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The first discographic step of the band that is the symbol of progressive metal, the forefathers of the genre, those who gave life to all those groups that would later follow in their footsteps: Fates Warning of "Night on Bröcken", are this and nothing more.
The adventure of these (then) five musicians begins in Hartford, Connecticut, in the distant 1982 when Steve Zimmermann, Joe DiBiase, John Arch, Victor Arduini, and Jim Matheos decided to create their own band, trying to propose a genre in which power metal elements coexist in balance with the instrumental progressions typical of Iron Maiden's metal, accompanied by an exceptional execution technique.
The work, produced by Metal Blade, despite not shining for originality and still being quite far from the band's masterpieces, immediately shows a fairly mature band, capable of a song-writing that stands at appreciable levels and also denotes the professionalism of the work thanks to a good recording, for the time and for the type of work, and equally good production.
As for the purely musical side, this "Night on Bröcken", as previously mentioned, represents a meeting point between power and heavy metal set in a very technical dimension, where the particularly elaborate structures of the tracks stand out, featuring particularly powerful and rocky riffs, quick yet meaningful solos, and an extremely dynamic and varied rhythm section: an example of this is the opening of the title track where a bass solo moves along guitar lines and drum rhythms that mark essential tempos. Moreover, we find excellent compactness and a truly mighty sound wall in the first song, "Buried Alive", which if on the one hand closely recalls Steve Harris's band, on the other shows us an extremely prepared band that skillfully navigates even in bases shot at sustained speeds.
On the other hand, pieces like the short and touching instrumental featuring only guitar and bass "S.E.K.", or the penultimate "Damnation", which in its first part unfolds in gloomier and grayer tones, pacify the atmosphere, being closer to the band's current mood. The rest of the track-list instead develops a more heavy-power-prog musical theme, with less striking results compared to the aforementioned episodes, but still good, to be clear, except for the other instrumental on the record "Shadow Fax", thrilling in its cadenced yet powerful approach, in which our American friends exhibit all their capabilities on the instruments.
The lyrics mainly turn towards fantasy themes, nodding to dark topics such as death and the evil that creeps into the soul of man (in this regard, the initial phrase of the album that reads "Dark and dampness linger in body and soul" is explanatory).
Ultimately, this work, while, as already mentioned, being far from the works that will consecrate the band in the future, deserves to be listened to more for the pleasantness of the individual tracks and the historical importance of the band rather than anything else, even if finding it will not be easy. It should also be mentioned that Metal Blade decided to reissue it in 2002, with the addition of four bonus tracks named "Last Call" from the period when Fates were still the Misfit, "The Calling" taken from the 1983 Rehearsal demo, "Kiss Of Death" in a live edition and the Iron Maiden cover "Flight Of Icarus".
Tracklist and Lyrics
02 The Calling (05:03)
A cry shivers the night, a voice in agony
that shrieks above the trees.
In a land where no one comes
in a land where spirits dwell,
hear their fatal screams.
The old man clutches his heart
as he looks to the window,
he knows his time has come.
Woman stands in the dark,
her hair is white with the snow
nightmares just begun.
Fates Warning is heard,
run shivers up and down the spine
of those who believe.
The old and decrepit have seen,
they mourn in the night,
young and restless can't conceive
Moon looks through the drifting storm,
thunder cracks the sky,
she screams throughout the night.
The laughing magpie spreads his wings,
and looks you in the eye,
and laughs at you in spite.
Spirits of innocence take me away.
Dancing her pitiful ritual,
she's stalking her prey.
the bard and the banshee
sound a harmonious wail.
Predestined hour has come.
Let it come.
The old man wakes with the dawn,
sweat upon his brow, he casts the spell,
Father O'Reilly found in the moors,
the people mourn, hear the church's bell.
Moon looks through the drifting storm,
thunder cracks the sky, and she screams, YEAH!
The laughing magpie spreads his wings,
and looks you in the eye, and laughs, HA-HA!
The spirits of innocence take me away
Dancing her pitiful ritual,
she's stalking her prey.
she's coming your way
the bard and the banshee
sound a harmonious wail.
Predestined hour has come.
The Banshee!
04 Night on Bröcken (05:29)
April thirtieth, the souls of the risen
are leading the way. The first of May.
Black magic night, witches holiday,
their torches glow.
Eternal evil, it summons
the lords of hell, just once a year,
compel and beware the spell of the jackyl.
Can't break the spell,
won't break the spell,
the spell of the shadowless man.
The witches fornicate, the demons dance,
blackmass romance.
In hellish praise
round Brocken they prance,
their numbers grow.
A harpie chants, fire fountains glow,
virgin of snow burnt by the torch
of the one with no shadow.
I saw his face, I've seen him before,
the face of the shadowless man.
As dawn breaks through the trees,
lonely town falls to their knees,
a solemn belfry begins to toll.
The mass begins sing familiar hymns,
man in black has his back to the crowd.
Spreads his wings and turns around,
as my heart begins to pound.
Because you, you're the one I
saw in flight, at Walpurgis Night.
You've betrayed and cursed the light,
at Walpurgis Night.
You're the one I saw in flight,
at Walpurgis Night.
At the setting of the sun.
Because you, you're the one I
saw in flight, at Walpurgis Night.
You've betrayed and cursed the light,
at Walpurgis Night.
You're the one I saw in flight,
at Walpurgis Night.
At the setting of the sun.
06 Misfit (05:06)
He was the sun of champion,
a proud Olympian.
Taught his boy all the tricks
he'd ever need to win.
The games were fierce as battle,
not for ordinary man.
A man born of royal blood
must live by sword in hand.
This one not so lucky,
as he fell to his knees.
Suddenly inflicted,
deranged with disease.
His father act with fury,
you must not scorn his name.
Cast him to the forest,
return never again.
The nights cold and darkened
as the boy turned into man.
Took shelter in the jackyl's den,
the cave Tartarean.
Confronted by the serpent
now your soul belongs to me.
For your health and strength,
sell your soul and you'll go free.
Eager to accept the bribe,
for revenge in his mind.
Dawn reflect from the blade,
the forest left behind.
His strength grew with every stride,
he was healthy as an ox.
No one would stop him.
You live by the sword,
and die by the sword.
Avenge everyone in your way.
Condemning a Misfit
for innocence his sin.
His blade will avenge you someday.
He's a Misfit.
He's a Misfit.
Defeating every wild beast
and swordsman in the ring.
Victor of the main event
wed daughter of the king.
He glances to the throne
where sits the royal regime.
The king who cast the misfit died,
his father reigned supreme.
The charge begins, first pass is made
the serpent's face revealed.
Time has come to meet his fate,
The bribe kept concealed.
He casts his blade with vengeance
and pierced his father's soul.
Satan would take him.
You live by the sword,
and die by the sword.
Avenge everyone in your way.
Condemning a Misfit
for innocence his sin.
His blade will avenge you someday, oh no.
He's a Misfit.
Misfit, Misfit, he's a Misfit.
08 Damnation (06:27)
Thousands of years,
before the dawn of history. Ancient races tears,
are flowing like a river to the sea.
Where sacred river ran,
white deer had roamed the land,
brilliant twilight in our dreams.
Primitive child,
your unforgotten tribe calls to you.
Descendants we are one,
the tangled maze is broken once again.
A myth without a meaning,
you shade the light from the seed.
The earth and virgin soil watch it bleed.
The earth and virgin soil.
Red, white, black, in city masses,
corporate buildings spread like rashes,
stacked upon each other forty high.
Stabbed each other in the back,
you money-hungry maniacs,
dig up the earth and spit it in your eye.
To intrude this sacred land,
where the mortals have been banned,
where your own forefathers lie in rest.
To disturb this mountain side,
where in battle we did ride,
and our warriors where they lie,
the earth digest.
Hear our cry from down below,
let our restive spirits go.
You've trapped us in your world of sin,
let the plague begin, Damnation.
Your cities disappear,
to earth's interior, don't you know
you've got to let your spirits go, let 'em go.
You've got to let those spirits go.
Let 'em go!
You've got to let your spirit go.
09 Soldier Boy (06:24)
Little soldier, plastic pistol
aiming for the head.
Now you see me, now you don't.
You missed me, you're dead.
Laughing, hiding in the bushes,
scatter for your life.
Little soldier tripped and fell,
get him with your knife.
Electric eye is loaded,
it shows them it's okay to kill.
They eventually will.
Mother calls you in for lunch,
put the war on hold.
Too rough to play with other kids,
how many times you've been told.
Laugh at pain it's silly.
He'd make the soldiers bleed.
Break the flesh, twist the bone,
bring them to their knees.
You don't throw stick and stone,
you leave the little girls alone she said, leave them
alone.
First sight of blood at ten,
fell off the swing and cracked his head, it's all red.
A still and quiet conscience,
regardless of their doom,
The victims play, they're on their way,
Soldier Boy.
No sense they have, of ills to come.
Nor care beyond ills of today,
they've lost their way, Soldier Boy.
Playgrounds into battle fields,
diapers into greens and stripes,
Mold plastic into steel, the war is real,
the solders fight tonight.
Little solder falls once more,
sees red glow like the sun.
Mother calls him back to
Arlington, in Washington.
You don't throw stick and stone,
you leave the little girls alone she said, leave them
alone.
First sight of blood at ten,
fell off the swing and cracked his head, it's all red.
A still and quiet conscience,
regardless of their doom,
The victims play, they're on their way,
Soldier Boy.
No sense they have, of ills to come.
Nor care beyond ills of today,
they've lost their way, Soldier Boy.
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