Founding bassist Jim Sheppard of NEVERMORE has publicly criticized guitarist Jeff Loomis and drummer Van Williams for their decision to revive the band without his involvement, deeming their actions “completely disrespectful.”
On December 27, both Loomis and Williams shared a one-minute teaser video featuring iconic NEVERMORE imagery, possible silhouettes of the duo, and accompanying text: “Resurrecting The Dream.” The teaser ends with the NEVERMORE logo along with the line “A New Chapter Rises” and the year “2025”.
Two days later, Jim‘s wife, Priscila Sheppard, shared the following statement on her Facebook page: “Since I have been receiving a few messages from James fans regarding a post Van Williams made on social media, I feel I need to respond to you with an update.
“James has never been contacted about Van‘s plans with Jeff using the NEVERMORE name. I am sorry you think James is involved. We do not know about their plans, and it is completely disrespectful of them to use the name NEVERMORE without consulting Jim Sheppard, as he is one of the founders of the band.
“We are waiting for clarification on this alleged project and will proceed from there, whether or not clarification comes from them. No further comment for now. Thank you.”
NEVERMORE disbanded in 2011 when guitarist Jeff Loomis and drummer Van Williams parted ways with the band, citing personal differences with vocalist Warrel Dane and bassist Jim Sheppard. In a later interview, Dane referred to NEVERMORE as “the greatest band that alcohol ever ruined.”
Tragically, Dane passed away in December 2017 at the age of 56 while recording his solo album, Shadow Work, in São Paulo, Brazil. Reports indicate he suffered a heart attack during the night and could not be revived.”
In a 2019 interview with Metal Master Kingdom, Loomis was asked whether there were any plans to revive NEVERMORE without Dane. Loomis responded: “It’s one of those things where I think NEVERMORE had such a special sound and it was simply because of all the musicians that were in that at the time. Van, me, Warrel, Jim. We had numerous different guitarists in the band throughout the years. We had Chris Broderick, we had Tim Calvert, who sadly passed away. A lot of good players. Steve Smyth, Curran Murphy. All these guys were a part of NEVERMORE in the past. Honestly, in my vision, it’s important that you move on in your life. I really would like to remember the spirit and the attitude that we had as a band with the music and just move on from there. Because without Warrel, it’s just not feasible, in my mind. [He is] sadly missed. He was one of my best friends. Things like that happen and it’s a very sad situation. It really was. But we have the music to remember it all by.”
Reeder, the visionary behind Metal Addicts, has transformed his lifelong passion for metal into a thriving online community for metal aficionados. As a fervent devotee of black metal, Reeder is captivated by its dark, atmospheric, and often unorthodox soundscapes.