At last month’s NAMM convention in Anaheim, California, Jeff Loomis spoke to Metal Magnitude’s Chelsea about the return of his longtime band NEVERMORE. Bassist Jim Sheppard isn’t involved with the reunion, which was initially teased on December 27, 2024 via a one-minute video containing various NEVERMORE-related imagery and silhouettes of Loomis and drummer Van Williams along with the text “Resurrecting The Dream”. The teaser ended with the NEVERMORE logo along with the line “A New Chapter Rises” and the year “2025”.Jeff said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “ Yeah, there’s some incredible stuff coming up. I’ve had a tremendous last 10 years with the band ARCH ENEMY. I’ve been a part of their band, and I left the band about a year ago because I wanted to kind of be behind the driver’s wheel of my own music again. So I’m reforming my old band called NEVERMORE. And that was a very big part of my life for a long time. And as we all know, the [NEVERMORE] singer Warrel Dane passed away about five years ago. So we’re on the search right now for a new vocalist and bass player. And we’re gonna come back, and we’re gonna revamp the band, and it’s gonna be bigger and better than it ever was. So that’s the plans for 2025.”On February 7, Jeff and Van offered an update on NEVERMORE’s return, writing on social media: “The final tally is in—we’ve received over 650 submissions from bass players and singers around the world! We want to extend a huge thank you to everyone who put in the time and effort to be part of this process. Your passion and dedication mean a lot to us.”We’re now actively reviewing each submission and giving them the attention they deserve. As we move forward, those selected to continue to the next phase will be notified. Likewise, those who won’t be moving on will also receive a response. We appreciate your patience and respect for the process as we work through this.”Stay tuned—more updates to come!”Loomis previously discussed NEVERMORE’s comeback in an interview with Seymour Duncan at NAMM. Jeff said: “Not many people may know yet, but NEVERMORE is coming back in 2025. It’s been a long time, but Van Williams and me have decided to bring the band back and find a new bass player and a new vocalist. We already have the new [second] guitar player, but we are in search of a new bass player and a new vocalist. So that’s what we are doing right now.”He continued: “We’re taking our time with it. We wanna make sure we’re doing it right, and get somebody to honor Warrel Dane’s name, but still somebody that can sing like him, but still give a little bit of their own self, or their own self-worth.”On January 4, 2024, Sheppard released the following statement to BLABBERMOUTH.NET: “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 last two albums, 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.[embedded content]