JOHN ARCH And JIM MATHEOS Join Forces In New Project - Jan. 19, 2011

Alnog Matheos and Arch: Frank Aresti, Joey Vera and Bobby Jarzombek. Quite a deluxe line-up.

Wish I can attend but I foresee it will be impossible for me :(, some bands are neat in my book:

SWORD (CAN)
TYTAN (GB)
ADRAMELCH (ITA)
OSTROGOTH (BEL)
FUELED BY FIRE (EE UU)
 
After listening a few times the album blows me away !!! It is soooooo good !!!
The new Dream Theater and this one released in one month is just epic :)
 
The new album's pretty solid. It's heavy, Arch sounds great. Good songwriting. Jarzombek really shines on this material too. He's a damn fine "substitute" for Mark Zonder.

My biggest gripe is the same gripe I've always had with Dream Theater: it's too long. None of the songs that are 12+ minutes long need to be. Stained Glass Sky is really 2 songs in one. The first 3 minutes have nothing to do with the rest of the song, and there are other parts in songs that drone on needlessly.

That aside, If you liked the EP he did a decade ago, you'll love this, because it's even better.
 
Just got it in the mail today and I'm on first listen, first song. I'm being "neurotically wired" I guess you'd say. Crunchy heavy for sure and John Arch seems to just sing to me and my personal tastes. Agree with Brandon about the drumming too. Awesome and right on par with Zonder.
 
I like the music - the band sounds great - but unfortunately, this album has done little to change my opinion of Arch as a vocalist.

I hope the new Fates Warning is this heavy!!
 
This is the by far the heaviest album that Matheos has produced in a years, so it's cool to see that side of him reemerge. As has already been mentioned, the drumming really stands out. I need a couple of more listens to reach a verdict on Arch's performance.