Awaken the Guardian

Awaken the Guardian
Studio album by Fates Warning
Released	November 10, 1986 (1986-11-10)
Recorded	September–October 1986 at Stagg Street Studios in Los Angeles, California; Preferred Sound in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles
Genre	Progressive metal
Length	47:57
Label	Metal Blade
Producer	Fates Warning, Brian Slagel
Fates Warning chronology
The Spectre Within (1985) Awaken the Guardian (1986) No Exit (1988)
Alternative cover
2005 deluxe edition

Professional ratings
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AllMusic

Awaken the Guardian is the third studio album by progressive metal band Fates Warning, released on November 10, 1986 through Metal Blade Records. It has been reissued three times: first as a double album with No Exit in 1992, followed by a remastered edition in 1994, and once again as a deluxe edition Digipak on June 28, 2005. The latter includes a bonus disc containing demos and live tracks, as well as a DVD of a concert from December 28, 1986 at the Sundance club in Long Island, New York; this being the only known video footage of the Awaken the Guardian line-up performing live. This would be the band's last album to feature original singer John Arch, who was replaced by Ray Alder on their subsequent 1988 album No Exit.

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Jim Matheos and John Arch, except where noted. 

No.	Title	Length
1.	"The Sorceress"	5:44
2.	"Valley of the Dolls"	5:22
3.	"Fata Morgana"	5:25
4.	"Guardian"	7:33
5.	"Prelude to Ruin"	7:23
6.	"Giant's Lore (Heart of Winter)" (Arch, Frank Aresti)	6:00
7.	"Time Long Past" (Matheos)	1:51
8.	"Exodus"	8:39
Total length:		47:57

Disc two (CD): 2005 deluxe edition bonus tracks
No.	Title	Length
1.	"The Sorceress" (demo)	5:27
2.	"Valley of the Dolls" (demo)	5:33
3.	"Prelude to Ruin" (demo)	7:06
4.	"Fata Morgana" (live)	5:08
5.	"Damnation" (live)	5:44
6.	"The Apparition" (live)	5:57
7.	"The Sorceress" (live)	4:51
8.	"Guardian" (live)	6:40
9.	"Die Young" (live)	4:04
Total length:		50:30

Disc three (DVD): live at the Sundance club
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Valley of the Dolls"	4:28
2.	"Pirates of the Underground"	6:57
3.	"Orphan Gypsy"	6:25
4.	"Fata Morgana"	5:41
5.	"Traveler in Time"	6:17
6.	"The Sorceress"	4:37
7.	"Guardian"	6:54
8.	"Prelude to Ruin"	7:10
9.	"Damnation"	6:02
10.	"The Apparition"	6:00
11.	"Die Young"	3:24
12.	"Kiss of Death"	5:11
Total length:		69:06

Personnel

• John Arch – vocals, production
• Frank Aresti – guitar, production
• Jim Matheos – guitar, production
• Jim Archambault – keyboard
• Steve Zimmerman – drums, production
• Joe DiBiase – bass, production
• Bill Metoyer – engineering
• Scott Campbell – engineering
• Steve Himelfarb – engineering
• Kevin Beauchamp – engineering
• Dave Obrizzo – engineering
• Eddy Schreyer – mastering, remastering

Charts

Year	Chart	Position
1987	Billboard 200	191