Valarius
When I first bought this EP, I was not generally a fan of John Arch. I'm a huge Fates Warning fan, and was familiar with his work on their first few albums, but I only snapped this up for no other reason than it was the former vocalist of one of Progressive Metals most beloved bands, and I felt justified in checking out what else he's been up to. Upon looking in the booklet to see the all-star ensemble acquired to bring this music to life, I realised business was about to pick up.
Featuring a 'who's who' of musicians, John Arch has released an essential EP which shows off his unique and powerful voice. Jim Matheos' guitars sound as awesome as you would expect from the Fates Warning mastermind, and the accompanying bass work from Joey Vera (also of Fates Warning and Armoured Saint) gives the music the thick sound it deserves. And of course, on drums is a man who needs no introduction, Mike Portnoy.
Despite featuring only two tracks, 'A Twist of Fate' is a true masterpiece that I recommend to all lovers of Prog music. Both songs are totally unique and full of incredibly tasteful riffs and beats by both Matheos and Portnoy respectively. And Arch's voice is an absolute thing of beauty. Dynamic, dramatic, powerful and emotional, words cannot describe his amazing voice. As I said before, I never paid too much attention to him in his early days with Fates Warning, but upon hearing this I can only wonder what he would have achieved had he stayed with music for all these years.
Fantastic music paired with intelligent lyrics told through one unmatched voice. Everyone should get this EP now! It doesn't matter if you don't like Fates Warning, Dream Theater or Progressive Metal, because this EP is so much more than that! I truly hope this isn't the last we've heard of Mr. Arch.