''Control and Resistance'' is the second and final album by

progressive metal Progressive metal (sometimes shortened to prog metal) is a broad :Fusion music genres, fusion music genre melding heavy metal music, heavy metal and progressive rock, combining the loud "aggression" and amplified electric guitar, guitar-driven s ...

band

Watchtower A watchtower or watch tower is a type of fortification used in many parts of the world. It differs from a regular tower in that its primary use is military and from a turret in that it is usually a freestanding structure. Its main purpose is to ...

, released in 1989. This was the band's last album before disbanding in 1993 while working on its never-released third album ''Mathematics'', and their first release with vocalist

Alan Tecchio Alan Tecchio is an Italian-American singer, who sang for Seven Witches, Watchtower, Hades and Non-Fiction. He is also the lead vocalist on Symphony X Symphony X is an American progressive metal band from Middletown, New Jersey. Founded in 1 ...

and guitarist

Ron Jarzombek Ron Jarzombek is an American guitarist best known for his work with WatchTower, Spastic Ink, and Blotted Science, featuring Alex Webster of Cannibal Corpse. His most recent project is Terrestrial Exiled. He released a brand new song, "Beyon ...

. ''Control and Resistance'' combines elements of

thrash metal Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and often fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, 2007, . ...

and

jazz fusion Jazz fusion (also known as fusion and progressive jazz) is a music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and jazz improvisation, improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric guitars, ...

, and has been cited as one of the most influential albums in the technical thrash metal genre, as well as a major influence on the then-emerging

technical death metal Technical death metal (also referred to as tech-death) is a musical subgenre of death metal that began and developed in the early- to mid-1990s, with particular focus on challenging, demanding instrumental skill and complex songwriting. Techni ...

scene.

Reception

''Control and Resistance'' was hailed by ''

Guitar World ''Guitar World'' is a monthly music magazine for guitarists – and fans of guitar-based music and trends – that has been published since July 1980. ''Guitar World'', the best-selling guitar magazine in the United States, contains original art ...

'' magazine as one of "The Top Ten Shred Albums of the 80's" in a retrospective feature, "Sounding like the twisted scion of

Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...

and the

Mahavishnu Orchestra The Mahavishnu Orchestra were a jazz fusion band formed in New York City in 1971, led by English guitarist John McLaughlin. The group underwent several line-up changes throughout its history across its two periods of activity, from 1971 to 1976 a ...

, Watchtower was the most brilliant weird band of its time. Guitarist

, with his complex harmony solos, strange scales and furious staccato lead bursts, performs tricks on his guitar that will leave you more than sufficiently breathless."

Track listing

# "Instruments of Random Murder" – 4:06 # "The Eldritch" – 3:17 # "Mayday in Kiev" – 5:48 # "The Fall of Reason" – 8:01 # "Control and Resistance" – 6:58 # "Hidden Instincts" – 3:51 # "Life Cycles" – 6:48 # "Dangerous Toy" – 4:20 tracks 1, 2, 4 & 5 written by Doug Keyser
tracks 3, 6, 7 & 8 written by Doug Keyser and Ron Jarzombek

Notes

* The vinyl and compact disc versions of the album each feature distinctly different front cover artwork. * "Instruments of Random Murder" and "The Eldritch" were previously demoed in early 1987 at Cedar Creek Studios in Austin, TX. It was the first ever recording with

on guitar. * "The Fall of Reason" and "Hidden Instincts" were previously demoed by the band on a 4-track recorder in the fall of 1987. * Both 1987 demos are contained on the 2002 archives release '' Demonstrations In Chaos''. * The original working title for "Hidden Instincts" was "Plastic Lasagna". * "Dangerous Toy" was previously recorded with Mike Soliz on vocals for the 1989 ''Doomsday News 2'' compilation.

Band line-up

- vocals *

- guitars * Doug Keyser - bass * Rick Colaluca - drums

References

1989 albums Watchtower (band) albums Noise Records albums {{1980s-metal-album-stub