Originally written by Chris Chellis.
This re-issue presented a number of obstacles, but the most obvious for me as a critic is the fact that I was barely two years old when Awaken the Guardian was first released. I have no prior history with Fates Warning. In fact, I have no metal memories from the 80s. By the time that decade had ended, I was a six year old mumbling Michael Jackson songs in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle pajamas. Trust me when I say that I come into this review as unbiased as humanly possible.
After wearing the album out, I get what all the fuss is about. The churn of the guitars. The demonically high singing of John Arch, The inspired drumming of Steve Zimmerman. Incredibly tight solos like the ones found on “Valley of the Dolls.” If you’re into riffs, and you damn well better be, if you listen to metal, this is your paradise. From the epic opening seconds of “Fata Morgana” to the thump of “Exodus,” Awaken the Guardian delivers what one would expect from a heavy metal band that has not only begun to experiment with but master its signature sound.
The tone of the guitars is especially interesting on this recording. Almost piercingly clear and high, they come out just a bit more advantageous in the mix than the other instruments, which I think is to the benefit of the recording, as this is most definitely a riff-driven album. Certain recordings from the 80s really take advantage of that high guitar tone (think Megadeth’s Peace Sells), and I’ve grown to fall in love with that specific tone, so Awaken the Guardian was an almost instant winner in respect to sound.
Awaken the Guardian can be both epic, with songs like “Guardian” and “Prelude to Ruin,” and blisteringly fast. With that addictive back and forth riff that serves as its opener, “Valley of the Dolls” is a perfect example of the latter. Its ability to firmly grasp both approaches to heavy metal makes Awaken the Guardian a classic and deserving of its many re-issues, including this one. When epic, the album highlights the beauty of acoustic intros (“Guardian”) and the art of subtle progression. When fast, Awaken the Guardian plays almost like a speed metal record; full speed ahead with no hesitation. Seeing as how it covers so much ground with no filler, I can’t see many metalheads walking away from this album displeased. This is really the sound that Warrel Dane was trying to achieve a bit later in the 80s with Sanctuary.
What makes this re-issue worth buying, however, is the additional material beyond a re-mastered Awaken the Guardian. Included with the original disc are two additional discs. The first additional disc includes demo versions of “The Sorceress,” “Valley of the Dolls,” and “Prelude to Ruin” (all originally Awaken the Guardian tracks), and six live tracks, including “Fata Morgana,” “Damnation,” “The Apparition,” “The Sorceress,” “Guardian,” and “Die Young.” So not only are you getting excellent live versions of three Awaken the Guardian tracks, but you’re also getting three additional songs that you won’t hear in any form on Awaken the Guardian. Metal Blade made sure these were more than just giveaways, too, as the production value on these additional tracks is still fairly good considering their age.
The third and final disc you get in this Metal Blade re-issue package includes an entire Fates Warning live performance on DVD, taken from a show on Long Island in December of 1986. Before you cream your jeans, I have to inform you that the recording is muddy as all hell, but keep in mind that what you’re getting is a pretty unique view of a performance that would otherwise be completely lost to you. As someone new to Fates Warning, it was really cool for me to be able to see how many followers the band had at its creative peak and watch the crowd react to what was obviously a very powerful live set. From the vantage point of the one camera angle you get in the recording, you feel very much a part of the crowd, so while the view is limited it creates the voyeuristic feel you should get from a live DVD recording.
No matter what musical direction Fates Warning takes nowadays, Awaken the Guardian will always be that killer album any metalhead can turn to for an unrelenting display of guitar prowess. Now that Metal Blade has re-packaged the album with one disc of demos and live recordings and another disc containing an entire live video performance, you really have no excuse to not own it, and I know from looking at a few local record shops that you can get it for a very cheap price.
