FREEDOMS REIGN — Freedoms Reign (review)

FREEDOMS REIGN — Freedoms Reign album cover Album · 2013 · Heavy Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
J-Man
Although he delivered very promising performances alongside Jim Matheos on the first two Fates Warning albums, guitarist Victor Arduini virtually disappeared from the metal scene for decades after his time with these American progressive metal legends. Now that it's been nearly 28 years since the release of The Spectre Within (his final album release with Fates Warning), the guitarist has finally returned to the metal scene with his new band Freedoms Reign. This time functioning as both a guitarist and vocalist, Arduini has also recruited other talented musicians to create an impressive display of traditional heavy metal.

Not unlike the albums that Victor Arduini created with Fates Warning, the music on Freedoms Reign can best be classified as “traditional” metal, but both bands sound unmistakably different. The most notable difference being in the vocal department - the high-pitched, commanding vocals of John Arch contrast greatly with Victor Arduini's Ozzy Osbourne-styled singing, and while I'm certainly more of a John Arch fan, Arduini does an excellent job as a frontman. The other three musicians on Freedoms Reign (bassist Mike Jones, drummer Chris Judge, and guitarist Tom Vumback) don't have experience in other bands from what I can tell, but they all deliver strong performances here.

Freedoms Reign doesn't aim to cross any boundaries with this debut album (and I would like to see them diversify their sound a bit next time around), but they have still delivered a strong heavy metal album with a likeable old school touch. Fans of acts like Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, and Rainbow should certainly enjoy what this ex-Fates Warning guitarist has up his sleeve!
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Metal Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

Hin helga kvöl Atmospheric Sludge Metal
SÓLSTAFIR
Buy this album from MMA partners
The Cycles of Suffering Black Metal
BURIAL OATH
Buy this album from MMA partners
The Suns of Perdition - Chapter IV: To Shadow Zion Black Metal
PANZERFAUST
Buy this album from MMA partners
Facilis Descensus Averno Death Metal
SAEVUS FINIS
Buy this album from MMA partners
Merciless Crossover Thrash
BODY COUNT
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

DAWN OF REVENGE - Sanctuary [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 5 days ago
DAWN OF REVENGE - Farewell [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 5 days ago
DAWN OF REVENGE - Curtain of Death - [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 5 days ago
DAWN OF REVENGE - Vengeance [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 5 days ago
DAWN OF REVENGE - I Need You [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 5 days ago
More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed