Progressive Metal
Metal Blade
2011
Metal Blade
2011
1. Neurotically Wired
2. Midnight Serenade
3. Stained Glass Sky
4. On The Fence
5. Any Given Day (Strangers Like Me)
6. Incense and Myrrh
It would be a rather large understatement to say that I was excited when I heard John Arch was returning to the metal scene for a full album of music. Early Fates Warning has a very special place with me and it was in no small part due to the crazy wails and haunting vocals of this man. More than that, I didn't enter with a lot of skepticism considering the A Twist Of Fate EP which came not so long ago. I knew the man could still sing and I knew that Matheos could write music for him as well as ever. I guess the only question was what this newly named project would sound like and if the music would hold up over a full length album.
All I can say is that I was as blown away by this as I fully hoped I would be. I won't waste a lot of time here in telling you this kicks ass and you should own it. Sympathetic Resonance isn't quite the same as the very melodic A Twist Of Fate material, but rather sounds more like what Fates Warning could have become if John Arch stayed in the band. I have to say here that I have never really been a fan of Alder or much of what Fates Warning became after him. I guess it's just the fact it never lived up to the standard set previously for me and Alder never could bring the same kind of wild passion and utterly metal feel that Arch could. Really this album has just made me re-appreciate Jim Matheos and also the kind of magic these two have when working together.
Musically I'd say there are some reminders of old Fates Warning, but at the same time this is not at all a rehash, nor does it feel dated in any way. A part of me knows that some of this material was written to be new Fates Warning, but it feels like Arch works into it no problem and that maybe even some of this was tweaked for him. Either that or the band was intending to get back to their roots a bit even before Arch's involvement. There are much larger shades of progressive metal in this than the earlier, more direct material, but at the same time Arch makes it feel his own and there are those hints of the classic material. A perfect balance really. The songs are heavy enough, have memorable leads with solid hooks, and at the same time have nice nuances to make them thoroughly involving. No small feat is the fact that Sympathetic Resonances boasts 3 epic length tracks out of 6 yet none of them seem to overlong or, on the other end of the spectrum, too convoluted. One other interesting note on songwriting would be Incense And Myyrh which is the only track where Arch gets the primary writing credit. That one reminds me the most of the EP and also of the more melodic and haunting moments of Awaken & Spectre. A nice touch at the end.
There's just no reason at all that Arch fans shouldn't love this album. None that I can see anyways. I am one happy old school Fates Warning fan right now. This is the kind of album where the hardest part is picking the highlights since everything kicks my ass. So many years later and I'd put this next to Arch in his prime without hesitation. From the dark moodiness of Midnight Serenade, The heavy power of Stained Glass Sky, the energy of Any Given Day, to the gripping melodic nature of Incense And Myyrh this album absolutely succeeds.
Highlights: Any Given Day, Stained Glass Sky, Incense And Myyrh.
Rating - 4.5/5
2. Midnight Serenade
3. Stained Glass Sky
4. On The Fence
5. Any Given Day (Strangers Like Me)
6. Incense and Myrrh
It would be a rather large understatement to say that I was excited when I heard John Arch was returning to the metal scene for a full album of music. Early Fates Warning has a very special place with me and it was in no small part due to the crazy wails and haunting vocals of this man. More than that, I didn't enter with a lot of skepticism considering the A Twist Of Fate EP which came not so long ago. I knew the man could still sing and I knew that Matheos could write music for him as well as ever. I guess the only question was what this newly named project would sound like and if the music would hold up over a full length album.
All I can say is that I was as blown away by this as I fully hoped I would be. I won't waste a lot of time here in telling you this kicks ass and you should own it. Sympathetic Resonance isn't quite the same as the very melodic A Twist Of Fate material, but rather sounds more like what Fates Warning could have become if John Arch stayed in the band. I have to say here that I have never really been a fan of Alder or much of what Fates Warning became after him. I guess it's just the fact it never lived up to the standard set previously for me and Alder never could bring the same kind of wild passion and utterly metal feel that Arch could. Really this album has just made me re-appreciate Jim Matheos and also the kind of magic these two have when working together.
Musically I'd say there are some reminders of old Fates Warning, but at the same time this is not at all a rehash, nor does it feel dated in any way. A part of me knows that some of this material was written to be new Fates Warning, but it feels like Arch works into it no problem and that maybe even some of this was tweaked for him. Either that or the band was intending to get back to their roots a bit even before Arch's involvement. There are much larger shades of progressive metal in this than the earlier, more direct material, but at the same time Arch makes it feel his own and there are those hints of the classic material. A perfect balance really. The songs are heavy enough, have memorable leads with solid hooks, and at the same time have nice nuances to make them thoroughly involving. No small feat is the fact that Sympathetic Resonances boasts 3 epic length tracks out of 6 yet none of them seem to overlong or, on the other end of the spectrum, too convoluted. One other interesting note on songwriting would be Incense And Myyrh which is the only track where Arch gets the primary writing credit. That one reminds me the most of the EP and also of the more melodic and haunting moments of Awaken & Spectre. A nice touch at the end.
There's just no reason at all that Arch fans shouldn't love this album. None that I can see anyways. I am one happy old school Fates Warning fan right now. This is the kind of album where the hardest part is picking the highlights since everything kicks my ass. So many years later and I'd put this next to Arch in his prime without hesitation. From the dark moodiness of Midnight Serenade, The heavy power of Stained Glass Sky, the energy of Any Given Day, to the gripping melodic nature of Incense And Myyrh this album absolutely succeeds.
Highlights: Any Given Day, Stained Glass Sky, Incense And Myyrh.
Rating - 4.5/5
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