Why waste $$ on the new DT? Get the new Fates Warning!

[MKS]

The new Fates Warning CD is amazing. The guitars on this CD are phenomenal and easily cover up for the missing keyboards.

I can't comment on the sound quality yet because I don't have the actual CD. I've grown tired waiting on mailman and resorted to some unsavory methods of enjoying the new CD.

 

[Keregioz]

I haven't listened to it yet, only a couple of songs they released on youtube and they sounded pretty good. I'm was kinda disappointed when I found out there are no synths but I'm looking forward to listening the whole CD. I wouldn't be surprised if it's better than anything dream theater have done in years.

 

[MKS]

Don't get me wrong. I actually like DT but it always stresses me out to knowingly use my labriepassfilter. I just can't stand his voice anymore. The last DT that I really enjoyed was TOT.

 

[He's Dead, Jim]

Don't get me wrong. I actually like DT but it always stresses me out to knowingly use my labriepassfilter. I just can't stand his voice anymore. The last DT that I really enjoyed was TOT.

lolololol @ labriepassfilter. I completely agree. ToT was the first Dream Theater album I ever heard, around the time it came out, and I thought they were the best band ever. Then I realized 90% of their music sounds like the worst 10% of that album.

 

[Jind]

Don't get me wrong. I actually like DT but it always stresses me out to knowingly use my labriepassfilter. I just can't stand his voice anymore. The last DT that I really enjoyed was TOT.

Don't get me wrong, I'm eagerly awaiting the new Fates Warning disc - expecting my copy from Amazon on Monday, already bought tickets to see them in Hartford on November 22nd, but truth be told Ray's voice is also not what it used to be - he seemed to loose it a bit between Redemption's last two albums. While I like what I've heard from the new FW album, his vocals sound very much like what was heard on This Mortal Coil.

Growing up one town over from Fates Warning's home town, I've been a fan since getting my hands on 1984's Night on Bröcken and seeing them for the first time live at the Agora Ballroom with Queensrÿche in 85. Glad they are still releasing albums - have had high hopes for a new FW album after the Arch/Matheos release in 2011 (while I like Ray Alder, secretly I was hoping for an John Arch reunion for this FW release - a man can dream).

 

[Matt-Steele]

...or do like me. Support your favorite bands and get both?

 

[Jind]

...or do like me. Support your favorite bands and get both?

That's what I'm doing. One already here, the other should be here on Monday.

 

[Keregioz]

have had high hopes for a new FW album after the Arch/Matheos release in 2011

Fun fact: That arch/matheos album actually IS a new FW album. I read in a interview by Ray Alder that the material on that album was actually intended for a new FW but it never made it there because he (Alder) really didn't like the music and couldn't work with it. And that's basically the reason it took so much time for a new FW release.

 

[Jind]

Fun fact: That arch/matheos album actually IS a new FW album. I read in a interview by Ray Alder that the material on that album was actually intended for a new FW but it never made it there because he (Alder) really didn't like the music and couldn't work with it. And that's basically the reason it took so much time for a new FW release.

Do you have a source for that - not doubting you, but have not heard that. Sort of glad he passed on it if he did, cause he would not have done that album justice - that had John's vocals written all over it, a perfect fit.

 

[Keregioz]

Well, the interview was in greek so... . Ι'm pretty sure it's legit though, it was done by the greek rock hard magazine I think. Ι could still give you the link if you'd like.

edit: here it is: http://www.rockhard.gr/artists/interviews/6456-fates-warning-interview-ray-alder

it's an interesting read if you're a fan and, after a quick check I did, the english google translation is pretty decent for the most part so you could try that.

 

[Jind]

Well, the interview was in greek so... . Ι'm pretty sure it's legit though, it was done by the greek rock hard magazine I think. Ι could still give you the link if you'd like.

edit: here it is: http://www.rockhard.gr/artists/interviews/6456-fates-warning-interview-ray-alder

it's an interesting read if you're a fan and, after a quick check I did, the english google translation is pretty decent for the most part so you could try that.

Thanks for the link.

 

[MKS]

Thanks for the link.

Yeah. Thanks. Interesting read...

 

[AntonioPetrole]

I thought you were talking about Dark Tranquility, I was about to raise hell

 

[Melb_shredder]

^^ this! Haha

 

[Jind]

OK, I've had a few days with the new Fates Warning disc and I can now unreluctantly say I prefer it over the new Dream Theater album. I also need to somewhat retract my statement about Ray's voice, at least on a studio album (I'm still interested to see how he does with this stuff live when I see them in November), he sounds pretty damned good on this when compared to the last Redemption release, which overall, suffered from a pretty horrible production job.

Speaking of production, this album sounds great - that alone may be my reason for preferring this over the new DT disc. While I like the songs on Dream Theater's release, that drum sound is grating on me a bit. On Darkness in a Different Light, the production job from mixing to mastering sounds great.

Perhaps later I'll give a little deeper review, but for now - it is the superior release of the two.

 

[Nuno Filipe]

I heard a couple of songs and I liked, the first 2 songs are quite good. There is a song that begins with some classical shit, seemed out of place.

 

[Jind]

Well, the interview was in greek so... . Ι'm pretty sure it's legit though, it was done by the greek rock hard magazine I think. Ι could still give you the link if you'd like.

edit: here it is: http://www.rockhard.gr/artists/interviews/6456-fates-warning-interview-ray-alder

it's an interesting read if you're a fan and, after a quick check I did, the english google translation is pretty decent for the most part so you could try that.

The more I listen to Darkness in a Different Light and compare it to Sympathetic Resonance from Arch / Matheos it becomes clearer and clearer that everything worked out just the way it should have. Both records seem to have been written with each vocalist in mind. While some of the underlying instrumentation for Sympathetic Resonance may indeed have been intended for a Fates Warning album with Ray Alder, what makes it what it ended up being is John's vocal delivery and it's interaction with music (which is definitely heavier/darker overall than most of the new Fates Warning disc).

Having said that, I can say the same exact thing about Darkness in a Different Light, it clearly benefits from Ray's voice and vocal styling - the music on this disc would not fit John's style. This album is clearly more of the classic Ray era of Fates Warning (Parallels, Perfect Symmetry, Inside Out) based with the modern elements (none of the electronic elements that appeared later on however) of later day Fates albums as well (Disconnected, FWX).