Fate: Ghosts From The Past

You only need to realise that Fate have more former members than they do albums to know that this Danish Melodic Metal act have followed a winding and convoluted path. Coming together back in 1984 the band was formed by one time Mercyful Fate guitarist Hank Sherman and while he may well be long gone from the Fate scene the self titled debut which he led is still held by many as a classic of the genre. Since then frontmen and guitarists have come and gone and even from the band's last album 2006's V, both guitarist Soren Hoff and singer Per Johansson, the latter of which to put it diplomatically split opinion with his vocal skills, have departed. Coming in to replace the pair are Torben Enevoldsen (guitarist with Section A and Fatal Force) and Faroe Islands based vocalist Dagfinn Joensen, with the band completed by Jens Berglid on drums, Mikkel Henderson on keyboards and the only original band member standing, bassist Peter Steincke.

To his credit Enevoldsen immediately stamps his mark on the Fate sound, with his strong riffs taking centre stage for the majority of this beefy, yet superbly melodic album and while the keyboards do have an integral part to play on Ghosts From The Past, this is an album where the riff is king. Joensen also gives an excellent account of himself, with his rich, clear vocal tones adding a depth to the album that his rather uneven predecessor couldn't quite provide.

"I Believe In Rock And Roll" where the bulging riff and Deep Purplesque keyboards combine beautifully with the pounding beat and gang vocal chorus, creates a well crafted balance between melody and Metal, while "Murder", which reminds of Vow Wow (definitely a good thing) until the vocals start, adds a more commercial vibe to the Fate sound. "Daddy's Girl" finds the keyboards taking a front seat, with a catchy motif playing throughout the whole song, although it really is tracks such as "Children Of The Night" where the guitar is again turned up that really show this album at its best. On the flip side the slower numbers don't quite have enough character to really hit home with both "Moving On" and "Follow Your Heart" being a little lacklustre.

Hopefully Fate can finally stick with a settled line up and while Ghosts From The Past may not quite be a true classic, there's enough here to keep the band's fans happy and hook in those who like their Melodic Rock with a touch more guitars than normal.

Track Listing
1.Children Of The Night
2.Miracle
3.Seeds Of Terror
4.Fear Of The Stranger
5.At The End Of The Day
6.All That I Want
7.Follow Your Heart
8.Daddyýs Girl
9.Moving On
10.Murder
11.The Last Time
12.I Belive In Rock N Roll
13.The Other Side

Added: November 18th 2011
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Official Fate Website
Hits: 3497
Language: english

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