PERFECT SYMMETRY

Along with Queensryche's _The Warning_, this is a pioneering album responsible for bands like Dream Theatre and the like. Basically the second stage of progressive metal and its development. Great production and much more *musical* than Queensryche. Sort of like a prog.rock polish of Thin Lizzy/Iron Maiden-like twin guitars of Jim Matheos and Frank Aresti but with an acoustic flare here and there making it more palatable. Quite pleasing to the ears. Ray Alder has a fine set of pipes, somewhere in between Geoff Tate of Queensryche and James LaBrie of Dream Theatre. For lack of a better term, Fates Warning is the conservative version of prog.metal. Not as psychedelic or Floydish as Queensryche and not as over the top and bombast as Dream Theatre. Fates Warning is very tasteful when they show off their chops. They show off, but it's generally part of the song and they don't overstay their welcome when branching out. Kevin Moore of early period Dream Theatre plays the keyboards on a few tracks. The highlight of this album would definitely be the intricate drumming Mark Zonder. At times he'll sound like Carl Palmer then branch out to Bill Bruford territory. Wonderful violin by Faith Fraeoli and the intro to _At Fate's Hands_. _The Arena_ is just that...a great display for such a venue. Another tasteful violin solo by Faith Fraeoli on _Chasing Time_. A great closer at 8 minutes in _Nothing Left To Say_, Ray Alder at his most impressive vocally. Very tight instrumentally throughout(an epic but feels much longer than its 8 minutes). Interested in Fates Warning? START HERE. A masterpiece of prog.metal.