with
Fates Warning
by Travis Becker

The list of metal bands from the early to mid 80�s who are still around and making albums, relevant albums at least, is a short list indeed. Certainly Metallica sits atop that list, but Fates Warning isn�t too far behind.  They may not have enjoyed the commercial success of Metallica (FW�s highest charting album on Billboard just crept into the #111 spot) but in terms of artistic progression and just plain chops Fates Warning stands toe to toe with the juggernauts of the heavy metal and documentary filmmaking worlds.  The core of guitarist Jim Matheos and singer Ray Alder continue to crank out pertinent tomes of Prog Metal veering far way from the pulp fiction minced out by most of their peers.

So-called Progressive Metal has been around for a long time and just hearing a solid album like FWX, the new offering from Hartford�s Fates Warning, reminds one of how satisfying the genre can be when executed successfully.  While not a full-on orchestra with all the bells and whistles (and flutes and cellos for that matter) of the London Symphony Orchestra, the album is arranged exquisitely.  The guitars and other electronic effects provided by Matheos gel so perfectly with the drums and bass that one wonders how a big time band like Metallica can get away with putting out a debacle like S&M and still have the balls to call it metal.  That is not what orchestral metal sounds like, the new Fates Warning in a word, is.  The sound is full and diverse, and the band takes advantage of having one of the finest singers in all of heavy music in Alder.  His voice truly transcends that of a mere vocalist and becomes part of the overall sound, another instrument in and of itself, if you will.  Standout tracks like �Simple Human� and �Another Perfect Day� are well placed and the record maintains a great sense of pacing.  The opening is perfect as well, recalling late period Zeppelin and Queensryche with its delicate guitars and celestial vocals. 

FWX is a worthy addition to the Fates Warning lexicon, but it is not an album without faults.  The vocals are at times indecipherable, making any message of the album (if it has one) irrelevant or incomprehensible.  At times the electronic effects are too heavily done, weighing the album down in a sea of video-gameesque composition.  At times I felt like I was back at home with my Nintendo 64 playing GoldenEye.  It�s hard to keep making important albums after more than twenty years, just ask Metallica   If they need a few pointers, though, they need look no further than Fates Warning who continue to excel after ten albums and no haircuts.
 

Fates Warning - FWX
Label: Metal Blade
Rating: