Not a bum note, not a bad song, just endless rolling vistas of classy, leaden-heavy, forward-thinking metal, as gigantic of sound and varied of songwriting as Master Of Puppets with a bit more elegance and, yes, more raw talent. And don't be surprised if Nevermore is the band that, like Metallica, surprises the world by winning over one satiated, sweat-soaked fan at a time till they're on a level no one would have guessed (already happening in Europe). The heavy songs are crushing - opener 'Narcosynthesis' is swirling and malevolent, yet catchier than the sometimes oppressive, claustrophobic tunes on previous platters Dreaming Neon Black and The Politics of Ecstasy, while 'We Disintegrate' is an exercise in schizophrenia, Warrel Dane countering his old Sanctuary shriek with a demented Ozzy-like vocal to great effect. And the near-unrecognizable cover of Simon and Garfunkel's (!!!) 'Sounds of Silence' finally gives that song's harrowing lyrics an equally disturbing musical backdrop, easily one of the band's most brutal efforts, seething with alienation and despair. Epics like 'Evolution 169', 'Insignificant' and the moving 'The Heart Collector' just soar, entering a canon of unique Nevermore ballads-with-teeth that no one else seems able to pull off (again, think 'Sanitarium'). And the title track is an epic, an album side crammed into five minutes, crackling with intensity, stuttering drums and Jeff Loomis' gigantic guitar. Dreaming Neon Black is denser, more opaque and less forgiving, but Dead Heart In A Dead World is the top of the Never-heap, the best of an incredible catalog thus far, and more than likely to end up atop most people's Top 10 lists for the year, including mine. Smart, emotional, gritty and as misanthropic as ever, Nevermore continue to make the exorcism of life's demons sound better than ever, and their moody, melodic, pristine catharsis should be required listening for anyone claiming even a passing allegiance to hard rock or heavy metal.