Fates Warning
Awaken the Guardian
[Metal Blade]
Very majestic and captivating, and perhaps the most complex of the earlier releases. Fates Warning are a band that I have always felt, along with Crimson Glory, to be one of the leaders of progressive metal (leagues ahead of crap like Dream Theater - I would like to seize every fucking Dream Theater nimwit that tells me "I do not like the band because I can not understand them," throw them into an institution for the mentally retarded, and then take a fucking flamethrower to the building). Unfortunately, this is the last recording featuring the extraordinarily talented and high-pitched John Arch, and although Ray Alder is quite a decent vocalist (No Exit is still a good album), I always felt that this marked the beginning of the band's decline. Today, the material is so boring that it isn't even worth listening to.
Whatever the case, let's momentarily bury those depressing facts and step back into the 80's. Awaken the Guardian is a fantasy-oriented classic, drawn around tales of King Arthur, Merlin, Morgan LaFay, and other such medieval characters. Arch's vocals only lead a fantastic twin guitar attack between Jim Matheos and Frank Aresti, and Joe Dibiase's base and Steve Zimmerman's drumming are beyond substantial. I always get a good laugh out of reading the lyrics, because I can't perceive any way in hell that Arch can blitz out those incredibly long (but good) run-on sentences with any repetition. Many find his style difficult to adjust to but they are generally fucking morons that also don't appreciate Midnight or even King Diamond.
The opener, "The Sorceress," is one of the weaker tracks, although that says very little. Very heavy and intriguing guitar solos quickly propel it into "Valley of the Dolls", where the amazing lyrics begin to take full effect. By the time "Fata Morgana" rolls around (a favorite of many, featuring guest vocals from Merlin), this album is just fantastically blasting with great singing and riffs all over the place. "Guardian" is simply icing on the cake, and perhaps Fates Warning's magnum opus, as this power "ballad" is satiated with an incredible amount of emotion and sometimes even designated the band's best song.
I often like to divide the description of this release into two halves, because it seems in a way that at this point, Awaken the Guardian starts all over again and progresses to exactly the same summit. "Prelude to Ruin," although containing some great lines again, is not as fulfilling as what was just heard, even if it is very descriptive of the band's earlier style. "Giant's Lore (Heart of Winter)" is the track that Arch takes credit for writing, and it energetically builds into the short but riveting "Time Long Past" instrumental. The finishing eight and a half minute epic "Exodus" is a perfect close and is altogether stunning, portraying a great group in their best light.
I always have sort of a nostalgic feel at the end, as I once again realize that Fates Warning will never release anything again that even holds a candle to this. Awaken the Guardian is an essential release, even if it a sad reminder of the wrongful path that so many bands seem to stumble down.
© 2000 hando
Whatever the case, let's momentarily bury those depressing facts and step back into the 80's. Awaken the Guardian is a fantasy-oriented classic, drawn around tales of King Arthur, Merlin, Morgan LaFay, and other such medieval characters. Arch's vocals only lead a fantastic twin guitar attack between Jim Matheos and Frank Aresti, and Joe Dibiase's base and Steve Zimmerman's drumming are beyond substantial. I always get a good laugh out of reading the lyrics, because I can't perceive any way in hell that Arch can blitz out those incredibly long (but good) run-on sentences with any repetition. Many find his style difficult to adjust to but they are generally fucking morons that also don't appreciate Midnight or even King Diamond.
The opener, "The Sorceress," is one of the weaker tracks, although that says very little. Very heavy and intriguing guitar solos quickly propel it into "Valley of the Dolls", where the amazing lyrics begin to take full effect. By the time "Fata Morgana" rolls around (a favorite of many, featuring guest vocals from Merlin), this album is just fantastically blasting with great singing and riffs all over the place. "Guardian" is simply icing on the cake, and perhaps Fates Warning's magnum opus, as this power "ballad" is satiated with an incredible amount of emotion and sometimes even designated the band's best song.
I often like to divide the description of this release into two halves, because it seems in a way that at this point, Awaken the Guardian starts all over again and progresses to exactly the same summit. "Prelude to Ruin," although containing some great lines again, is not as fulfilling as what was just heard, even if it is very descriptive of the band's earlier style. "Giant's Lore (Heart of Winter)" is the track that Arch takes credit for writing, and it energetically builds into the short but riveting "Time Long Past" instrumental. The finishing eight and a half minute epic "Exodus" is a perfect close and is altogether stunning, portraying a great group in their best light.
I always have sort of a nostalgic feel at the end, as I once again realize that Fates Warning will never release anything again that even holds a candle to this. Awaken the Guardian is an essential release, even if it a sad reminder of the wrongful path that so many bands seem to stumble down.
© 2000 hando