Theatre of Fate shows tremendous growth for Viper. The songwriting has become much more original and exciting, and Andre Matos really shows what a great singer he is. A soft guitar instrumental, "Illusions," begins the album, followed by several good rockers. The album really hits its stride with "Living for the Night," which starts as a ballad but picks up the tempo midway through. The second to last song, the brilliant title track, gives Matos a chance to show his fantastic range. The last song, "Moonlight," is the only Viper song credited to Matos, a beautiful, classically influenced power ballad. Theatre of Fate is a wonderful piece of progressive metal that Viper chose not to repeat, changing musical styles and singers afterwards.
© David White /TiVo