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What's amazing is not so much the fact that these guys reformed after a
9 year absence, nor the fact that they have put out 7 of their 9 releases
since 1993, but that the band continues to surpass their previous efforts with
this release. While last year's Dead Again was competant, I much prefer
the material that exists on 9. Mike Wead has really engrained himself as
part of the M.F. sound, and works to update Shermann's classic eighties
riffs into something that could be deemed retro, but is so slick and sounds so
good, it's obvious from which decade it was born. I can't
believe how fast this stuff makes it out either, 9 being
recorded about two months before it was released, a true
testament to the prolific nature of this band, and probably also
related to wanting to get this on the market before the summer
festivals. For whatever the reason, expect nothing less than
the best from these guys, this line-up being the strongest since
the beginning. I can still pick out which tracks were penned by
the King, and tend to prefer the more intricate Shermann material,
but it's all good, and after snagging the opening slot for
Metallica this summer, the Fate just may become a household name
again in the coming millennium.
7 out of 10
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1983 Roadrunner Records
1984 Roadrunner Records
1993 Metal Blade Records
1994 Metal Blade Records
1996 Metal Blade Records
1998
Metal Blade Records
