Fates Warning - Awaken The Guardian

\r\nI bet now that a soul will smile, because he was sure when I began to writing monuments, that this would be the first, knowing that is my favorite one. Despite the fact that I don’t want to be predicted in my actions, I thought that I must take him by surprise, but finally I couldn’t resist to this temptation…And believe me the specific temptation is …huge!!! And it’s name is Awaken The Guardian. \r\n

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\r\nThe third album, that ‘our’ Jim Matheos and his company released in 1986, is to my humble opinion, one of the masterpieces of music that all of us love so much. The group had shown his abilities one year before with the very good The Spectre Within but what followed is something breath-taking. \r\n

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\r\nThe splendid cover predisposes you for something good. Putting the disk in the record-player and you hear first sounds of The Sorceress and you immediately understand the big progress of group in playing level. The intense influences from Iron Maiden no longer exist and the group has acquired his own, personal sound. You begin feeling that what you will hear will not be something usual, will not be something simply good. And the continuity does not disappoint you… \r\n

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\r\nWhen the terribly medieval riff’ s of Valley Of The Dolls begins, consequenty begins and your journey in a world beyond the miserable reality. Passengers with you are also John Arch, with his splendid, warm and melodic but also strong voice, Jim Matheos and Frank Aresti with splendid riff’ s and solo’ s and Joe Di Biase (bass guitar) and Steve Zimmerman (drums) with a non-mistake rhythm section, who will care about you, while you are listening through your seeking amongst magicians, fairies, giants and all sorts of elves , that you will meet through their songs. \r\n

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\r\n"Awaken The Guardian" promo ad \r\n

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\r\nThe fantastic Fata Morgana, perhaps their best known song follows and continues sailing in oceans of happiness while with Guardian that follows, is one splendid epic love song (!!!), that can also make you cry… Prelude To Ruin and Giants Lore (Heart Of Winter) are also very well, but without reaching the very high standards of the previous ones, while the very good and melodic instrumental Time Long Past that follows is substantially the intro for the song that out an end in the album, the astonishing 9-minutes epic Exodus. And somewhere here the travel finished. But don’t get sad, because for sure you will repeat this journey very soon! \r\n

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\r\nIn the row, as I did in the first time, but surely it will be repeated time and time again. For me, this album is a musical perfection. Metal had never reached in such a high level and neither it managed it again. The incredible imagination of compositions as well as the impressive musicians playing, made the final result really shocking. Even the sound that is not particularly good, even for the situation that existed in the specific era, which is very "dull" (this happens in the LP, while in the CD is clearer), likes me a lot, because it is very familiar with the mysterious atmosphere of the songs. \r\n

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\r\nFates Warning did not ever managed to get higher or even approach this masterpiece. Such a thing is something really difficult, not to say impossible. Maybe they not even try to do this. Taking into account by themselves the uniqueness of their creation, they decided to leave it unharmed alone, to the peak, where it deserves to be (and not try to copy it and finally profane it as somebody did with…Mindcrime). John Arch left from the band and the group progressively changed its musical style and moved to more melodic forms, continuing however being qualitative as they were back then. And for sure they gained the respect and the recognition of all, as one of the most qualitative and appreciable Metal groups ever. \r\n

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\r\nAnd now excuse me…but I had a strong desire for a small journey…to where? I am saying to the Valley Of The Dolls…. \r\n

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\r\nAntonis Alexandropoulos \r\n

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\r\nTranslated by: Manos Maragos \r\n

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