Fates Warning

[The Stormbringer]

If this were a just world, Enchant fans should have a soft spot for Fates Warning, for Matheos and his henchmen share two important characteristics with Enchant.

1. the ability to capture and express a lot of emotion via complex yet concise music
2. being miserably underrated by just about anybody except for their respective fanbases and the more open-minded part of the music press

For a long time, I had been one of two many FW listeners shying away from anything they've put out after the 1988 release "No Exit", but ever since hearing some excerpts of their concept album "A Pleasant Shade Of Gray" on a sampler CD, I've fallen in love with their more contemporarily tinged works.
They've managed to keep the core concept of Progressive Rock intact even in 2005, moreso than almost every other band I know, which should be reason enough to WORSHIP them.

Any fans of this unspeakably great band at hand?

 

[dano1427]

FW is one of my favs...Especially the Alder years.

Too bad Mark Zonder is gone (though Nick D'Virgio from SPock's Beard is filling in on tour) and Matheos has said that FWX is probably the last FW release.

-dan

 

[jyng]

I've been into Fates Warning since they came out with 'No Exit'. I've always enjoyed their deep lyrics and intricate music. I really liked how they 'progressed' onto a new sound after 'No Exit'. 'Parallels' is one of my favorite albums. It has a lot of emotion. After Frank Aresti and Joey Dibiase left, I never could get into their newer albums but I do like their latest album (FWX).

Jay

 

[Ze Dan]

Matheos has said that FWX is probably the last FW release.

Can you tell me where did you see/read that ?

 

[Slipperman]

If this were a just world, Enchant fans should have a soft spot for Fates Warning, for Matheos and his henchmen share two important characteristics with Enchant.

1. the ability to capture and express a lot of emotion via complex yet concise music
2. being miserably underrated by just about anybody except for their respective fanbases and the more open-minded part of the music press

For a long time, I had been one of two many FW listeners shying away from anything they've put out after the 1988 release "No Exit", but ever since hearing some excerpts of their concept album "A Pleasant Shade Of Gray" on a sampler CD, I've fallen in love with their more contemporarily tinged works.
They've managed to keep the core concept of Progressive Rock intact even in 2005, moreso than almost every other band I know, which should be reason enough to WORSHIP them.

Any fans of this unspeakably great band at hand?

I was a big fan up to and including APSOG. their recent albums just don't do it for me. i first discovered them with No Exit, and bought each successive album when it came out. i agree with you on the post-NE period (Aresti, Alder, Zonder) - a period which i consider to be the classic era for the band. wasn't as thrilled with the heavy, power-chord/thrash stuff they started out with although i did like NE.

 

[DiscoDave]

I started with Disconnected and thought the entire album was pretty good, but the track "Still Remains" was abso-freaking-brilliant to my ears.

From there I bought a pleasant shade of grey and it didn't really do much for me. I also got another track from the 80s and it sounded like pretty generic butt-rock to me.

To this day, Still Remains is one of my favorite songs. If anyone can recommend an album that has more of that kind of stuff, I'd love to hear about it.

 

[slowhand]

Been a Fates-Man nearly from the beginning...
My first ones have been "the spectre within" and "awaken the guardian" (us-imports)...and I think "awaken..." is just the perfect US-Metal-Progressive Album...the songs and the melodies John Arch is singing are not from this world ('guardian', 'epitaph', "exodus", "giants lore - heart of winter").

BUT: I also like the 'alder'-years very much. Favorites there: "parallels", "apsog", "perfect symmetry".
A brilliant and underrated band...

 

[ProgMetalFan]

Fates Warning is obviously one of the greatest metal bands of all time. I'm a huge fan of the Zonder era. His unique drumming style had a huge impact on shaping their material for the past 16 years. FWX is a bit of a mixed bag... some of it seems to be rather bland aggro-rock... but a few of the songs are absolutely brilliant... like the fragile "Wish"... the powerful "Ocean Wide River Deep" (love those mixed-into-the-background guitar solos) and the infectious opener.

"Still Remains" from "Disconnected" is definately my favorite track of theirs... power, passion, drama... it has it all.

 

[Soundscape]

Zonder isn't necessarily gone..he just isn't going to tour with them anymore.

Love Fates..have for years..and love Jim's other stuff..OSI and John Arch's EP..new OSI album out soon too..

the AWAKEN THE GUARDIAN remaster was great..and they have a live DVD coming out soon...

Kyle

 

[dano1427]

Mark Zonder's new project: http://www.markzonder.com/templewithin.html

I think the Alfa-Dog project is d.o.a.
Alfa Dog was a project w/Zonder, legendary vocalist (from royal Hunt and Silent Force) DC Cooper and Shadow Gallery's Gary Werkhamp...

 

[Soundscape]

yeah I was meaning to check his site again about that. What makes you say Alfa-Dog is dead on arrival?..probably just pushed back...I was excited to hear it being a big Shadow Gallery fan too

Kyle