FATES WARNING

On the surface, it comes across as one of those millennial "Oooh, the Internet is scary, will it truly offer us a closer connection to each other or will it all leave us more disconnected and isolated?" concepts that proliferated back in that slice of time after the Internet had become ubiquitous but before Facebook and other social media platforms had definitively answered the question. ("Yes, the Internet will connect you to other people and their innermost thoughts and feelings. You will quickly get sick of them.")

The genius of the album is that rather than approaching the subject like they have an axe to grind, or limiting themselves to that narrow concept, Fates Warning instead take it as a jumping-off point to explore all sorts of different types of interpersonal connection and disconnection, being wise enough to realise that actually, interpersonal connection tends to pan out differently for different people. Some songs, such as One, outright celebrate the emotional bonds between people - others note how they can be mentally draining and sometimes you *need* your alone time to recharge your batteries, whilst others are sung from the point of views struggling to reach out.

It's kind of like its Rorscharch blot of a cover. Some might see it as capturing two people seeking intimacy but being blocked from it by the very devices they have chosen to apply to themselves (or have been forced to by circumstance); I see it as a happy scene of two gasmask fetishists finding each other in a world where it's never been easier to find someone who shares your kinks.

Musically, we're dealing with a nicely matured version of the 1990s Fates Warning sound, the band entering the new millennium with the confidence to simply sound like themselves and not worrying about then-current trends in metal. (Then again, given the rise of nu-metal between Pleasant Shade and this, deciding not to go down that route may have been a no-brainer - I've got nothing against nu-metal, but I can think of few styles less compatible with Fates Warning's approach). The combination of all these features makes Disconnected, for me, the best Fates Warning album since No Exit.

This is an album that takes multiple listens to fully understand, even for a fan of progressive metal, due to the jarring alterations, production and off-kilter vocals. Despite all this, it rarely becomes dissonant, and once fully understood, I failed to realize what put My off about it for a while. The atmosphere of this record is so strong that I failed to realize how I wasn't immediately sucked in. But this is an album that is meant to be listened to multiple times to understand, and this cannot be achieved with a soapbox mindset (until afterwards, of course).

The music of this records gives you quite literally anything that one could desire in Heavy Metal, each in different moments, yet still flowing together in its mystical, fantastical atmosphere, always with off kilter, progressive tendencies and it never uses the same ones over and over again. Each moment has its own unique spin without sounding remotely confused. Tracks like "Valley of the Dolls" and "Prelude to Ruin" boarderline on Thrash Metal quite often, while still containing multiple shifts in mood and tempo, without being forced. "Fata Morgana" has an epic power metal feel that puts the listener into an uplifting mindset, as does the ballad, "Guardian", which has a rather dark chord progression when you strip it down of its additional accessories, but those are able to make it sound so beautiful that one doesn't even notice, finishing with a faster, thrasher pace. "Exodus" is a song that captures the essence of fantasy itself, despite the fact that the lyrics have nothing to do with fantasy. The chorus is mesmerizingly epic, taking you to worlds of your wildest dreams. There's even a softer, more acousticly driven section that makes me feel as though I'm floating down a river in a cave, with Arch singing me to sleep.

Speaking of Arch, he is one of the most unique vocalists that I have ever come across. While he seems to have the influences of vocalists like Dickinson and Halford, but he also seems to have studied Indian music, as his vocal melodies have many similarities to that style. He makes both apparent by making his vocal melodies as intricate as possible, as well as sounding rather odd and twisted, sometimes making him sound haunting to the ear, but it still flows so beautifully that it's able to fit the diversity of the music. His tone is also unique, but an acquired taste. It puts strong emphasis on nasal and chest, which actually annoyed me at first listen. However, with each listen that I took part in, I grew to adore his voice. He is also a brilliant lyricist (all of the lyrics on the album are written by him). They cover a wide range of topics, including social commentary, history, fantasy, philosophy, disability, love, social commentary, even hating glam (though it is done in such a genius way that I can't even complain). He uses metophor that relates to the other varying topics throughout the record, making it impossible to understand the meaning without reading through it with sharp concentration. His qu with words invokes emotion in ways that I cannot describe, but there is one thing that I must point out. In one instance, he uses alliteration. "Blasphamous black bible bias, you betray bigotry".. I've never heard anyone else do that on any other piece of music that I've ever listened to!

This is an album that triggers many different emotions, each at different times, but at its end, it leaves you with an astounding feeling of absolute triumph, amazingly without any epic speed metal (there really isn't anything over 100 bpm on here). With brilliant usage of odd time signatures, sneaky use of acoustics, as well as astonishingly vivid atmosphere, this album is an absolute wonder of a journey that never even gets predictable or gineric for one second. Definetly the magnum opus of Fates Warning's career, the greatest power metal album ever made, and one of the greatest albums of all time.

'A Pleasant Shade Of Gray' is the eighth studio album of Fates Warning and was released in 1997. The line up on the album is Ray Alder, Jim Matheos, Joey Vera and Mark Zonder. The album had also the participation of Kevin Moore, Bill Metoyer, Lydia Montagnese, Lindsay Matheos and Terry Brown. This is the first Fates Warning album with Joey Vera. The former Armoured Saint bassist was recruited to substituted their previous former bassist Joe DiBiase.

Fates Warning is perhaps the only progressive metal act that helped develop this genre from the 80's to this time, but they have always been overshadowed by their contemporaries. In the 80's everyone had their attention focused on Queensryche and Crimson Glory, and the 90's saw Dream Theater and Symphony X dominating everything in that area. And, while very few bands have managed to maintain their consistency, always putting out quality material, carving their own little niche in the ever-growing genre, many of them went for the easy way out after scoring one or two major albums. For Fates Warning, on the other hand, it was a slower, but perhaps safer, process of growing and establishing themselves as one of the greatest progressive metal bands of all times. Unfortunately, this is an underrated band.

Matheos is also an underrated musician. His genius is always passed up for some reason. He wrote all the lyrics and composed this entire album on his own. What's more is that he hasn't taken the easy way out laying down some meaningless riffs and solos throughout this album. On the contrary he only plays few solos on the entire album. These solos are slow and minimal but emotionally charged at the highest level possible. Alder does his best vocal performance ever here. He stays comfortably in his own range and delivers the tunes with passion, emotion and conviction. Vera had just joined the band and this was his first stint with the band but he fits in perfectly in Matheos' song craft. Zonder is best known for restraining himself when necessary and always giving the song what it needs.

Finally, we have Moore. His presence on the album makes all the difference. Fates Warning had never used keyboards and piano this effectively before, but for an album like this, no one would have been a better choice. Moore's minimalist playing and the heavy atmosphere that covers the tunes delicately complement the songs very well. He particularly shines on this album. I really think this is the best album with Moore, as a guest, in his post 'Awake' musical career.

About 'A Pleasant Shade Of Gray', Matheos said that the genesis of the album was a departure from their previous two albums. For him, apart from 'Parallels' and 'Inside Out', all their albums have sounded different. 'A Pleasant Shade Of Gray' is really very different from most progressive metal albums of the 90's. There is little to no effort made to make the listener's head spin with unnecessary technical prowess. You don't get dizzy listening to it trying to keep up with various poly-rhythms, countless notes squeezed into a scale played mindlessly fast on the guitar or a singer constantly exerting himself just to remain in his highest range possible. All these aspects have no purpose on this album.

'A Pleasant Shade Of Gray' is presented as a whole, parted in 12 songs. Or, if you want, you can call it a conceptual album. Fates Warning explores a darker side of the progressive rock music. The lyrics are great and the tone of the music fits the concept perfectly. Each part flows into others quite well. The pace of the album is slow and the entire album is very moody due to its extreme progressive nature. The main feeling all over this album is the 'gray-ness'. Reading the lyrics, you could be intrigued by the statement of what really is the concept of 'pleasant'? And what is this about this 'shade of gray'? I really think that the 'opposition of the contraries, gray and pleasant' is solved, in the end of the album. Emptiness, confusion and desolation, are things which lead us to a sort of desperation. But, finally, 'face to face we'll awake/ to see another day' is a kind of thing that gives us a new hope. It's like a nightmare, which finally ends. Moreover, this sensation is clarified by the clock ring in the end of the album. It's like in the beginning of the album of Dream Theater, 'Awake'. The final result is that the mood these guys managed to create is really wonderful.

Conclusion: If 'Inside Out' was a kind of continuation of 'Parallels', in musical style, 'A Pleasant Shade Of Gray' is something new compared to its predecessors. No, not fundamentally new, but still the changes are substantial, in my humble opinion. This album is a must listen for any truly fan of progressive metal, or simply any music fan who enjoys contemplating real music. 'A Pleasant Shade Of Gray' is a unique album by a unique band. The listener must simply keep in mind that it's not meant as a catchy sing along or as background music. Sometimes I wonder why this band is so underrated. It's really a shame. Everybody who likes this genre should check this band out. This album could be a very good introduction to this great band. For me, this is one of the jewels of the progressive metal discography. I even dare to say that this album is a classic in the progressive metal field. I know this isn't consensual, but it's what I think.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

"From The Rooftops" opens with drums and atmosphere as soaring guitar leads join the relaxed sound. Ray's reserved vocals arrive before 1 minute then some more of that melancholic soaring guitar. A change after 2 minutes as we get crushed with heaviness as Ray spits out the lyrics. I like the section starting 3 1/2 minutes in as we get an IRON MAIDEN-like sound including the vocals. Ripping guitar after 5 1/2 minutes as they kick more ass. "Seven Stars" starts off sounding pretty amazing instrumentally, it's heavy with guitar over top. The vocals join in as it settles back some. A classic FATES WARNING chorus here as I'm singing along with Adler. There's a nice guitar solo 3 minutes in.

"SOS" opens with guitar grinding away as emotional vocals join in then it kicks in hard. Riffs galore at times and this would sound awesome live, a barn-burner. An atmospheric calm arrives 2 minutes in as Ray returns with those emotional vocals. "The Light And Shade Of Things" is dark and laid back with atmosphere as soft vocals arrive. It's building some 1 1/2 minutes in but not much until we get hit with a wall of sound 3 minutes in. Oh my! The chorus before 4 minutes is heavy and catchy with vocals. It's pretty intense after the chorus as Ray sings with anger. The chorus returns then we get a heavy bass/ drum section then it settles with relaxed guitar expressions. The chorus is back then they kick it hard again 8 1/2 minutes in before it settles to end it.

"White Flag" is a top three for me. A heavy intro as passionate vocals join in. What a kick-ass tune! How uplifting is this after 2 minutes as it settles back a little. So much emotion for me. A killer instrumental section arrives after 3 minutes. "Like Stars Our Eyes Have Seen" is another top three. An all out assault from Jarzombek on his kit as Adler joins in with attitude. It doesn't change much on the chorus other than Ray's vocals aren't as mean sounding. It's not nearly as heavy 2 1/2 minutes in but that doesn't last for long. Intense is the word 3 1/2 minutes in.

"The Ghost Of Home" is my favourite song on here. Samples of different spoken words and sounds last for about a minute then it all stops as vocals and intricate guitar take over. it kicks in hard bringing MAIDEN to mind before 2 1/2 minutes. Vocals before 4 1/2 minutes as it lightens. Love Vera's bass lines here, so upfront. I also like when Adler cries "Home again! Home again!" then it settles some after 6 minutes. It's so uplifting after 7 1/2 minutes then it ends with a heavy duty section. "Theories Of Flight" is the interesting closer bringing to mind the "Disconnected" album with all the atmosphere. Samples to start in that atmosphere before some guest female spoken words arrive and she will come and go with them as she tells the story. The tempo picks up before 2 minutes in this instrumental section then a calm follows. More spoken female words then the intricate guitar returns. The guitar cries out 3 minutes in then more spoken female words and intricate guitar. This is just outside of my top three.

Just an excellent Prog-Metal album and I think I'd rank it fourth or so when it comes to their studio albums, not counting that ARCH/ MATHEOS recording of course even if that seems like a legit FATES WARNING album.

Stylistically "Theories Of Flight" is pretty much a continuation of the progressive metal style on "Darkness In A Different Light (2013)". It´s generally a bit more melodic and to my ears also slightly more memorable, but the overall concept is similar to the predecessor. Heavy intriguing guitar riffs and rhythms, melodic solos, beautiful acoustic/clean guitar work, and Ray Alder´s strong emotive vocals in front (often featuring harmony and choir vocals).

The album feautures 8 tracks and a full playing time of 52:17 minutes. Both "The Light and Shade of Things" and "The Ghosts of Home" are around 10 minutes long, but the remaining tracks feature more regular lengths (from 4 to 6 minutes). The material is very well written and the combination of relatively straight forward and catchy tracks like "Seven Stars", "SOS", and "Like Stars Our Eyes Have Seen", and the longer more complex tracks like the two above mentioned, and album opener "From the Rooftops", works really well. Now that I´ve mentioned almost every track featured on the album, I can just as well mention the remaining two. "White Flag" is a powerful track with a commanding vocal delivery by Alder and the title track, which is the album closer, is an atmospheric instrumental, which ends the album in great style.

It´s overall a very dynamic and adventurous album. One moment it´s melodic and beatiful and the next a bit darker and heavy. The trademark sophisticated Fates Warning groove, which features a lot of off-beat rhythm patterns and chord strokes, is also present and accounted for. The musicianship is on a high level on all posts. Alder is as mentioned an incredibly skilled and distinct sounding vocals, who can sing both emotive mellow parts and louder more aggressive ones (for the style), with equal passion and conviction, the rhythm section play varied and powerful, and the guitars both play melodic and heavy. The guitar solos deserve a special mention. They are played with a lot of attention to tone and feeling, and they are also pretty varied.

"Theories Of Flight" features a warm, clear, and powerful sounding production, which suits the material perfectly, and I actually have a very hard time coming up with any issues regarding the album. To my ears it´s their best release in years, which is especially due to the increased focus on melody and accessibility that Fates Warning have here. A focal point which has not affected how heavy and powerful the music is, and that´s usually a hard balance to strike. A 5 star (100%) rating is deserved.

Note: There´s a limited edition 2CD/2LP version available, which features 6 bonus tracks. Acoustic versions of the band´s own compositions "Firefly", "Seven Stars", and "Another Perfect Day", and acoustic covers of "Pray Your Gods" by Toad The Wet Sprocket, "Adela" by Joaquin Rodrigo (with Alder singing Spanish language lyrics), and "Rain" by Uriah Heep. While acoustic renditions of existing non-acoustic material aren´t always the greatest idea, Fates Warning pull if off with ease. Beautiful acoustic guitar arrangements and a Ray Alder in vocal top form, ensure that these bonus tracks are well worth purchasing the limited edition for. I especially enjoyed "Firefly", "Another Perfect Day", and "Rain", but the remaining tracks are also of high quality.

I'm shocked and more than pleasantly surprised.

Ray Alder's vocal work here is impeccable- just slightly more mature than albums 20+ years ago but trust me, he brings home the goods here.

And that doesn't mean that every other band member here is not coming to the plate in full form - they are.

Above all, like I've found with this year's output from favorite prog-metallers - Haken - the songwriting here is flawless. No filler, no cheese-ball nonsense; just stunningly listenable, memorable melodies and song structures (thank you, Jim Matheos!). I'm picking up a slight OSI strain to some of the songs, too; e.g. check out the closing 30 seconds or so of "Like Stars Our Eyes Have Seen."

And as opposed 2016's silly, Sound of Music-esque inane, painful, unlistenable drivel album (which prog metal band am I referring to?) what you'll find here is simply good music.

Five unabashed stars.

Verdict: a superb band and a superb album.