FATE – Ghosts From The Past

One of the few bands of note to have emerged from Denmark, Fate made
a distinctly mixed comeback in 2006 with the V album which for me was
ruined by the sandpaper-rough vocals of Per Henriksen. I assumed we had
heard the last of them but they have regrouped with an album that they
promise marries a modern approach with their commercial late eighties
albums such as A Matter of Attitude. But with only bassist Peter
Steincke from the original line-up, the connection to those days is
tenuous.

From the spectacular keyboard intro to Children of the Night it is
clear that the band are back on the straight and narrow, and that new
singer Dagfinn Joensen is a real find, having power and range to his
voice and the clear vocal enunciation so typical of Scandinavian melodic
rock. He proves that the Faroe Islands has more to offer than sheep and
bobble-hatted goalkeepers.

Yet this is no fest of fluffiness; for example the chorus of Seeds
of Terror marries a strong hook with a menacing, almost Halford-esque
vocal sign off, while Fear of the Stranger follows the blueprint
established by Rainbow Rising.

Its an album that could potentially appeal to fans of Euro power
metal as well as a more AOR crowd. Guitarist Torben Enevoldsen is
allowed to let rip at every opportunity, and the duels between guitar
and over the top keyboard solos from Mikkel Henderson are a feature of
the album throughout and very reminiscent of fellow countrymen Pretty
Maids.

Nevertheless it is the more melodic moments that work best for me.
Daddy’s Girl (with the same lyrical theme and sparkling keyboards as Bon
Jovi’s Runaway) is one of the catchiest songs I have heard all year,
All that I want would not be out of place as the power ballad on a
Whitesnake album and The Last Time and I Believe in Rock n Roll have
more massive and instantly catchy choruses.

Not all the 13 tracks hit the mark and there are a couple of fillers
, but this is an unexpected comeback from a band who rival Skagarack as
the best musical exports from the land of mermaids and Lego, and one
which will hold appeal to a wide spectrum of tastes.

Andy Nathan

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

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David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 1 December 2024.

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Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024

In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections

Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)