So, I have finally embarked on my first attempt at analytical writing. I have been meaning to do this for a long time, because I automatically listen to music in an analytical fashion, so I'm excited to finally start reviewing. Now, I feel it necessary to point out that I
do not intend to submit this review to the Archives right away. I have written this review as a part of a school project, and would simply like to have an idea of its quality before I further continue working. Of course, I will submit the review sometime soon, because not doing so would simply be taking advantage of other reviewers for my unrelated gains. And yes, I do realize how lengthy and rambling this review may seem at times, just remember that the standards of MA may be a bit different than that of my school project.
Thanks in advance to anyone who would care to help me guide my reviewing future!
Fates Warning – “Awaken the Guardian” – 97%
Like a stormy rainbow hovering above an oasis in a desert, or the sudden event of ball lighting crossing over dreary, waving fields of grain, Fates Warning’s third studio effort is a beautiful, awe-inspiring natural phenomenon. It captures the wildest corners of human imagination, and achieves a level of mystical wonder so ethereal, you attempt to convince yourself that it just can’t possibly be real. Awaken the Guardian is amongst the purest, most potent strains of heavy metal I have ever heard, and, simply put, it deserves a rightful place as one of the greatest collections of music to have ever been written, recorded and performed by man.
EDIT: I've been considering removing this following paragraph altogether. After all, I wrote it stoned.
But now that I think about it, the idea of mere mortals writing music of such an otherworldly caliber is simply illogical. No, for I have come to the conclusion that, much like the pyramids of Egypt and the ziggurats of Mesopotamia, Awaken the Guardian was really constructed by beings from another galaxy. This album’s perfect pacing, transitioning and general cohesion between its separate parts are like nothing that had been heard in any past metal albums, and few since its release has come close (A Social Grace by Psychotic Waltz is a notable one). The album’s musical tablature was presumably placed in the deepest caverns of Hartford, Connecticut: presumably a most magically wondrous place, filled with the wizards, dragons and frost giants that the album’s lyrics are replete with. And here is where five young men would be destined to form Fates Warning, who are not so much of a musical group, but rather a vehicle manipulated by higher powers to subtly deliver aural rapture in the form of a 47 minute and 57 second long progressive power metal album.
The meat of the Awaken the Guardian’s strength lie in three core features: songwriting, execution and aesthetics. The actual songs themselves are of the highest expected quality, and remain so until their final notes. Take the opening track, “The Sorceress,” as an example. Beginning with a short, moody acoustic piece, it wastes no time transitioning into the first riff of the album: a bouncy, stomping riff that intrigues the listener’s ear. Afterwards, the verses will surely confuse anyone new to John Arch’s vocals, as the man’s signature style is to create completely alternate melodies to what guitarists Jim Matheos and Frank Aresti play, yet his vocal lines always weave in and out throughout the music. Then follows the chorus, which is quite unique sounding, moving forward swiftly with Matheos’ riffage burning forward like only heavy metal can, all while Steve Zimmerman’s pounding drums provide a steady rhythm for John Arch to wail, shriek, and croon over. “The dead of night parts the sky!” Here the song begins to slow down and focus more on crushing guitar work, and Aresti and Matheos showcase their tight, unified guitar sound. At about 3:23 the band unexpectedly plays a thrash break, and once again Fates Warning demonstrates their ability to span multiple genres, all in one cohesive musical piece. After a few minutes of guitar solos, through which band founder Jim Matheos proves his excellent skill all while maintaining control and restraint, and some more verses, the song ends. “The Sorceress” is almost six minutes long, but by the time it ends, it feels like it was only three.
And this is the key to Awaken the Guardian’s musical success. Each song goes through a range of separate parts, using strengths such as Arch’s catchy, layered vocal lines and Joe Debiase’s steady basslines to construct powerful songs such as “Valley of the Dolls” and “Fata Morgana.” And when the song ends, it has led you through many twists and turns in the song structure, over many a peak and nary a valley: forming the base for Fates Warning’s progressive nature. Whilst the term “progressive” today usually means “play really, really long, slow songs with as many changes in dynamics and musical time signatures as possible,”, songs like “The Sorceress,” “Guardian,” and “Prelude to Ruin” have had all of their musical fat trimmed off. There is not one second wasted with extravagant solo noodling to showcase the guitarist’s ego, nor are there any random acoustic breaks performed because somebody wanted to add an extra 3 minutes to a song, a la Opeth. But the best part is, there are acoustic parts on the album, but they are performed with meaning, dripping with the emotion that the musicians clearly feel for their creation, and are absolutely integral to the song’s structure. I could not imagine the unbelievable album closer, “Exodus,” without its show-stopping acoustic bridge, just as much as I couldn’t imagine “Exodus” without its lengthy, lofty chorus, or the speed metal insanity that continues the bridge, or its dreary, bleak outro that perfectly leads the listener from the rapturous glory of the album back into the mortal world.
However tempting it is to gush over every single moment, I will limit any further analysis musical analysis to select, particularly notable songs. After the excellent speed metal burner “Valley of the Dolls” (check out that brilliant intro riff: Heavy Metal 101 right there) and the luscious landscape painted by “Fata Morgana,” we arrive at “Guardian.” This title track in spirit opens with an acoustic intro, with Matheos’ truly beautiful leads continuing Awaken the Guardian’s penchant for complimenting the album cover and lyrics to a tee. Indeed, the lyrics to this album (and the previous one, The Spectre Within, which may even be overall superior to its successor) are without a doubt, the most impressive I have ever read, and “Guardian” demonstrates why. This ballad-esque track lyrically revolves around disabled and handicapped children, particularly those who will never know what it is like to be able to see, hear, walk, etc, but the words use symbolism and figurative language so well, that you wouldn’t realize the subject matter until you’ve listened to the song many times. “Karen's been asleep forever, I know she hears me/She has so much to say/The machine sparks her eggshell mind/A tear streams from her face, Into my hand, to my heart.” Other high points of the album include the heaviest song and my personal favorite, “Prelude to Ruin,” which makes use of several thrash breaks, as well as John Arch’s ghostly melodies all throughout the song. Jim Archambault’s talents are well-evidenced by another lengthy chorus, the gorgeous acoustic section after the bridge/solo (“Time, Time, Time, an imaginary line…”), as well as Arch’s little sing-along section in the beginning and end; it’s safe to say no other singer can make lyrics consisting only of “na na’s” and “oh ohhahh” work any better.
I have spent a great deal dissecting the musical content of Awaken the Guardian, yet I am aware that this is a great injustice to it. Because this is not an album, but an experience, and such things are meant to be only heard in its original true form. This is an album that you need to get. Either you will understand the album’s ethereal beauty at some point in your musical endeavors, or its meaning will always elude you. When you listen to “Giant’s Lore (Heart of Winter),” you may simply hear the excellent, tension-laced passages beginning 3:17, or it will click with the synapses of your mind, and you will realize the true value of the album. Awaken the Guardian is an album that represents the deepest understanding of both human and esoteric purposes, it is an album born of mental revelations stemming from spirituality or LSD trips. It is truly the best album of its kind, and a perfect testament to heavy metal as a whole. Will the wandering melodies of Jim Archambault escape you? Will the meaning of “Time Long Past,” constructed from the passions of Jim Matheos and Frank Aresti, be one that resides within you forever? Maybe, just maybe.
“Arcana awaits you…”