JIM SHEPPARD Wishes The New NEVERMORE Lineup Well Despite Being Disappointed He Was Never Called

It all started on December 27, 2024 when Nevermore guitarist Jeff Loomis and drummer Van Williams announced they’d bring the band back in 2025. Then bassist Jim Sheppard expressed his disappointment via a statement issued through his wife Priscilia a few days later, saying he was never called and that it was “completely disrespectful of [Jeff and Van] to use the name Nevermore without consulting Jim Sheppard.”

Now Sheppard has issued a new statement to Blabbermouth and it seems he’s overall cool with Nevermore coming back. Sheppard said he still thinks of Nevermore of himself, Loomis, and vocalist Warrel Dane, though he also notes he’s still very retired from music before wishing the band all the best.

“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,” wrote Sheppard. “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 [is that] 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.”

In the meantime, Nevermore is holding open auditions for their bassist and vocalist positions. You can check out all the criteria for auditioning here.