REVIEW: FATES WARNING, A Pleasant Shade Of Gray

 

FATES WARNING, A Pleasant Shade Of Gray (1997)

Massacre Records

Μεταξύ μαθηματικών και ήχου

Το ότι αυτό είναι το πρώτο ολοκληρωμένο άλμπουμ τους που άκουσα ποτέ, ανεβάζει τον βαθμό δυσκολίας στην πίστα της δισκογραφίας τους για εμένα. Είναι το πιο καλλιτεχνικά ασαφές, δυσνόητο και —από Jazz ως κι εγώ δεν ξέρω τι άλλο να το πω— άλμπουμ των Αμερικανών, οι οποίοι εδώ παίρνουν το Prog Rock και το Progressive Metal, τα σπάνε σε μικρά κομμάτια και ανασυνθέτουν μετά τους ήχους τους με τρόπους που το ανθρώπινο μυαλό δυσκολεύεται να αποκρυπτογραφήσει.

Δώδεκα κομμάτια αποτελούν τον δίσκο. Τίτλοι δεν υπάρχουν, μόνο τα δώδεκα νούμερα σε λατινική αρίθμηση (Ι έως ΧΙΙ). Ένα τόσο δύσκολο σύνολο, αλλά συνάμα τόσο όμορφο, μόλις το αυτί σου μπει στο νόημα της ουσίας των κομματιών του, αργά ή γρήγορα!

Για το δικό μου αυτί, ήταν το αντίστοιχο με το Awake των εταίρων Καππαδοκών Dream Theater: όπως κι εκείνο, έτσι κι αυτό το άκουγα αποσπασματικά, λίγο-λίγο, μέχρι να μπορέσω να μπω στο δύσβατο στυλ του.

Οι Fates Warning πάντα είχαν πόλεμο με τις χρονικές υπογραφές τους, από την εποχή του Awaken The Guardian, έντεκα χρόνια πριν από τούτο εδώ. Με αυτό πραγματικά ξέφυγαν από κάθε όριο ρυθμού και μετρονόμου! Απορίας άξιο πώς ο Zonder και ο Vera (Joey Vera, πρώην Anthrax & Armored Saint) συνεννοούνται για τους ρυθμούς κρουστών και μπάσου. Οι Mateos και Alder αλληλεπιδρούν τόσο αιθέρια που κιθάρες και φωνή πραγματικά μοιάζουν να προέρχονται από άλλο πλανήτη. Ο Kevin Moore, που παίζει πλήκτρα και συνθεσάιζερ και δημιουργεί όλα τα ηχητικά εφέ, δίνει έναν τόνο αφαιρετικό, αλλά ταυτόχρονα πρωταγωνιστεί στους ήχους των δώδεκα κομματιών, ίσως χωρίς καν να το θέλει.

Γενικά, είναι ένα άλμπουμ που δεν μπορώ να του βάλω βαθμό. Είναι συνολικά τόσο δύσκολο μείγμα που δεν το προτείνω ως το καλύτερο άλμπουμ τους, αν και για το δικό μου γούστο είναι πολύ ψηλά.

English:

Between Mathematics and Sound

The fact that this is the first complete album of theirs I've ever heard raises the difficulty level considerably, as far as their discography goes for me. It's the most artistically obscure, cryptic, and — anywhere from Jazz to I honestly don't know what else to call it — album by these Americans, who here take Prog Rock and Progressive Metal, break them into small fragments, and then reassemble their sounds in ways that the human mind struggles to decode.

Twelve tracks make up the record. There are no titles, only the twelve numbers in Roman numerals (I through XII) — a set so difficult, yet at the same time so beautiful, once your ear catches the essence of what these tracks are really about, sooner or later!

To my ear, it was the equivalent of Dream Theater's Awake, fellow Cappadocians of theirs: just like that album, I listened to this one in fragments — little by little — until I could work my way into its rugged, hard-to-navigate style.

Fates Warning have always waged war with their time signatures, going back to Awaken The Guardian, eleven years before this one. With this album, they truly broke free of every boundary of rhythm and metronome! It's a wonder how Zonder and Vera (Joey Vera, formerly of Anthrax & Armored Saint) manage to stay in sync on drums and bass. Mateos and Alder interact so ethereally that the guitars and vocals genuinely seem to come from another planet. Kevin Moore, who plays keyboards and synthesizers and crafts all the sound effects, lends an understated tone while simultaneously taking center stage in the sound of all twelve tracks — perhaps without even meaning to.

Overall, this is an album I can't bring myself to score. It's such a demanding blend as a whole that I wouldn't call it their best album — though for my own taste, it ranks very highly indeed.

Τάκης "Ε-Μortal One" Γιώτης

REVIEW: ARGUS – Boldly Stride the Doomed

 

ARGUS – Boldly Stride the Doomed (2011)

Cruz del Sur Music

This is the second album from this American band, not to be confused with the same-titled American act that released an EP under this name back in 1983 and has since become active again. Formed five years ago, this band has released a demo and two full-length albums to date. Both the debut and this follow-up stand out as strong efforts.

The band plays power/doom metal, delivering a solid production and demonstrating clear instrumental proficiency. Their songwriting is notably strong for the style, a trait that is not always common within this genre. The vocals are well-executed, and the guitar work is particularly impressive throughout. Standout tracks include "A Curse on the World" and "Durendal".

In conclusion, this is a strong release within its genre, and fans of the style are encouraged to seek it out. Listeners less familiar with the band are advised to sample the album first. Those with an appreciation for classic heavy metal are likely to find much to enjoy here.

Ioannis Kaskamanidis

REVIEW: RAM – Under the Scythe

 

RAM – Under the Scythe EP (2011)

High Roller Records

Miracles do happen, after all — or perhaps, as James Bond would put it, one should "never say never." Until this release, I was no particular fan of RAM. I had heard plenty of praise for the Gothenburg outfit over the years, yet the band's sound had never quite won me over. Then came this 7-inch single, and it made me sit up with genuine enthusiasm.

Formed in Gothenburg, Sweden, RAM has spent nearly two decades building a reputation as one of the most steadfast torchbearers of traditional heavy metal, a band frequently likened to a younger, more forceful incarnation of Judas Priest. On "Under the Scythe," that comparison rings truer than ever. Fronted by Oscar Carlquist, with Daniel Johansson and Harry Granroth trading twin-guitar leads, Tobias Petterson on bass and Morgan Pettersson behind the kit, the band delivers exactly the kind of heavy metal that demands to be played loud: soaring, high-pitched vocals, passionate musicianship and an inspiration that never runs dry.

The title track, "Under the Scythe," seizes the listener from its very first note. Built on unmistakably Judas Priest–informed foundations, it is the sort of song engineered for head-banging and singing along in equal measure — so effective, in fact, that RAM would later revisit it as the title track of their 2012 album Death, released through Metal Blade Records.

The single's second offering, "Evil," is where the band truly proves its mettle as musicians. Far from a simple album cut, this is a cover of Mercyful Fate's classic from the Danish band's landmark 1983 album Melissa — and RAM does not tackle it alone. The track features guest vocals from Hellbutcher of the Swedish cult black metal act Nifelheim, turning the song into a genuine duet and adding a raw, unexpected edge to the performance. The result plays like Mercyful Fate colliding with early Iron Maiden, and it is nothing short of exhilarating.

Released on 13 May 2011 through the ever-reliable High Roller Records, Under the Scythe stands as one of the finest EPs of recent memory — a compact, potent statement of everything that makes 80s-influenced heavy metal worth returning to.

Nick Parastatidis

REVIEW: FATES WARNING, Perfect Symmetry

 

FATES WARNING, Perfect Symmetry (1989)

Metal Blade Records

Κάτω απ’ το λήμμα Progressive Metal για τα καλά

Στο πέμπτο τους άλμπουμ, και τελευταίο για τη δεκαετία του ’80, η μπάντα φαίνεται έτοιμη να σηκώσει το βάρος της προοδευτικής αισθητικής και στην επόμενη δεκαετία, πολύ δυνατά. Η «τέλεια συμμετρία», λοιπόν, για πολλούς φίλους του συγκροτήματος είναι το πιο τρανταχτό έργο της πεντάδας — Ray Alder (φωνή), Jim Matheos και Frank Aresti (κιθάρες), Joe Di Biase (μπάσο) και, εδώ, ο πασίγνωστος ντράμερ των επικών ηγετών Warlord, αρχικά, ο τεράστιος Mark Zonder — αν όχι και το καλύτερό τους.

Το No Exit, το άλμπουμ που προηγήθηκε, έδωσε το πρώτο δείγμα γραφής, μιας και είναι το πρώτο με τον Alder στη θέση του Arch πίσω απ’ το μικρόφωνο, αλλά εδώ το νερό κύλησε στο αυλάκι για τα καλά! Λαβύρινθοι από ήχους, τεχνική, χρονικές αυξομειώσεις αλλά και συναισθήματα συνθέτουν ένα σύνολο, του οποίου τα Through Different Eyes, Static Acts, The Arena, Chasing Time και Nothing Left to Say αποτελούν την κατακλείδα.

Το μέλλον μοιάζει — και θα ήταν — λαμπρό, όπως έδειξε η ιστορία έκτοτε.

English:

Firmly Under the Progressive Metal Banner

With their fifth album, and their last release of the 1980s, the band appears ready to carry the weight of a progressive aesthetic well into the next decade — and to do so with considerable force. This “perfect symmetry,” as many of the band’s fans regard it, is arguably the quintet’s most striking work, if not their finest: Ray Alder on vocals, Jim Matheos and Frank Aresti on guitars, Joe Di Biase on bass, and, here, the legendary Mark Zonder, best known at the time as the drummer of epic metal leaders Warlord.

The preceding No Exit had already offered the first glimpse of this new direction, being the first album to feature Alder behind the microphone in place of Arch. But here, the band truly hits its stride! Labyrinthine layers of sound, technical prowess, shifts in tempo and time signatures, and a strong emotional dimension come together in a cohesive whole, with Through Different Eyes, Static Acts, The Arena, Chasing Time, and Nothing Left to Say standing as its defining highlights.

The future looked — and would prove to be — bright, as history would go on to demonstrate.

Τάκης "Ε-Μortal One" Γιώτης

REVIEW: FATES WARNING, No Exit

 

FATES WARNING, No Exit (1988)

Metal Blade Records

Η θεωρία της χρυσής τομής

Η εποχή του John Arch έληξε μετά το συνταρακτικό Awaken the Guardian. Αυτό είναι το ακόλουθο, τέταρτο άλμπουμ των Αμερικανών Progressive (εδώ και Power ακόμη) Metal θεών, με τον κύριο Ray Alder στο μικρόφωνο, από τότε και μέχρι το τέλος των αιώνων (δηλαδή ως σήμερα) στη θέση του στο συγκρότημα.

Ένα πραγματικό διαμάντι στη δισκογραφία τους και, κατά τη γνώμη μου, το πιο βαρύ Prog Metal άλμπουμ που έχει βγει ποτέ από οποιοδήποτε συγκρότημα! Προφανώς, είναι το πιο αγαπημένο μου άλμπουμ τους και σίγουρα δεν είμαι ο μόνος που το αναφέρει.

Μέγιστα σε απόδοση, σύνθεση και διάρκεια, κομμάτια όπως τα No Exit, Anarchy Divine, Shades of Heavenly Death και το έπος των επών, The Ivory Gate of Dreams, είναι από ανεπανάληπτα έως μυθικά.

Ο Ελληνοαμερικανός κιθαρίστας-μάγος Jim Matheos, σταθερά στην ηγετική κεφαλή τους, αποδίδει κιθαριστικά στο μέγιστο εδώ, έχοντας πάντα μαζί του στις δεύτερες κιθάρες τον Frank Aresti. Ο Steve Zimmerman στα κρουστά και ο Joe DiBiase στο μπάσο, στον ρυθμικό τομέα, σφραγίζουν την παντοτινή τελειότητα του δίσκου αυτού.

English:

The Golden Ratio Theory

The John Arch era came to an end after the staggering Awaken the Guardian. This is the fourth album to follow, and the next chapter from these American Progressive Metal gods—Power Metal as well, at this stage—with Mr. Ray Alder taking over on vocals and remaining behind the microphone ever since, right through to the end of time (meaning, to this day).

A true gem in their discography and, in my opinion, the heaviest Prog Metal album ever released by any band! Needless to say, it is my personal favorite album of theirs, and I am certainly not the only one to hold it in such regard.

Tracks that reach the highest levels in performance, songwriting, and sheer length, such as No Exit, Anarchy Divine, Shades of Heavenly Death, and the epic of epics, The Ivory Gate of Dreams, range from simply unforgettable to downright legendary.

Greek-American guitar wizard Jim Matheos, firmly at the helm of the band, delivers some of his finest guitar work here, with Frank Aresti consistently by his side on second guitar. Steve Zimmerman on drums and Joe DiBiase on bass, forming the rhythmic backbone, complete and seal the timeless perfection of this record.

Τάκης "Ε-Μortal One" Γιώτης

REVIEW: ARTIZAN – Curse of the Artizan

 

ARTIZAN – Curse of the Artizan (2011)

Pure Steel Records

Curse of the Artizan is the first full-length album from this U.S. metal band, following their self-titled EP, released in 2010. Some of the band's members have also played in LEVIATHAN, a known progressive/power metal band.

ARTIZAN's style can be described as technical U.S. power metal, with strong guitar work, powerful drumming and well-developed songwriting. The production is very good, giving the instruments and vocals enough clarity without taking away from the power of the songs. The vocals are particularly strong, while the songwriting manages to maintain the listener's interest throughout the album.

The guitar work is another major strength, combining technical elements with memorable ideas, while the drumming provides the songs with a powerful rhythmic foundation. Among my favourite tracks are "Rise", "Fire", "Game within a Game" and "The Curse of the Artizan"—practically half of the album—which gives a good indication of how consistently strong I find the material.

Overall, Curse of the Artizan is a very good debut and, for me, one of the better metal albums released in 2011. Pure Steel Records had released several strong albums around this period, but ARTIZAN's debut is one of the releases that stands out most. Fans of technical U.S. power metal should certainly give it a listen, while followers of other metal styles may also find something worthwhile in its combination of technical musicianship, melody and power.

Ioannis Kaskamanidis

Eusapia Release New EP

 

American post-black metal project Eusapia have released their new EP, Thin Cities / Desert Festival. The release was recorded at the band’s home studio and mixed and mastered by Chris Toy.

Formed in Washington State in 2013 and emerging from the foundations of the solo project Somnium, Eusapia is a studio-focused blackened post-metal project based in the Cascade Mountains. The band combines post-black metal, doom, blast beats and shoegaze-influenced atmospheres, reflecting the sound and character of the Pacific Northwest.

The current lineup features Somnium on bass and vocals, Cleopatra the Alchemist on guitars and vocals, Deenie on drums, and guitarists Chazdyn and Frank Keeler.

Thin Cities / Desert Festival follows the band’s Formless EP, released in 2024, and marks the latest addition to Eusapia’s evolving discography.