Arch / Matheos
Winter Ethereal

Legumes produce air in the stomach. They cause bloating and flatulence. In severe cases, actual abdominal spasms. John Arch, former singer of Fates Warning, had a short-lived career in his first band due to problems with flatulence. The Connecticut band had to endure on stage the unpleasant odor that the singer continuously produced. The effort to reach high notes had deleterious results. With each chorus, good Arch exhaled abundantly.

"Enough" repeated the guitarist Jim Matheos and the other members.

"It's one thing to play outdoors, but in the rehearsal room we can't stand you anymore," thought Jim.

But how to tell their friend John? It wasn’t easy to find the right words. The risk of offending and ruining a friendship was high.

"Maybe I have an idea..." – "John, how's your work going?"

"Jim, my greatest passion is restoration, miii how I love refurbishing old furniture." (John probably had a Sicilian ancestor as he occasionally slipped into saying "miii".)

"John, you need to get more passionate about music. Leave this job and dedicate yourself fully to the band."

"Jim, miii, always with this story. Restoration is my priority, I'd rather quit."

"No, wait, don't quit...!!!" Jim was so biased that he immediately thought of the anal escape.

"Oh no, sorry I got distracted, yes, either quit the job or leave the band."

With these few words, John Arch continued his work as a furniture restorer and Fates Warning continued with a new singer. We are in 1987.

Fifteen years go by and Jim Matheos begins to suffer from sinusitis. A deviation of the nasal septum and polyps in the respiratory tract put his health at risk. Doctors are honest and tell him that either he has surgery or risks losing his sense of smell. Jim is in crisis. The other members of his band are not true friends and isolate him. What to do? He returns to Hartford to relive his childhood and seek distractions. During a lavish solo dinner at McDonald's, he comes face to face with his old friend, John.

"Miii look who it is? Jim!!!"

"John, my friend, it's been so long."

They begin to meet again and draft pieces for a new project.

Everything that Fates Warning had lost over the years is found in the Arch/Matheos work of 2019, Winter Ethereal, a top-tier Prog Metal album. Just a reminder that their historic band, along with Queensrÿche and Dream Theater (the so-called "Big Three") were pioneers of Progressive Metal. Winter Ethereal ranks among the most complete Metal products of 2019. The opening track, Vermillion Moons, has a hair-raising riff and Arch's voice is as powerful and melodic as in his early days. A full 9 minutes of fast-paced tempos alternating with nighttime atmospheres and the scent of woods. This is just the appetizer to an engaging and anything but trivial album. The Jim/John combo works. There’s a different air, there is something beautiful hovering in the ether. An album to listen to and inhale with full lungs. An aroma that remains ingrained throughout the 70 minutes and leaves a rich taste that will be appreciated by genre enthusiasts.

Marcella Bella’s phrase fits like a glove "Aria, ti respiro ancora sai".