Arch/Matheos - Sympathetic Resonance review
| Band: | Arch/Matheos |
| Album: | Sympathetic Resonance |
| Style: | Progressive metal |
| Release date: | September 09, 2011 |
| A review by: | Doc G. |
01. Neurotically Wired
02. Midnight Serenade
03. Stained Glass Sky
04. On The Fence
05. Any Given Day (Strangers Like Me)
06. Incense And Myrrh
Another tough one. When you have seasoned veterans such as these two fellas from Fates Warning fame (not to mention a crack team of session musicians), you come to expect some kind of solid direction. Although this album does deliver it's fair share of brain melting riffs, it's something that also has a large tendency to fall into pointless, jumbled meandering - a problem more associated with younger prog acts who have not fully grasped the concept of a little tasteful subtlety.
Now, I'll be the first to admit that "progressive" is not a word that entices me...at all. Despite this fact, it seems this album embodies both the highs and despicable lows that word sometimes entails. First of all, it is an album that shows incredible depth, but this depth frequently becomes just a display of overindulgent musicianship. That is basically how this album rolls from the 3rd song in; incredibly thoughtful riff-work put together in immense amounts of detail, followed by things getting a little out of hand, creating was is essentially a sonic mess.
The enjoyability of this album really depends on your degree of prog-appreciation. For us drunk-orangutans out there who prefer their metal a little more visceral, Sympathetic Resonance (despite the moving riffs scattered throughout) exemplifies a lot of what is somewhat repulsive about progressive music, in layman's terms - it gets a bit wanky. On the other hand, one mans yard is another mans dump as they say - a lot of this "wankery" seems to be hailed as musical genius by many, so this album will probably be of great appeal to fans of this specific corner of metal, even more so for fans of Fates Warning.
Comments
Comments: 23
Visited by: 224 users
| Clintagräm Shrinebuilder Posts: 5773  |
A well written review, but one I may find hard to agree with. I have been able to listen to half of the album and thought it was rather fantastic, non-wankery Progressive music, like most of what Jim Matheos has put out over his career. Perhaps it changes, like you mentioned, during the second half of the album. I'll only be able to tell when I get to listen to it in full.
---- The force will be with you, always.
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| Ag Fox Angel No More Elite Posts: 4774  |
Ahh... kinda forgotten about this collaboration. Thanks for the review and reminder
---- loves 小巫
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| Milena gloom cookie Staff Posts: 4603  |
Written by Clintagräm on 23.09.2011 at 09:43 Here it was something like that too, so maybe Doc just wasn't in the mood  Rare are the prog bands I've heard that can seriously be accused for wankery, and they aren't really one of them. Maybe they were trying too hard to convince us, tho'.
---- 7.0 means the album is good
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| Rulatore Posts: 1108  |
I dont like prog that much, but I do like a lot this album, didnt get the review, also I didnt find this one boring and not wanky, it's a really good album 
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| Hammer34 Posts: 14 |
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| strade Posts: 677  |
I'm not one to complain about reviews on this site, but this score is definitely too low. This is a progressive metal masterpiece as far as I'm concerned.
---- My lo-fi synth project: http://luciddreamer.bandcamp.com
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071  |
Mmm there is totally NO wankery on this album. Everything fits as it is and is in service of the songs. This is no Opeth or Dream Theater. Arch / Matheos have delivered by far the best progressive album of the year.
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996 
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| Susan Smeghead Elite Posts: 6941  |
Doc this review seems remarkably honest! I like prog so I'll check it out with high expectattions 
---- "A life all mine Is what I choose At the end of my days" --The Gathering "A Life All Mine" from Souvenirs
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| Doc G. Full Grown Hoser Staff Posts: 9723  |
I'd really like to see someone do a guest review for this. No, that's not a challenge to anyone, it's just that a remarkable amount of people are absolutely loving this album, and I'm just not seeing what is so distinct about this. I would genuinely like to know.
---- "I got a lot of really good ideas, problem is, most of them suck." - George Carlin
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| Ivor Staff Posts: 5548  |
I'm halfway through the album and while I think instrumentally it's a great piece, I can't stand the vocals. Totally ruins the album. That's a personal distaste speaking, though. Those who enjoy high-pitched voice will find the album pretty remarkable. I.
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| tea[m]ster Au Pays Natal Contributor Posts: 5266  |
Written by Doc G. on 24.09.2011 at 22:25 I am going to do my first EVER review of an album at somepoint but it cannot be this one. I am a Fates Warning apologist, so 95% of what I'd say about this album would be tainted. However, I do agree with one thing: The songs sometimes feel like they get "lost" - needless meandering through progressive metal land, just to make sure the song hits the 10 minute mark. Maybe there's a method to Matheos's madness and will feel differently after each spin.
---- rekt
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| Merchant of Doom Posts: 702  |
Written by Ivor on 25.09.2011 at 12:24 I agree with this... very solid, musically, but the vocals make me wanna puke... grow a pair of balls and start growling... 
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| thelawler Posts: 3 |
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| thelawler Posts: 3 |
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| drummercrm Posts: 29 |
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| bkrownd Posts: 47  |
I'd like to hear any comments on this album from those who, like myself, loved the John Arch era Fates Warning and can't get into anything that came after No Exit? I'm not asking for it to be a rehash of older Fates Warning, but I do wonder if it suffers from the artsy tendencies of later FW that lost me. Also, how similar is it to the 2004-ish John Arch CD?
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| Introspekrieg Totemic Lust Elite Posts: 2749  |
Written by bkrownd on 06.10.2011 at 07:40 I think it will be right up your alley, better than a lot of post-No Exit musically and Arch is as vibrant as ever. I haven't heard the 2004-ish Arch CD so I can't say how it compares. This is coming from someone who likes selections from the whole FW catalog...
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| Antidote Posts: 175  |
This review doesn't do this album justice...at all. There's so much more in this album than meets the eye (ear, mind) 10/10.
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| My2Cents Posts: 11 |
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| thehondo Posts: 141  |
Appreciate your honest opinion. Yes,most prog heads love it. But I think its a nice aggresive lift from the recent Fates Warning.
---- No time like the present
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| asafated Posts: 1 |
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| JohnDoe Account deleted |
JohnDoe
Account deleted Written by asafated on 17.07.2013 at 21:01 for the reviewer who is NOT into progressive metal, this rating is definitely a positive thing.
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| CobiWan1993 Secundum Filium Posts: 1365  |
I respect your opinion, but I personally love this album. John Arch sounds amazing, and the musicianship is awesome, it never sinks to Dream Theater levels of wankery for me.
---- Ordinary men hate solitude. But the Master makes use of it, embracing his aloneness, realizing he is one with the whole universe (Lao Tzu).
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