Tag Archives: arch

Interview: Jon Arch – Arch/Matheos

 

After collaborating once again with former Fates Warning band mate Jim Matheos for the successful Sympathetic Resonance album (Review: http://danielaston.co.uk/album-review-sympathetic-resonance/), I catch up with vocalist Jon Arch and quiz him on the process of creating the album, his time away from music and the future of Arch/Matheos.

 

Daniel Aston: Congratulations on the new album, what was it like getting back into the groove of writing and recording a full-length album after all these years?

Jon Arch: Thank you, one word comes to mind, “daunting” I knew I had a lot of work ahead of me when we started this. Vocally I was at square one and a whole lot older and as far as the creativity, it was a wait and see what happens kind of thing. In a few months time it seemed to be evident that Jim and I were working well together and the music started to take shape.

DA: You worked closely with Jim Matheos on your 2003 solo EP A Twist of Fate, how did the writing for that project differ from the current collaboration?

Arch: Well this full album was a true collaboration between Jim and I like we have worked in the past where Jim presents music to me and through a process I write the melodies and lyrics. ATOF was considered a solo effort because I presented Jim with the Music for Cheyenne and part of Relentless, but in my opinion we both had our creative input on that as well, we just went about it a little differently.

DA: The music that you and Jim have written for Sympathetic Resonance is as impressive as the material from the early Fates Warning days, has anything changed in the way you write songs together and what is the process that you two go through to create lengthy prog epics like Stained Glass Skies?

Arch: Well the beginnings of these songs and the movements that make up the length of a song start with Jim and whatever is inspiring him, and that is done in the privacy of his own thoughts alone. When I write melodies and words it is done in the same way, where there are no distractions, and you can hear your own thoughts. Then when we get together in the studio it’s like a presentation where we get to hear how well or not so well everything meshes together. Usually a little tweaking is all it needs.

DA: Sympathetic Resonance contains performances from musicians that have been a part of Fates Warning at some point or another, what was that like and was it something you planned to do from the start?

Arch: I’m pretty sure before I got involved with this, Bobby and maybe Joey were already working with Jim, as this was originally slated to be a FW record, so actually I was the odd man in this. The guys are all awesome at what they do, and I love all they added to this record.

DA: Your vocal power remains stunning after all these years, did you have to do much work on it before recording?

Arch: You’ll have to trust me when I say that I told Jim if he released any of the early vocal tracks, I would brain him. It took some doing to get into respectable shape, and it’s gonna be lots of work staying there.

DA: What inspires you to write lyrics?

Arch: The music and all its movements get the ball rolling, and with this album the words are of a more real, non-mythological nature, based on a more personal perspective. I have been praised for the honesty and criticized for the self indulgentness, and I couldn’t be happier about that.

DA: Your work with Fates Warning in the eighties has inspired a legion of bands, what’s your opinion on the state of progressive metal today?

Arch: There is no doubt that the technical ability of the musicians in this type of music is unbelievable, almost neurotic at times and can be just what the doctor ordered, but if it is not a cocktail mixed with dynamics and melody it can be tiresome after a while. In an effort to undo insult to injury, there is so much talent out there, much of it still undiscovered.

DA: Who would you name as your main influences in music?

Arch: Well there are so many time periods for me I would break it down as early influences would be, Tull, Grand Funk, Yes, Kansas, UFO, Uriah Heep, Deep purple. Later influences would include, Scorpions, Maiden, Priest, Dio, among many others.

DA: Your return to the music scene is much welcomed by music fans all over the world, why did spend so many years away from it all?

Arch: I was never in a band situation after Fates Warning, and that is the biggest motivator. When you are immersed in something you are passionate about, and you make a living doing it, well there is your motivation. As soon as you step out of that arena, things change quickly and you soon feel like a stranger to something you once knew so well.

DA: Can you give any details on a potential tour for Arch/Matheos?

Arch: Not much to mention at this time, except for one fesival in Germany.

DA: What are your plans for the future, can we expect another Arch/Matheos album?

Arch: After all was said and done, it was lots of work, but we had fun doing it, and the fans made it all worth while… making the way for music in the future.. why not?

 

Album Review: Sympathetic Resonance – Arch/Matheos

Album: SYMPATHETIC RESONANCE

Release: 2011

Artist: Arch/Matheos

Label: Metal Blade

Track Listing: 1) Neurotically Wired 2) Midnight Serenade 3) Stained Glass Sky 4) On the Fence 5) Any Given Day (Strangers Like Me) 6) Incense and Myrrh

It’s been twenty-five years since John Arch last appeared on a full-length album. Since Awaken the Guardian, the former Fates Warning frontman released his solo EP A Twist of Fate in 2003 with help from former band mate Jim Matheos. An impressive return it seemed, yet it was to be another eight years before a full-length record would emerge, and here we are with Sympathetic Resonance. Bringing in further ex-Fates Warning members Joey Vera (Bass) and Frank Aresti (Guitar) almost makes this a version of Fates Warning in itself with Bobby Jarzombek completing the line up on drums.

This is an ambitious and undoubtedly progressive release, containing six solid pieces of music, three of which clock in past the ten minute mark. Neurotically Wired and Midnight Serenade are stunning tracks to open up the album. Arch’s angelic vocals glide sublimely above the voracious technical instrumental passages that shift relentlessly from one heavy riff to another. The guitar tones are beefy and heavy as hell. Creating a monstrous wave of sound, Matheos and Aresti execute intellectual guitar wizardry through the shifting time signatures. Each section compliments the next as tension-building soft passages mould seamlessly with the heavy riffage. Arch’s persistent use of the harmonic minor scale creates a sense of mystery that runs throughout the album. His vocal delivery is staggeringly powerful and with his high range as strong as ever this record is proving to be more than just a welcome return.

Stained Glass Sky is the longest track clocking in just shy of fourteen minutes. The instrumental intro is a show of technical brilliance and a prime example of how these musicians have inspired the likes of Dream Theater and Symphony X. Despite its mammoth length the track succeeds in being melodically rich and musically entertaining. Any Given Day (Strangers Like Me) is not quite as polished with some sections feeling a little out of place if not forced to fit into the arrangement. On the Fence and album closer Incesnse and Myrrh are shorter ventures (the former still hitting the eight minute mark) that solidify the strength of the album; expertly written songs that don’t outstay their welcome. Arch’s lyrics frame him as the perfect storyteller. His first person fantasy accounts blend perfectly with the instrumental progressions, together forming an intriguing musical landscape.

Far from just a Fates Warning side project, Arch/Matheos is a collaboration that has proven it has a place in the current progressive metal scene. The high calibre song writing seldom fails to impress, the individual performances from each contributing band member are unfaultable and the production is clear and polished. Kicking off a month full of highly anticipated progressive releases from the likes of Dream Theater, Opeth and Mastodon, Arch/Matheos have set the standard high.

 

Rating: [9/10]

 

TTT:

1)      Neurotically Wired

2)      Stained Glass Sky

3)      Midnight Serenade

 

Reviewed by: Daniel Aston, 05/09/2011