Progressive metal legends NEVERMORE have formally announced their full reunion lineup and confirmed a label deal with Reigning Phoenix Music — home to OVERKILL, PRIMAL FEAR, and HARDCORE SUPERSTAR — as they prepare for their first shows since disbanding in 2011.
Founding guitarist JEFF LOOMIS and drummer VAN WILLIAMS anchor the new formation, joined by three new members: guitarist JACK CATTOI, bassist SEMIR ÖZERKAN, and Turkish vocalist BERZAN ÖNEN, whose winning audition video performing "Born" was shared publicly and immediately went viral within the heavy metal community.
"We looked at hundreds of audition tapes," LOOMIS stated. "When we heard Berzan, it was immediately obvious. He has the power, the range, and the emotional depth this music demands." ÖNEN himself acknowledged the weight of the role: "This is the biggest challenge of my life, and I've never been more ready for anything."
According to LOOMIS, a new album is already being written: "It's going to be a heavy album. All the NEVERMORE qualities you would expect — the dynamics, the progressive elements, the heaviness — it's all there."
The band's first live appearance is set for April 1 in Istanbul, Turkey, with ÖNEN's hometown crowd serving as the global debut audience. Festival bookings at Wacken Open Air, Hills of Rock, and Rockstadt Extreme Fest follow in the summer. NEVERMORE disbanded in 2011; longtime vocalist WARREL DANE passed away in December 2017.