borgir. Insomnium
. Lilitu. Dream Evil
. Tearabyte. Lullacry
. Conquestador. Arch Enemy
. Mirror of Deception. Hanzel Und Gretyl
. Behemoth. Karmakanic
. Sonata Arctica. John Oliva's Pain
. Kinetic. Scenteria
. Rottweiller. The Mighty Nimbus
. Strikelight. Tarot
. Desire Black. Carina Alfie
. Apocalyptica. Chuck Schuldiner
. John Sykes. Samael
. Diecast. Antares
. Severe Torture. God Fear None
. Pure Inc. Axis Of Perdition
. Magica. Operatika
. Thunderblast. Throes of Dawn
. Green Carnation. Agents Of Man
. Sothis. Naglfar
. Subterranean Masquerade. Goddess Of Desire
. Dynamic Lights. Dam
. Gaia. Killing Spree
. Thor. Holy Blood
. Loits. V:28
. Black Majesty. Before The Dawn
. Bolt Thrower. Ignarus
. Paths Of Possession. Cryogen
. Mastermind. Bronx Casket Company
. Detonation. Virgin Steele
. Beecher. Totalisti
. Cardinale. Intronaut
. Poison. Beyond Fear
. Hell-Born. Leviathan/Sapthuran
. The Smashup. Cavalar
. Down Factor. Nicodemus
. 8th Sin. TK-421
. Ensoph. Theater of Tragedy
. Cult of Luna. Gorgoroth
. Bloodbound. Azure
. Dendura. Skid Row
. Mouth of the Architect. Setherial
. Amputated. Zoroaster
. Twinball. Venom
. Lesbian Bed Death. Lordi
. The Showdown. Darkness Eternal
. Deicide. Blood Tsunami
. The Gathering. Melechesh
. Necrophobic. Mendeed
. Mithras. The Prophecy
. Pentacle. Antigama
. Denial Fiend. Warner Drive
. Blut Aus Nord. Fight
. Sworn Enemy. Architect
. Cauldron. Keldian
. Mongrel. Dantesco
. Rosetta. Ost Est Ima
. Demonic Symphony. The Obsessed
. Aetherius Obscuritas. Puscifer
. Intolerant. Iron Fire
. Kiuas. My Dying Bride
. Earthen Grave