Lyrics:
Regret nothing, resistance is remorse
All feeling is to now be without consequence
Truth has become media controlled
Open wide and eat the worms of the enemy
Reality is distortion of perception
We are the enemy
There is no stronger drug than reality
Twist and change, time is nothing, regret everything
Young hearts are pure like violet drops of rain
Until life teaches us to be stoned or ashamed
There is no stronger drug than reality
We are the enemy
Enemies of Reality is the fifth album by American heavy metal band Nevermore, released in 2003 by Century Media records. A special limited edition was also released with a black jewel case and a bonus DVD. It contains intense neo-classical guitar solos by guitarist Jeff Loomis.
Due to a poor reception toward the album's production, it was remixed by Andy Sneap, and released in 2005. This version found greater approval.
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, "Open wide and eat the worms of the enemy." There are other lyric-inspired images in the booklet, namely an open hand holding a glowing sun (taken from "Ambivalent," where the lyrics say "The sun in my hand becomes my despair"). At the beginning of the song there is message played backwards that repeats the pre-chorus "we are the useless by-product of souless meat."
Enemies of Reality is infamous for its widely-disliked production by Kelly Gray. Many fans felt that the mix was inferior to that of previous albums and did not do the band or its music justice; specifically, various complaints noted flat drums, distant vocals, a lack of "punch" to the bass, and the guitars sounding like nu metal. In 2005, 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. The new mix was received pleasantly and gained the album a new level of respect and praise.
At the end of the CD booklet is a dedication to the late Death frontman Chuck Schuldiner, which reads: "This record is dedicated to Chuck. Let the metal flow into eternity..."
On a side note, 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 Emmanuel Kant who used it to help explain his philosophy of idealism. Lyrics from the song like "Truth has become media controlled", and "Reality is distortion of perception" seem to explain the concept of Noumenon.
[edit] Track listing
All lyrics written by Warrel Dane, all music composed by Nevermore.
Enemies of Reality
No. Title Length
1. "Enemies of Reality" 5:11
2. "Ambivalent" 4:12
3. "Never Purify" 4:03
4. "Tomorrow Turned into Yesterday" 4:35
5. "I, Voyager" 5:48
6. "Create the Infinite" 3:38
7. "Who Decides" 4:15
8. "Noumenon" 4:37
9. "Seed Awakening" 4:30
[edit] Limited edition DVD tracklist
1."Believe in Nothing" (video)
2."Next in Line" (video)
3."What Tomorrow Knows" (video)
4."Engines of Hate" (live U.S. 2001)
5."Beyond Within" (live U.S. 2001)
[edit] Credits
Warrel Dane - vocals
Jeff Loomis - guitars
Jim Sheppard - bass
Steve Smyth - guitars (on remixed version)
Van Williams - drums
Kelly Gray - production, engineering, mixing (original version)
Carl Peterson - assistant engineer (original version)
Eddie Schreyer - mastering (original)
Andy Sneap - production, engineering, mixing (remaster)
Gerald Wilkes - management
Neil Sussman - legal representation
Karen Mason-Blair - band photography
Travis Smith - art, layout
Noumenon is track #8 of Nevermores 2003 album Enemies Of Realty
Century Media Records
Nevermore Discography:
Nevermore (1995)
In Memory(1996)
The Politics of Ecstasy (1996)
Dreaming Neon Black (1999)
Dead Heart in a Dead World (2000)
Enemies of Reality (2003)
This Godless Endeavor (2005)
The Obsidian Conspiracy (2010)
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