FREEDOMS REIGN — Freedoms Reign (review)

FREEDOMS REIGN — Freedoms Reign album cover Album · 2013 · Heavy Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
J-Man
Although he delivered very promising performances alongside Jim Matheos on the first two Fates Warning albums, guitarist Victor Arduini virtually disappeared from the metal scene for decades after his time with these American progressive metal legends. Now that it's been nearly 28 years since the release of The Spectre Within (his final album release with Fates Warning), the guitarist has finally returned to the metal scene with his new band Freedoms Reign. This time functioning as both a guitarist and vocalist, Arduini has also recruited other talented musicians to create an impressive display of traditional heavy metal.

Not unlike the albums that Victor Arduini created with Fates Warning, the music on Freedoms Reign can best be classified as “traditional” metal, but both bands sound unmistakably different. The most notable difference being in the vocal department - the high-pitched, commanding vocals of John Arch contrast greatly with Victor Arduini's Ozzy Osbourne-styled singing, and while I'm certainly more of a John Arch fan, Arduini does an excellent job as a frontman. The other three musicians on Freedoms Reign (bassist Mike Jones, drummer Chris Judge, and guitarist Tom Vumback) don't have experience in other bands from what I can tell, but they all deliver strong performances here.

Freedoms Reign doesn't aim to cross any boundaries with this debut album (and I would like to see them diversify their sound a bit next time around), but they have still delivered a strong heavy metal album with a likeable old school touch. Fans of acts like Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, and Rainbow should certainly enjoy what this ex-Fates Warning guitarist has up his sleeve!
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