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JEFF LOOMIS Praises New NEVERMORE Members, Teases Band's Upcoming LP: 'It's Gonna Be A Heavy Album'
Jeff said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It was something that I've been talking with to Van Williams for, I would say, three years, about reforming NEVERMORE.
"The whole subject comes up, is it proper to [reform the band] when a singer passes away?, or whatever," he continued, referencing the December 2017 death of founding NEVERMORE vocalist Warrel Dane. "I think it is. I think that there were some things that were left unsaid, and I think we had more things to say musically.
"It's unfortunate that Warrel Dane passed away — he was one of my best friends — but I really honestly believe that Van and I and the rest of the new band [will do the music justice], and we are scheduling shows already for 2026."
According to Loomis, fans will have to wait several more months before they learn the identities of NEVERMORE's latest additions.
"We're withholding the names of the members of the new NEVERMORE, simply because there's a lot of online criticism nowadays about pointing fingers about, 'Oh, you should have gotten that person or that person,'" Jeff explained. "We're just gonna wait until the first show and have an announcement before that, probably sometime in, I would say, March. And we'll announce the new members. They're all extremely talented. They know the NEVERMORE material and are huge fans of the material. We picked people that are excellent musicians. We really spent time [looking for the right people]. And we went through about seven [hundred submissions], and it took a long time [to check everybody out]. And this started basically about a year ago. So Van and I started looking for new musicians about a year ago. And since then we've accomplished so much. There are new shows that are being scheduled. We have all these festivals that are coming up for '26, and I'm also working on writing a new album right now for NEVERMORE. So a lot of exciting stuff coming up for 2026. We're just so excited to get back out there and play those songs again that people wanna hear from our earlier albums, and some new stuff, and just kind of a new direction."
Regarding NEVERMORE's plans for new music, Jeff said: "It's gonna be a heavy album. It's gonna have all the NEVERMORE qualities you would expect, with heavy aspect. But yeah, we're just really excited."
He added: "With everybody's input in the band, it's gonna be really cool. The musicians are absolutely fantastic and are able to play all the stuff perfectly and the singer's able to sing almost exactly like Warrel. But he's got a death metal voice, he's got different [ways] he can use his voice, and we wanna utilize that. So, it's gonna be cool. But we'll see what happens."
Reflecting on his journey that led him to the NEVERMORE reunion, Loomis said: "I've had a fantastic life up to this point. I spent 10 years in ARCH ENEMY, and I got to [tour with them around the world], they're just a fantastic bunch of people and musicians, and I love them. They're all very close friends. But there was a time that I felt like I needed to kind of do my own thing. And that's important to me. If you're feeling something, you've gotta go with those feelings. So I had to wave goodbye to ARCH ENEMY and just kind of go in my own direction. I'm very happy I did because it's allowing me to kind of focus more on my music and just kind of be my own person. And we'll see where it leads."
Sheppard addressed NEVERMORE's return in a statement he released to BLABBERMOUTH.NET on January 4, 2025. He wrote at the time: "In my heart, NEVERMORE will always be Warrel, Jeff and I living in a one-room apartment, slaves to an eight-track recording machine, non-stop songwriting insanity. We were driven, we were hungry... To quote Dave Mustaine, we were ready to 'smile, eat shit and ask for more!'
"True, I've been retired. I enjoy my new life in Alaska following bears with my wife Priscila, a wildlife photographer.
"My opinion of [Loomis's and Williams's] press release [announcing the NEVERMORE comeback is] Van came across self-promoting and Jeff felt very sincere; he truly wants to capture a little piece of the magic we held.
"I'm disappointed no one reached out to me concerning the name NEVERMORE, a name that means blood, sweat and tears.
"With that said, I wish them the best."
NEVERMORE effectively split up in 2011 when Loomis and Williams announced their departure from the band due to personal differences with Dane and Sheppard. Warrel later described NEVERMORE in an interview as "the greatest band that alcohol ever ruined."
Dane died in São Paulo, Brazil while recording his posthumously released solo studio album, "Shadow Work". The musician reportedly had a heart attack during the night and could not be revived.
According to guitarist Johnny Moraes, who played in Warrel's solo band, Dane had a history of addiction and other health issues. "His health was already very weak because of his diabetes and his problems with alcoholism," he said.
The instrumental parts for Dane's follow-up to 2008's "Praises To The War Machine" solo album were almost completed and he had begun laying down his vocals shortly before his death.
When Loomis and Williams revealed their plan to launch a "world search" for a vocalist and bassist for the reformed version of the band, Van addressed Jim's absence from the reunion, saying: "Some people think it's disrespectful not to involve Jim or inform him of our plans. But those who feel that way don't know the history of the band or the behind-the-scenes dynamics that led to this decision. While it may not have been the most ideal approach, the reality is that there hasn't been communication with Jim in years.
"We felt that sometimes, for the sake of a fresh start, it's necessary to move on from relationships that may no longer be conducive to growth or new beginnings. We made this decision with the intention of honoring the legacy of the band while moving forward in a way that felt right for us at the time. That said, we wish him good health and he is free to pursue whatever path he chooses. Without going into too much detail, I'll just say respect goes both ways, and certain things became irreconcilable over time for us… I wish the situation with Jim were different, but the past has brought us here."
Williams also denied that he and Loomis were reforming NEVERMORE as a "money grab", explaining: "Most musicians don't do this for the money. We've spent countless hours thru the years sweating, rehearsing, performing, and recording simply because we love it. This is what we chose to do in life because we've always loved it. That's what drives us, the passion for music, the connection with fans, and the creative process. If money comes from that, great but it has never been the focus, but we also have bills to pay like you."
For his part, Jeff defended the decision to reactivate NEVERMORE with new musicians, writing: "No one can replace Warrel Dane. Bottom line. With his interesting melodies and charisma onstage, he was a force that was a huge part of the band both lyrically and spiritually. With that being said, we aren't looking for a Warrel Dane clone. We are looking for someone that can carry the older NEVERMORE tunes in his vocal style, and someone who can add something new and refreshing to the next chapter of the band. Obviously, this won't be the easiest thing to do."
Loomis "amicably" left ARCH ENEMY in December 2023 and was replaced by Joey Concepcion.
Jeff, who was the main songwriter in NEVERMORE, joined ARCH ENEMY in late 2014, but was not involved in the writing for the latter act's two albums that he appeared on, 2017's "Will To Power" and 2022's "Deceivers".
In December 2019, Sheppard launched a project called THE DEAD HEART COLLECTIVE, featuring music and lyrics inspired by Dane. At the time, Sheppard sent his synopsis of THE DEAD HEART COLLECTIVE to BLABBERMOUTH.NET in which he explained his decision to start a new project as a vehicle for Warrel to "channel songs and paintings" through him.
Press photo courtesy of Fender Musical Instruments Corp.
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