Fate's Warning

Awaken The Guardian

One of the greatest albums in the history of music.

Review Score:

(10/10)
This is one of those five albums I'd chose to have if I were stranded on a deserted island. Even if there was no power to run the CD player, I could spend plenty of time looking at the remarkable cover graphics of the blue fantasy world. If the power is working, the music is so incredible, it's takes you to the nether reaches of a more fanastic world.

This was the peak of one the the greatest and most influentual bands in progressive music. Much heaver than the Fates Warning music of the 1990's, this 1986 release took the boundries of progressive music to a whole new level. While they would later continue to record excellent music, Awaken the Guardian was their most vibrant, energenic, and melodic recording. John Arch's hallowed vocals and harmonious melodys added an enchanting flame to the burning guitar riffs and harmonys of Frank Aresti and Jim Matheos. The real wonder of this recording is the crisp and articulate time signature changes and intriging musical passages. I would think that almost every progressive metal band since 1986 has been directly influenced somewhat from this record.

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