Customer Reviews

Spectre Within

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is a good album and in my opinion an album that was ahead of it's time. Some of the people reviewing this album negatively were probably not even born when this album came out. It is unfair to compare Korn with Fates Warning- there is decade of differance between the two. Fates were pioneers of metal (like tons of the 80s'bands that get zero credit). Metal was a new world in the 80s'- bands like Fates Warning laid the groundwork for bands like Korn etc. Have a little respect for your elders and listen to this stuff with a sense of perspective. Compare Spectre Within to other titles that were around at the time (1985) and I believe you will see that Fates Warning were breaking new ground.

I don't know where to begin. John Arch has the most beautiful, intense, incredible, gorgeous, perfect voice ever, and the music and lyrics of the songs match his voice perfectly. My favorite song on the album is "Epitath". It's hard to explain, but when I listen to this album, I almost feel enlightened. John Arch sings of mystical places and life after death and other planes of existence, and listening to this album makes you truly believe it is all possible. Five stars is not enough for this record!

Fans of Fates Warning seem to be understandably divided between the early John Arch era (1984-1987) and their work since with singer Ray Alder. I still feel the later albums are very good, but they'll never match the power that's heard in stuff like THE SPECTRE WITHIN. The performance here is exciting, energetic, thoughtful, and always interesting. "The Apparition" is a FW classic, and the twelve minute "Epitaph" features some outstanding songwriting. As always, John Arch's vocals are excellent, his melodies soaring high and his lyrics thought-provoking. The musicianship is intense yet still tasteful, the emphasis on complementing the songs rather than detracting from them. As a side note, the guy who labelled this shred-metal plainly missed the mark; no band wrote songs this deep or convincing in that bygone era.

Fates' progressive element was still developing here, as a few songs sound slightly disjointed and others more straightforward. That element would be manifested in their subsequent masterpiece, AWAKEN THE GUARDIAN. Nevertheless, this album is essential early Fates Warning and recommended for those seeking something heavier than their current material.

(NOTE: Rarely does a review make me so sick that I feel a counter-attack is needed. So before you read this, find "Gergellor's" review of "Spectre Within" and then come back and read this rebuttal...Thanks alot!) Your (Gergellor) review might be the single most lame-brained pathetic excuse for a review I have ever read. My grandma is more metal than you because even she knows that "The Spectre Within" wasn't even remotely cliche for 1985. And for you to make the absurd comment that "Awaken the Guardian" is much more progressive than "Spectre..." just proves that you've never heard either album, as FATES WARNING didn't become TRULY "progressive" until the dawn of the 90's. "The Spectre Within" is UNDENIABLY one of the GREATEST metal LP's of the 80's and the BEST AMERICAN METAL LP of 1985. It IS a product of its time(the mid-80's) but illustrates an up and coming band with amazing potential. John Arch's vocals are amongst the best metal vocals of all-time and the guitar work on "Spectre Within" is legendary(check out track 3 "Without A Trace"!!!!). So basically I think YOU Mr. Gergellor are a PATHETIC EXCUSE FOR A METALHEAD. You probably listen only to lame crap like Limp Bizkit, etc. In some ways I'm GLAD you HATE "The Spectre Within" so much because I WOULDN'T WANT TO LIKE THE SAME ALBUM AS YOU. YOU DON"T DESERVE TO LISTEN TO CLASSIC ALBUMS LIKE "THE SPECTRE WITHIN"!!!

AFTER HAVING THIS RELEASE FOR SO MANY YEARS, I DECIDED TO GIVE IT THE CREDIT IT RICHLY DESERVES..WHILE BACK IN THE 80'S ,AS WELL AS NOW-THERE WERE JUST SO MANY BANDS OUT THERE.SOME WERE GREAT,SOME WERE GOOD,SOME WERE OK,AND SOME WERE JUST SIMPLY TERRIBLE.MANY AWESOME BANDS GOT LOST IN THE SHUFFLE,AND FADED INTO OBSCURITY.OR THEY TENDED TO GET VERY COMMERCIAL
LIKE'' QUEENSRYCHE '' AND SORRY TO SAY '' FATES WARNING '' AS WELL.THE FIRST FEW RELEASES WITH JOHN ARCH ON VOCALS WERE AN AWESOME DISPLAY OF WHAT METAL WAS ALL ABOUT!!THE SHEER HEAVINESS OF THE MUSIC !!AND THESE GUYS PLAYED IT HEAVY,AND MIXED COOL MELODIES IN THEIR MUSIC AS WELL.. JOHN ARCH AT TIMES SOUNDS A LOT LIKE BRUCE DICKINSON OF '' IRON MAIDEN ''.. THE LATER RELEASES WITH RAY ALDER WERE GOOD BUT AFTER '' PERFECT SYMMETRY '' THEY JUST LOST THEIR TOUCH IN MY OPINION..MANY BANDS OF TODAY , NO DOUBT HAVE SIMILAR SOUNDING RIFFS VERY SIMILAR TO '' FATES WARNING '' OF THE 80'S.SO IF YOU WANT A FRESH STYLE OF METAL,THAT IS LONG GONE THAN GET THIS CD.AND ALSO CHECK OUT ANOTHER CLASSIC OF THEIRS CALLED '' AWAKEN THE GUARDIAN'' ..TRUST ME ,YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED AT ALL!!!

Most view Awaken Guardian as FW's best album of the Arch era, but I disagree (although its close). I simply LOVE this album, every song is great with epitaph being the best. Love the old school feel and simple yet effective riffs. A real classic, one of my favorite Metal albums of all time.

I love Fates Warning, and this CD is incredible!!

I like this more than "Awaken". This sounds very Maidenisc, and at the same time has it's own unique sound. It's very powerful, and melodic. Every song stands out on this one. If your a Fates fan, and have been skeptical about purchacing any old Fates, don't worry......"Spectre Within" is incredible.

I like old Fates because it's not commercialized the way their new stuff is. You can hear the beginning of greatness while listening to this masterpiece. There isn't one stinker on this, and if you like Heavy Metal, your sure to love "Spectre Within"

This is my favorite Fates Warning CD, and I have them all.....

First of all, "pussjewels" review is too negative. Yes, I agree the newer stuff is more mature and developed, but this is a different era, this is the younger, exploratory version of Fates Warning that was, for the times, in far more uncharted territory then they are in todays progressive scene. This is the sound of a young band that is still designing their sound and craft.

Fates Warning has had two prominent vocalists in their history, both innovative, talented and of the highest caliber. "No pun intended".

This is their first singer from one of the earlier 3 albums. John Arch is very angular in his melodic ideas, which adds impact to the progressive nature of the writing of the instruments, in addition to making it spooky.

The reason I think this is Arch's best album, is because the Melodys are stabilized.

Arch is great! One the best rock singers of all time...if you like talented metal singers, you should own this recording as your "John Arch" CD.

This is what Fates Warning should be about. Don't get me wrong, I like them still but I also tend to live in the past when it comes to Fates Warning. Definately the first 3 albums are the best they have and this one is just incredible. For starters, Jon Arch delivers a great vocal performance. His voice IS Fates Warning. Zimmerman and DiBiase lay down some mean time and the guitars are awesome. The sound that they achieved on this album is heavy yet very melodic. The twin guitars are remiscent of Priest and Maiden but have their own signature. The songs that stand out are Kyrie Eleison and Epitaph. If you like excellent metal, check it out.

I know Fates Warning is a hugely influential band in the progressive metal world, and that their later, proggier albums are highly acclaimed, but it's the early albums with John Arch on vocals that I enjoy the most.

1985's The Spectre Within was the band's second album, and it bears little resemblance to the progressive metal band Fates Warning would become. Like their debut Night on Bröcken, The Spectre Within is almost a prototypical mid-80's Metal Blade American power metal album. There are traces of the band's future direction, particularly on lengthier songs like "Traveler in Time" and the epic "Epitaph", but for the most part I hear a band that wanted to sound like Iron Maiden, and that always works for me! John Arch's wailing vocals tend to dominate the album as much as the intricate instrumental work, and I can see how that could turn people off, but to me his voice is perfect for that style in that era.

The presence of the classic Fates Warning song "The Apparition" alone makes this album well worth checking out. Fans of the band's later, acclaimed, progressive offerings probably won't find a lot to love about these early Fates Warning releases, but anyone interested in the early power metal scene and bands like Warlord, Vicious Rumors and Armored Saint will definitely want to check out The Spectre Within.

NOTE: The Spectre Within was reissued in 2002 with digitally remastered sound and 4 bonus tracks. I've heard some complaints about the remastering, but to my ears it sounds pretty decent. The bonus tracks are demos and rough live recordings, and don't really add much.