Nevermore + Warbringer + Blackguard + Hatesphere + Forever's Edge

If it's simply truth to say that Seattle prog-thrash combo Nevermore's new album, The Obsidian Conspiracy, doesn't match the heights of its predecessor, 2005's The Godless Endeavor, it's equally true to observe that mere repetition equals stagnation. Singer Warrel Dane's pipes remain among the genre's more heroic, and guitarist Jeff Loomis sheds some of his frenetic display in favor of granitic heft—not a bad thing. The results still make you feel like you can bench-press a mountain.