A PLEASANT SHADE OF GRAY

As much as I've resisted giving all of the highly rated Prog Metal and Tech/Extreme Metal albums here on PA a listen, there are a few 90s "classics" that are making me rethink my attitude. Omnio, Dream Theater, Voivod, and this one, from Fates Warning, have all provided me with albums that I surprisingly quite enjoyed--and A Pleasant Shade of Gray may be my favorite. I consider the album really one epic divided into 12 parts, all contributing significantly to the overall feel and story. No where do I find the "metal" tendencies to be repelling or bombastic. In fact, the pacing and use of so much spaciousness are quite surprising to me. The singer is so clean and easy to understand--and perfectly matched to the music he's singing over. The album's one song has even impressed me enough to find its way into my list of Top LP Prog Epic--sitting at #16--for the whole decade!