A Twist of Fate [EP]

John Arch | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 17, 2003)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: EP
• Label: Metal Blade
• ASIN: B00009N1YM
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #89,258 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars John Arch : "A Twist Of Fate", August 13, 2003

By 

Masked Jackal (Ft. Lauderdale, FL United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: A Twist of Fate (Audio CD)

What else can I say about this release that hasn't already been said????....

It's a brilliant masterpiece. It also deserves to be one of the years best recordings IMO. There hasn't been a stronger release than this in a very long time, and just to hear John singing again sent chills down my spine. He's without question one of the best voices Metal has ever had the pleasure of listening to, and even 16 years later, his voice is as strong as it's ever been....

I can't get enough of this. J. Arch has returned, and with "A Twist Of Fate", he's never sounded better. There are only two songs here, but together, they clock in at over 27 minutes of some of the most beauitful and inspiring music you'll ever hear.

Fates Warning guitarist J. Matheos and J. Arch worked together on this, so you know it's got plenty of Fates sound within it. Although this isn't the old Fates Warning of the past, it's just as good, or possibly even better than anything they did back when John was the frontman. After just one listen, you simply can't deny that "A Twist Of Fate" is one amazing release that will stand the test of time....

I'm buying ten copies of this, as I'm positive this will become an instant classic for many years to come. If you are a fan of any type of Heavy Metal, and have never heard J. Arch, you're in for a real surprise here. Buy it with the upmost confidence....

NOTE TO JOHN : Please, strongly consider continuing your career as a solo artist. It's very rare that we ever get to enjoy somthing as wonderful as this. You have really inspired a whole new generation of musicians with "A Twist Of Fate", and it would a shame not to continue. We love you, and personally, you are the reason I ever became a die-hard Fates fan in the first place...

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Progressive Metal without John Arch (suffered) for 17 years!, February 16, 2004

By 

Murat Batmaz (Istanbul, Turkey) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Twist of Fate (Audio CD)

I don't think anything important has been left unmentioned in all these wonderful reviews. It seems we are all in agreement about John Arch's long-awaited debut solo album. After recording Fates Warning's excellent album Awaken the Guardian, Arch decided to take a break, which unfortunately was a bit of a too long an absence. Many vocalists have come and gone after Arch, but few, VERY few, of them have had the same impact. John Arch simply has a godly status in prog metal, and he deserves every bit of it.

When I first learned that Arch had finally decided to make a return with this two-track EP, everything in my life took a second seat as I played this brilliant CD the first 15-20 times. I didn't know how to feel; should I be filled with joy that Arch is still one of the greatests singers in any genre of metal ever or regret that we had to miss out on him the past two decades? Unlike most of his contemporaries like Geoff Tate from Queensryche or Midnight from Crimson Glory, John's voice is still at its best, and I just can't believe this guy hasn't sung professionlly since the mid-80's. How is it even possible to keep your voice in such good shape despite all these years that have passed? I am now fully convinced that John Arch was made to sing forever... his godly voice is surely one of the most influential voices ever. Period.

Don't be put off by the number of tracks on this EP. Although there are only two songs on A Twist of Fate, we get a running time of nearly 30 minutes. The first track clocks in at over 12 minutes and was co-written by Arch and his former bandmate Jim Matheos, thus displaying Arch's proggy roots. We are offered his unbelievable scream right off the bat which puts a smile on our faces reminding us of the old days. After Arch, there have been countless singers that emerged with a high vocal range. Many of them are able to hold their voice too long and scream their lungs out. But NONE of them can scream so melodically as Arch. And I mean it: there is NO other singer that can wail at the top of his voice and still manage to catch your ear with the strongest melodies dripping. That is how John delivers "Relentless" with lots of key and tempo changes as well as fantastic musicianship backing him up. The song is slightly reminiscent of Fates Warning though more with Arch's vocals being the centrepiece. And that's cool since this is John Arch; not Fates Warning or Dream Theater or another band for that matter. It feel more like his work too.

While writing these songs, Arch must have focused his power on turning his dreams into reality. It's like he too missed his fans and wanted to give them his all. The second track "Cheyenne" is a 100% John Arch creation and relies more on vocals. The music takes a back seat during some moments and here John does everything he did back 20 years ago. Mike Portnoy from Dream Theater proves to be a stunning drummer. He uses his hands more than his feet this time giving the songs a more concise touch.

Best prog metal related CD of 2003. And I mean it. Hopefully a full-length album will follow this soon. At least we know it won't take another 17 years.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Where has he been all along?, July 8, 2003

By 

Mattowarrior "Mattowarrior" (Madison, WI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Twist of Fate (Audio CD)

Well, where to start? Its the return of one of my favorite singers of all time, John Arch. On the first three (my favorite) Fates Warning albums, he showed an awesome display of melody, and genius wordplay lyrically. I was awaiting something else from him for the six years I've been a Fates Warning fan. Finally the day arrives when I read on a website that he is
returning to the music scene in a project from Dream Theater and Fates Warning members. I was 100 times more excited than when I

heard about the OSI project. Now, on to the Ep: One glaring thing I noticed is : Its way too short! I mean, he was out of
the music scene for 16 years, and now he only has 30 minutes to give us? Well, I have a feeling this isn't the last we'll hear from the guy, I think he was going for perfection and this is what we have: a stunning set of two epic tunes. The first song, Relentless, is the weaker of the two, similarities to latter day Dream Theater are obvious. While not a bad thing, it doesn't sound as unique with Arch's vocals, and Arch's vocals almost recall James Labrie in a way (or is it the other way around). Also this song is a bit more disjointed, which takes some getting used to. The musicianship is superb, with Portnoy's drumming displaying the usual virtuosity, and Jim Matheos' awesome riffs and spacey synths. The second song is where this album really shines though. "Cheyenne" is another epic song, which was the highlight of the album for me. It has the melodious resemblence to something off Awaken the Guardian, and almost exceeds anything from that album because of the improved production. John Arch is a lyrical/musical genius, and I'm sad that he turned down/or was turned down the Dream Theater spot. But now that he's returned, let's hope he takes it to the next level. Highly recommended epic Prog metal.