In an interview with Brazil's Headbangers News, guitarist Jeff Loomis spoke about the new lineup of NEVERMORE, which made its live debut on April 1 at IF Performance Hall Beşiktaş in Istanbul, Turkey.
Joining Loomis and drummer Van Williams in NEVERMORE's current incarnation are the band's latest additions, Jack Cattoi on guitar, Semir Özerkan on bass, and new vocalist Berzan Önen.
Regarding how the new NEVERMORE lineup came together, Jeff said: "It definitely took — it took some doing.
It took a while to get everything finetuned to the way we liked it, to make sure that it was even going to be possible." He praised the band's latest additions, saying they were found through "audition quite a few people to make sure that we found the right people that could actually do it." The lineup change has brought new life to the band, with Jeff stating: "We wanna have Berzan contribute lyrics.
We want him to contribute lyric melodies.
We want Jack and Semir to contribute riffs." In regards to the possibility of fans hearing some new NEVERMORE material in the not-too-distant future, Loomis expressed optimism about their new deal with Reigning Phoenix Music.
He said: "Now we're just focusing on new music.
So, we're gonna spend much of May and June and July putting the new record together." The band hopes to have new music ready for release by the first quarter of '27.
Forged in the aftermath of SANCTUARY, NEVERMORE carved out a sound defined by precision musicianship, fearless songwriting, and emotional intensity.
From their self-titled debut in 1995 through landmark releases such as "Dead Heart In A Dead World" and "This Godless Endeavor", NEVERMORE built a global following and a reputation as one of modern metal's most distinctive voices.
Following the band's disbandment, Jeff released the acclaimed solo albums "Zero Order Phase" and "Plains Of Oblivion", co-founded CONQUERING DYSTOPIA and spent nearly a decade as a member of ARCH ENEMY.
Van remained active through projects such as ASHES OF ARES and GHOST SHIP OCTAVIUS.
Dane continued creating until his passing in 2017, leaving behind a body of work that continues to inspire musicians and fans worldwide.