Artist: Fate 
   Title: Ghosts From The Past
   Label:
AOR Heaven

Fate are a band that started out in Copenhagen back in the early eighties, formed by former Merciful Fate guitarist Hank Sherman, along with Jens Meiner and Peter Steincke.  Over the years the band have gone through numerous line-up changes and varying musical directions, at one time even being described as a Danish Van Halen, but the numerous band changes took their toll and the band called it a day in 1993.

But then in 2006, the band returned to appear at the Deep Impact Festival and with the re-release of their back catalogue, the band set about recording their ‘V’ album. Although this again was a short lived renaissance, with yet more band member changes. In 2008 Jens Berglid and Mikkel Henderson joined the ranks, then Dagfinn Joensen joined the band after the then frontman Per Henriksen, decided to quit the band.  Later in 2011 Saren Hoff left the band and in stepped Danish guitar wiz Torben Enevoldsen, and the next chapter in the bands history ‘Ghosts From The Past was written.

This new album sees the band return with what is a very, very good release and worthy of the Fate legacy, and in Joensen they’ve found a great voice to take the band forward.

The album opens up with ‘Children Of The Night’ and from the off, it's clear that Joensen has a great set of rock pipes on him, as he delivers a first class performance from beginning to end.   Things continue to impress with the excellent ‘Miracle’.  With the keyboards of Mikkel Henderson giving this one a progressive metal edge, along with Enevoldsen's towering riffs, although it's Joensen’s vocals that really shine through.

On ‘Seeds Of Terror’ Enevoldsen brings the big guns along with the massive rhythm section of Steincke’s thumping bass lines and Berglid’s powerhouse drumming, this time Joensen delivers a more angst vocal.

The hard edged progressive styled rock of ‘Fear Of The Stranger' keeps the mood and tempo going in an almost Maidenesque fashion, before one of my favourite tracks off the album ‘At The End Of The Day’.  A great slice of Melodic Hard Rock, which is quickly follow by the excellent and equally melodic ‘All That I Want’ and ‘Follow Your Heart’.

The tempo is picked up once more with the rockin’ ‘Daddy’s Girl’, before the harder edged ‘Moving On’, featuring more of a progressive edge to proceedings, but still a great track.

Another of my favourite tracks off the album has to be the stomping rocker ‘Murder’.  A gritty riff running through this one gives it a sleazy feel that really works with the keyboards.  Definitely one of the many highlights of the album.

For me the album could have finished there and I’d have been more than satisfied, but this is not the case as the fine rock continues with ‘The Last Time’, another gentle rocker that Joensen really puts his heart and soul into, before the blazing glory of the anthemic ‘I Believe In Rock N Roll’.  Again bringing a little sleazy edge to proceedings, before the album closes in style with the magnificent ‘The Other Side’.  A real tour de force to wrap up what is without a doubt, the best Fate album in years.

Tracklisting:

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. Daddy's Girl
9. Moving On
10. Murder
11. The Last Time
12. I Believe In Rock N Roll
13. The Other Side

                  

 

All content copyright of The Mayfair Mall Zine unless otherwise stated.