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Awaken the Guardian

Fates Warning - Awaken the Guardian Audio CD

A fair review of the Fates Warning "Awaken the Guardian" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Fates Warning reviews here, or go back to the Fates Warning tabs.

Band: Fates Warning
Title: Awaken the Guardian
Rating:

Release Date: 1990-10-25
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Sorceress 2: Valley of the Dolls 3: Fata Morgana 4: Guardian 5: Prelude to Ruin 6: Giant's Lore (Heart of Winter) 7: Time Long Past [Instrumental] 8: Exodus

Prog Metal Masterpiece from the Historical Perspective
To them, it all starts with Fates Warning's Perfect Symmetry, which is agreeable, since Perfect Symmetry is the band's first actual foray into prog metal. Most prog metal fans overlook this masterpiece for some reason. However, Awaken the Guardian, given its release date, was one of the driving forces of prog metal when a term as "prog metal" didn't even exist. Released almost 20 years ago, Awaken the Guardian is still as perfect as it was way back. This was the first Fates Warning disc I ever bought and I still listen to it on a regular basis. With each passing year, I re-discover its brilliance and impact on the genre. This band is kind of like Psychotic Waltz who were also as amazing and influential but were always overlooked by the masses.

If you've never listened to pre-Parallels period Fates Warning, then you might be pleasantly surprised. Awaken the Guardian is the last album with original singer John Arch and the best in my opinion. Arch seriously defined the sound of Fates Warning on the fist three releases since he co-wrote each song with guitarist Jim Matheos. He co-wrote each song on ATG as well, except the instrumental piece, "Time Long Past". Of note is that Arch co-wrote "Giant's Lore (Heart of Winter)" with second guitarist Frank Aresti and I believe this is the only track in the entire Fates Warning catalog that wasn't written by Jim Matheos. I said it before and I'll reiterate: John Arch is one of the most amazing singers that has ever walked the face of the earth. He can wail like every other screamer out there, but what's more is, he can still retain melody hitting those high notes. Unfortunately, Awaken the Guardian was the last album he did before he disappeared for 17 years only to return with a two-track solo project where he proved his voice was still as amazing as ever.

The lineup on Awaken the Guardian differs greatly from their current one, or vice versa. With a second guitarist, Frank Aresti, who plays unique DARK acoustic pieces, as well as lead solos alongside Matheos; original drummer Steve Zimmerman, who is very different from demigod Mark Zonder, but equally competent and intense in his own way; and bassist Joe DiBiase, who is more of a traditional Heavy Metal bass guitarist than someone like Joey Vera, this album sees the band blending its traditional metal roots with their branched-out technicality and more progressive approach to songwriting. The music offers a wide array of musical diversity that will appeal to any metal fan, regardless of the genres they're attached to. Matheos and Aresti play sharp, heavy and aggressive guitar riffs with extensive solos that will please any metalhead. As I mentioned above, Aresti lays down some really evil acoustic guitars, like the one in the intro, "The Sorceress". That is perhaps the most evil intro on any Fates Warning album. There is more of this plucked acoustic guitar to be heard on "Guardian" as well as on the instrumental track, "Time Long Past". The latter is significantly interesting as Aresti plays a brooding acoustic piece and Matheos lays down an emotionally engaging guitar solo over it.

Drummer Steve Zimmerman has always been a personal favourite of mine as he tends to play his snares loud, in your face and still technically impressive. His cymbal work and drum attack respectively on "Valley of the Dolls" are proof that Fates Warning always consisted of technically advanced musicians. It's a shame they have always been so underrated throughout their entire career. In the 80's everyone had their attention on Queensryche and Crimson Glory, while the 90's saw Dream Theater and their many clones dominating the waves.

"Prelude to Ruin" is one of my favourite songs because it exemplifies Arch's perfection as a melodic singer and puts the beautifully synchopated rhythm guitars under the microscope. The layered guitar theme in the intro is turned into a heavy progressive track by the end of the track. On "Giant's Lore", Arch's vocals are toned down and there's an eerily beautiful main riff that intermittently steals the show here. "Exodus", the longest track on the album, displays also the band's most progressive approach to composition. The song envelops a wide range of diverse instrumentation with John Arch doing a killer vocal performance and the rhythm section providing pummeling bass and drum attack. This is essential to everyone, but especially those who pride themselves in being Progressive Metal fans. .

it became too "old"
If u really like good prog check out latest works of Fates. For me it sounds like bad Mercyful Fate. Pleasant Shade is much much more creative and inreresting than this.

GOLDEN "ARCH"ES
THIS IS CREATIVE AND I'M SURE I HAVE NEVER HEARD ANYTHING LIKE ARCH'S PHRASING-VERY UNIQUE. ARCH/MATHEOS AND COMPANY CREATED AN EPIC PROG CLASSIC HERE. GUARDIAN MIGHT BE THE BEST SONG EVER CREATED. A MUST FOR EVERY SERIOUS MUSIC COLLECTION. .

A Staple
I bought this on cassette in. . 86? Thereabouts. . . I wore out the original tape, luckily I'd dubbed a spare. I'm now (2004) on my third such spare, I'm nowhere near the same guy who bought the original tape, but I still listen to this album every couple of weeks. Most of my music from those days has vanished into the mysterious place where cassettes go (stolen, beer spilled on them, etc), but this album is still very much relavant to me. I had to get it on CD just so it would be less vulnerable to time and wear.
PRO: it's an amazing blend of complex melodies, powerful vocals and intriguing (if sometimes incomprehensible) lyrics.
CON: Not for everybody. Arch's vocals are a little too dramatic for a lot of people, and the lyrics tend to dwell on the metaphysical/mythical.
This is one of the best albums of the heyday of intelligent metal.

Fates Warning : "Awaken The Guardian"
This is simply a masterpiece for it's time. This is one of the best Heavy Metal CD's of the 80's. I loved Fates back when they had John Arch on vocals, he was what really made Fates "Metal".

Anyways, back to "Awaken". This has very big Maiden influences, and is hinted throughout. The guitars are excellent, and have I said how much I love J. Arch's vocals???. . .

If you're a fan of Fate's "A Pleasant Shade Of Grey", you may want to think twice about buying this. This is not music to sleep to. This was Fate's when they were HEAVY.

I highly recommend "Awaken The Guardian" to anyone who has never heard Fates Warning, or to anyone who is a "Heavy Metal" fan. It's a unique masterpice that should not be forgotten.

You can see a complete list of all Fates Warning discography, or go back to the Fates Warning tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.