Fates Warning are undeniably one of the forefathers of Progressive Metal. A massively important part of the history of the genre, they pre-date the more widely known Dream Theater by at least 4 albums, and they forged the sound they echo to this day when super-smooth vocalist supreme Ray Alder joined founding guitar maestro Jim Matheos on 1988’s fantastic “No Exit”. These two stalwarts of the band remain the focal point to this day, lending Matheos’s tricky, varied guitar work a vocal melody that brings each song together. Over shit-loads of complex rhythms and time-changes obviously!
The main song-writing for this album was completed by Matheos and Alder in 2019, with the album being recorded by Matheos, Alder, bassist Joey Vera and drummer Bobby Jarzombek separately during various lockdown restrictions, which is no mean feat given the complexity contained within this 72-minute plus opus. Fates Warning’s ethos has always been that Progressive Metal doesn’t only have to encapsulate what the genre’s name demands, but also that the term ‘progressive’ means boundaries are there to be pushed. Never reliant on keyboards, the layers, moods and intricacies of a Fates Warning composition are always interesting and evocative, and “Long Day Good Night” carries that tradition on perfectly, whilst re-introducing heavier passages as well as more melancholy moments.
And there is always accessibility – tracks like ‘Now Come The Rain’ nudge nearer a Progressive Melodic Metal standpoint, giving anyone without previous knowledge of the band something instantly hook onto, although every Fates Warning album takes many listens to fully unveil its hidden glories, with this one being no exception. This is an album absolutely brimming with hidden, and instant, delights, with all bases covered. It’s an absolute joy to hear a band with this much history, cramming an album of this length with so much essential content. Every song has its place, because this is probably their most varied release to date – and still sounds so fresh and vibrant. There’s power, there’s reflectivity, there’s haunting and there’s groove. And there’s so much more that you could hope for from this formidable band.
Tracks range from eleven and a half down to three and a half minutes, each song being as long as it needs to be. An ambivalent statement you might think, but here once more Fates Warning show their ability to put just enough in a song to keep it interesting, never over-indulging in instrumental ego-trips, just writing unpredictable, engaging, multi-faceted songs for their discerning fan base, where melody is as important a part of their sound as complexity is. Speaking as a follower of Fates Warnings illustrious career, someone who was lucky enough to discover the band right back there with “No Exit”, I can confidently predict that the Fates Warning faithful are going to love this album, as will any fan of classy, professional Progressive Metal. You’ll be hard pushed to find a better example of the genre than this in 2020.
(9/10 Andy Barker)
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