FATES WARNING

'The Spectre Within', released in 1985, is the second album of American progressive metal pioneers Fates Warning. One of my favourite bands for a long time, I must admit to struggling with their earlier material. Their first album, 'Night On Bröcken' was mostly forgettable in my opinion, and other than one or two moments, I found it difficult to really pick out any major highlights. Sadly, 'Spectre?' is no different.

It's not that I don't like it, but damn, this has been on my playlist for over a year, and I still feel like I'm not overly familiar with it. Perhaps I'm just busier than I think I am, but I just zone out whenever I play this. And it's a shame because it's not a terrible album.

Further laying the foundations of progressive metal, the performances on this record are of a high standard. With some tight guitar playing and fantastic displays of vocal prowess by singer John Arch, but sadly, there's only really two songs that I like, and that's 'Without a Trace', and 'Apparition'. The rest just sounds like they could be Iron Maiden b-sides.

And it's a shame. Because I genuinely love this band, but then I guess not every album is perfect! I'd like to stress that I don't think this album is awful by any stretch, but I would much, much rather listen to 'Parallels', 'Inside Out', 'Disconnected', or one of my all-time favourite albums, 'A Pleasant Shade of Gray'. So that's what I'll do.

I can think of no other way to start, but mention that here is when the ex-Warlord drummer Mark Zonder joined the band and initialized the prime era (according to many of FW fans) of the band. Mark Zonder had done some of the drum tuning on the band's earlier albums and also Jim Matheos was a big fan of Warlord. The latter was keen to upgrade the drum position, but Zonder wasn't interested in their early material. But when Jim sent him Part of the Machine, he was in. It became also the leading track of the album and Mark introduced himself to the FW fans in the most spectacular way. The song as a whole is one of the best of our beloved music. Then comes the "hit" of the album Through Different Eyes (it was the first single and also a video was shot). Mind you, when we're talking about hits here, there is stuff like drums playing in 4/4 time while the rest of the band in 3/4, wailing solos and the likes. Although it has a special place in my heart since it was one of the first songs I got to know from FW, now I rather avoid it. I have also realised that it's a bit out of the rest, darker context of the album . This is more evident on the two remaining songs of side A where Aresti rolls up his sleeves as a songwriter and they belong to the highlights of the album, especially Static Acts. Side B begins with classical guitars and violin once again in 3/4 time and the drums and Ray Alder join shortly in. When Ray is done with the vocal parts, an extended instrumental section begins with the help of the then Dream Theater keyman Kevin Moore. It's not twiddly and unnecessary solos, but actual song arrangements which keep the listener on their toes all along. After this song come the reasons why I don't award Perfect Symmetry a higher grading. The Arena (primarily) and Chasing Time (to a lesser extent) never managed to get under my skin. Especially the former is totally lukewarm and even the song's fade out sounds to me as they didn't know quite what to do with it, whereas the violin of Faith Fraeoli on the latter adds an interesting touch. Luckily, the album ends exactly in the way it began, namely with a killer prog masterpiece which was also the album's second single. From the stunning solos onwards (OK, Aresti's is even more sublime!) to the last bleak lyrics, Nothing Left to Say is a monument of Prog Metal (although with the addition of Zonder the term 'metal' became a bit restrictive for the band's sound). Fates Warning were on their way to became one of the most iconic prog bands, ever.

Fates Warning's wasted chance to break big, I think the band and the fans alike agree upon it (Jim Matheos: I wish I knew what went wrong). The album is written in its entirety by the mastermind Jim Matheos; no other member has contributed with music, only with arrangements. The relationship between the band members was failing and this is reflected by the lyrics. Music-wise, to quote Jim Matheos "It's been much more challenging for us to come up with shorter songs and keep them interesting, both lyrically and musically". I was turned into Fates Warning by Chasing Time (someone taped me the CD) and Parallels was the first album I ever bought and naturally is the one I have listened to mostly. I got hooked immediately by the skills and musicanship of Frank Aresti (I was hugely disappointed when he quit), his solos fire me up (consider the opener Leave the Past Behind). Now, the music does sound a bit more commercial (or maybe better it is more accessible), but I don't think many bands could perform these songs. It is a great thing to play intricate stuff and yet sound easy and straightforward. Ray Alder sounds amazing throughout. The drumming is phenomenal. No need to speak of the guitar work since Frank Aresti is present. The production of Terry Brown (yes, the "fourth" member of Rush) is clear. To my taste, the first six songs are my favourites without being able to point out any of them as most beloved. Inexplicably, my interest falters in the last two songs, although The Road Goes on Forever sounds a bit more interesting.

The verdict? Probably Fates Warning were not destined for success. They kept changing their sound and this cost them. Other "progressive" bands play the same things all over again, so the audience knows what to expect and their fan base keeps growing. Fates Warning have fans that swear by the Arch-area and are totally cold to the Alder-era and there are fans that think exactly the opposite. Then they carried on with Matheos as the only gutarist and their output took some years to come out...it seems that commercial success requires some standard steps and Fates Warning didn't comply with this.

'Live At the Dynamo' is a decent enough performance by Fates Warning at the 1998 Dynamo festival in Eindhoven, Holland. At barely 50 minutes in length, the band whisk through a huge portion of their 'A Pleasant Shade of Grey' album, as well as some of their more notable hits, including 'The Eleventh Hour', 'Point of View' and 'Monument'.

But overall, despite great performances and a good sound, this is pretty much only worth watching if you're a die-hard fan of the band. Mainly in part due to its brief duration and lack of any additional material. But with that said, watching the progressive metal pioneers back in the 90's is a healthy dose of nostalgia today (who remembers when Joey Vera had hair?!), and extra props for Ray Alder's shout-out to Stuck Mojo! "God, those guys rock!".

A Warning Disconnection

During the work with producer Terry Brown, Fates Warning made their best record. They finally found what they wanted to share, and their musical vision became more accessible to a regular listener, as their previous records were hard to understand. Now, the music and concept come together. Unfortunately, the record was somewhat underrated.

Disconnected blends their progressive metal roots with a heavier use of electronic elements. This album is often seen as a departure from their earlier, more guitar-driven work, weaving a darker and more atmospheric soundscape.

"Disconnected (Part 1)" introduces an unsettling ambiance that runs through the entire record. The eerie electronics and minimalist structure set the tone for an album that feels more introspective. The opener transitions smoothly into "One," which showcases Ray Alder's vocals with a mix of emotional delivery and tension, underscored by Jim Matheos' outstanding guitar work.

The album's centerpiece, "Still Remains," is a nearly 16-minute epic that encapsulates the album's strengths?rich layering of guitars, electronic touches, and Mark Zonder's tight, precise drumming. The song evolves slowly, building atmosphere before moving into heavier, riff-driven sections. This contrast between tension and release drives Disconnected.

I was never a fan of Kevin Moore's keyboard style, but on this record, the atmospheres he creates with Jim Matheos are truly amazing and immersive.

Disconnected explores themes of isolation, technology, and emotional distance, matching the cold, almost sterile sound of the electronics. Alder's delivery is often melancholy, reflecting the album's introspective mood. Songs like "Pieces of Me" and "So" balance human emotion with a sense of detachment, fitting the album's title perfectly.

There is a clear influence from Tool in some of the atmospheric and rhythmic choices. Tracks like "Still Remains" build tension slowly, using hypnotic, repetitive rhythms and intricate layering. However, while Fates Warning incorporates some of these atmospheric elements, they retain their distinct progressive identity. The album's electronic touches and reflective tone set it apart from the raw intensity often associated with Tool, giving Disconnected a more detached, futuristic feel.

I believe the main influence here is the great work with Terry Brown. Something similar happened with Voivod?both bands worked with him on previous records, and after that, they made masterpieces. Disconnected stands out. It's a record that grows with each listen, its atmosphere deepening the more time you spend with it.

With Awaken the Guardian, the magicians from Fates Warning closed their so-called classic trilogy with excessive perfection, those three initial albums were influenced by the most conventional Heavy Metal, with an important British imprint, and in all cases with the extraterrestrial John Arch to the microphones. With Awaken the Guardian they recorded their most complete and complex album to date, maintaining, of course, the same roots and the same concepts shown in their two previous works, but on this occasion going one step further in terms of themes, artistic developments. and conceptual designs. Awaken the Guardian is a tremendously mystical and esoteric work, an absolutely magical album in its entire design, surrounded by an aura of contemplation and spirituality worthy of mention. It is a delight to be able to enjoy absolutely immortal songs from this album such as "Guardian", "Exodus" or "Prelude To Ruin", without forgetting equally important, darker and more mystical pieces, like "Fata Morgana" or "The Sorceress" In short, another classic from his discography, another album of incalculable value, a work that undoubtedly helped to consolidate the progressive metal scene with absolutely clear and marked postulates. Without a doubt one of the most resounding and definitive albums in the history of Heavy Metal.

FWX has an attractive title but finds the band in the music identity crisis. Though it does have a couple of good melodies such as on the Incubus-like sounding "Another perfect day" it's hard to attribute the recording to Fates Warning without hearing the voice or having the cover album in front of you. The band has never been that close to alternative rock that sometimes pretends to be metal because of chugging guitars. The sound is more polished without progressive decorations letting more traditional rock composition to dominate. Even having said all that, it's far from disaster. The material is average, playing is decent. Definitely a let down for progressive metal listeners and an opportunity for the new generation of FW fans or maybe their girfriends to start accepting this band?

Shrinking down to 3 full-fledged band members, Fates Warning continue with what they designed with their previous album and they still succeed. The band could update its sound to absorb alternative metal, even with an industrial metal keyboard texture (in the second track, "One"). The band also got heavier, a lot of riffing is present. Keyboards are more present, act as a normal band instrument. Untypical to the band, there are several laid-back keyboard driven instrumental moments, someone would call them dull, the other one an important atmospheric element.

After the first instrumental into, the second track offers a waving rhythm that sticks with you and suits the melody. It is well developed and kudos to the ornate drumming style. "So" is a slow heavy ballad and quite dramatic thanks to the synth texture. The long tracks belong to the better half of long FW output mainly thanks to good playing. Another solid FW progressive metal album.

While I'm not convinced that this is my favourite FW album, it is their most progressive one and no wonder it's so highly rated among prog-metal fans. I used listen to FW in a random track mode and since the main motive is spread around the album, it started to get on my nerves at some point. If you can get past this subjective melody appreciation, you still have a lot to explore here - a concept album that isn't necessarily coherent among songs but contains some of the best variety on a FW album. The addition of a keyboard player (Kevin Moore) adds half of a new dimension, Kevin never overshadows the original band (well he does in the part VIII where he plays a piano solo) but it creates a mightier sound. A good addition to any prog-metal collection.

This is the recommended Fates Warning live album capturing band at the top of their powers just after they released their most progressive and ambitious concept album. I was curious to see if there are any pre-Alder era and unfortunately, nothing like that. It's a small complaint though for we still have 5 albums to choose from. Also, guitar playing is handling by one person only. The sound is good and playing tight with singing better than on some studio records in my opinion. I prefer the second side with more tracks variety but both CDs are of high quality. Go for it if you can! ;)