A PLEASANT SHADE OF GRAY

I don't think I have ever heard a band who has changed its sound so much over the course of its career as Fates Warning. For me that is one of the great appeals of this band. This evolution has resulted in one of the finest back cataologues of music in progressive metal.

A Plesant Shade of Grey is vastly different from their previous album Inside Out. On this album they went more into their progressive side, leaving behind the more commmercial sound they had developed in the early 90s.

APSOG is basically one epic song broken up into 12 parts. The music itself is very atmospheric, much of which is brought in by the magnificant keyboard work of former Dream Theater member Kevin Moore. A very different and welcome touch to the music of Fates Warning. But still there are some damn heavy riffs and the soaring meoldies we've come to expect are there as well. What APSOG does is send you on a fantastic emotional ride, that is a dark emotional ride of despair.

This for me is up there as one of their best alongside No Exit and Perfect Symmetry.