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John Arch A Twist Of Fate (2003) Metal Blade Records (3984-14440-2) |
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| 1. Relentless | 12:23 | 2. Cheyenne | 15:36 |
| Note: Before you can play these you'll have to get a suitable MPEG 3 player. You can find info on MPEG 3 and players at http://www.mpeg3.com or for a cool 32-bit Windows player go get the WinAMP MPEG3 Player. |
| Audio File | Size | Format |
| Relentless (Partial Song) | 4,665 KB | MP3 |
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"I'm just stopping by to pay a visit," John Arch says of A Twist of Fate, which finds the original voice of Fates Warning reawakening after a 16-year hibernation. One of metal's most distinctive vocalists, Arch parted ways with the progressive metal torchbearers after the release of the landmark 1987 release Awaken the Guardian. Except for a fruitless audition with Dream Theater more than a decade ago and a guest appearance at a 1994 Fates Warning concert in Connecticut, Arch has remained in a self-imposed musical exile - until now. In early 2002, Fates Warning guitarist Jim Matheos and Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy began working together on a side project called OSI. "Jim called, wondering if I wanted to participate in that," Arch says, "I had no idea what type of music it was, so I declined. I was glad that he asked me, but I just didn't do it." Still, Arch couldn't stop thinking about Matheos' offer. In the end, "my conscience got the better of me," he says. "After not doing anything musically for so long, I was overwhelmed with guilt, so I asked Jim if we could squeeze something in before the next Fates album. He agreed, but we had a limited window to work with. I already had the foundation for 'Cheyenne' in the works and a few other ideas for 'Relentless,' so I bought myself an acoustic guitar and locked myself up in my room for months on end, just writing. This was new for me, because writing had always been a collaborative effort between Jim and myself. Being in a band environment, it's totally different. Now, I'm a father and a husband and I work full-time, so I was completely out of the element." Arch knew that getting his voice back in prime condition would nearly be a full-time job in itself. "Through the years, I've turned a lot of things down because of being out of shape vocally," he says. "People have compared singing to getting on a bicycle - once you've done it, it should be easy to do it again - but it's not really like that. It takes a lot of work: training your voice muscles and ligaments, getting your pitch back, getting your larynx in shape again, your vibrato.I compare it to running. Say you run every day, and then you stop running for 15 years. When you get back on your feet again, all of a sudden you notice these muscles that have since died coming back and aching. Singing is very similar to that, and it takes a lot of time and effort. And I've always felt that if I was to sing again, I would like to do something to be proud of." After the OSI sessions were completed, Portnoy offered his services to Arch and Matheos. "Mike has been a friend of mine forever," Arch says. "He used to come see us play down on Long Island before Dream Theater's first album was released. We've kept in touch, and we've always said that we'd love to do something together. The timing worked out perfectly." On weekends throughout the summer of 2002, Arch drove from his Connecticut to Matheos' New Hampshire recording studio. Early demos gave him a "chance to clear out the cobwebs," he says. "It'd been years since I'd actually sung a note, so it was a very scary proposition to get in front of the microphone again. But I had good days and bad days. My pitch started off good, so I didn't have a problem with that, but being able to sing high again..." "The last thing I did was Guardian, and that's in the vocal stratosphere," he continues. "I never realized how incredibly high it was until I started trying to sing it again. But that's just the product of being in a band and touring for years. I didn't have much vibrato either. All those muscles took a while to develop again. By the time we did the actual recording, by the skin of my teeth, I was satisfied that I didn't make an ass out of myself." When discussions turned to a bass player, Matheos suggested Fates Warning's so-called "permanent temporary bassist" Joey Vera, also well known for his work with Armored Saint, Engine and Seven Witches. In a way, his participation connects Fates' past and present. "Joey was suggested by Jim, and he gladly accepted," Arch says. "I think he's a great bass player, and I was glad that he was able to do it. He did a great job." Lyrically, Arch's trademark poetic wordplay and vivid imagery were enhanced by his own emotions. "Most of it is how I feel, which is not really what I am used to doing," he says. "There were a lot of mythological elements involved int he material I wrote for Fates, although there were some realities that, if people could read between the lines, they might be able to figure out what I was trying to convey. But these two songs have a very strong connection to my religious convictions, my childhood and some other extremely personal elements." In part, "Relentless" explores the role of one's roots in the development of his/her individual identity. "I really feel strongly that the 'genetic strand' - our genetics - has a lot to do with how well we cope," he says. "I'm envious of people who are level-headed and who can control their emotions easily, because I'm the total opposite of that. I talk about burning bridges with my father and then crossing over human bridges - which means that my son is born - and how skipping rocks across the water with my son and spending time with him makes my life more fulfilled. These things that maybe you've lacked in your childhood, they don't cost money; it just takes time. That's what this song is about." "I hope people can relate and get something out of it," he continues. "Even though you have all these voices inside your head, pulling you in every direction - voices of your boss, your parents, your girlfriend or your wife, voices of authority - sometimes you really have to dig deep and find the voice within, and let it guide you. I'm not trying to solve the world's problems, but they start within, so find refuge and solace in what you can. Let's get over it and get on with life." The catalyst for "Cheyenne," meanwhile, was the photograph that appears in the CD sleeve of this recording. "I saw this picture of an Indian girl sitting on the side of a hill, and it was so provocative," Arch explains. "I'm part Indian myself, and I've always been fascinated by Indian culture. She was just sitting in a field, daydreaming and looking off into the sunset. Watching her, you wonder what she was thinking. I thought it was such a marvelous picture, and that's how the first verse starts off - this image of the Cheyenne girl in my mind." "The tense changes during the song, and when it gets heavy, it has a lot of religious overtones," he continues. "I'm tired of people putting themselves on a pedestal and preaching down to me and other people using religion in that light, where they use it as a power trip. I just spouted off a little bit - if you want to pray for me, pray for me in silence. Don't worry about me; save your pity for yourself." While Arch says he wrote "Cheyenne" "95 percent on my own," "Relentless" was more of a traditional Arch/Matheos collaboration. "I was very uneasy when we first started this, but the more we got into it, the more we got into it, the more things started to fall together," he says. "It's one thing to do something by yourself, but when you get together with talented people, it makes it that much better. I thought it was great working with Jim. It was like old times, because he and I were the main writers in the band. He'd suggest one thing and then I'd suggest something else, and he'd think it was a great idea and we'd put them together. He even said, 'I forgot how cool it was to work with you,' which was a nice compliment." Although Arch isn't sure what the future holds musically, A Twist of Fate gives him the opportunity to add a postscript to an already impressive legacy. After all, his lyrics for Night on Brocken's "The Calling" inspired the Fates Warning moniker in the first place, while his rich vocals laid the foundation for a band that will participate in the biggest American tour of its career this summer, two full decades after its inception. "There's been so many fans wanting to hear something," Arch says, "and their memory span - that they would even remember who I was - is unbelievable. They've been so dedicated, and I'm glad I could offer them something that I'm proud of." - Clay Marshall (April 2003) John would like to thank his family Jeanne and Evan, Brian and all the folks at Metal Blade Records, the crew at John Watts Associates, Jim Matheos, Mike Portnoy, Joey Vera for lending their talents to this project, Laurie and Lindsay Matheos for their hospitality, and a very special thanks goes out to all the dedicated fans for all your support and kind words over the past 20 years, Thanks for remembering! Mike Portnoy appears courtesy of Elektra Entertainment Group Mike Portnoy exclusively uses and thanks everybody at: Tama Starclassic Drums, Melody Master Snares and Iron Cobra Pedals, Sabian and Sabian MAX Cymbals, Promark 420 Sticks, Remo Heads and Latin Percussion. visit www.mikeportnoy.com Additional photos used by permission from The McCormick Library of Special Collections, Northwestern University Library, the Edward S. Curtis Collection, Visit them online at: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/award98/ienhtml/curthome.html, The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. |
Last Modified: Friday, 03-Aug-2007 12:08:31 EDT
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