I have a lot of catch up to do, since I went on vacation immediately after this started and just now got back.
A Handful of Doubt - This one landed at #19 on my list and is one of many songs I love on FWX. This album is full of atmospheric songs that have amazing build ups and this song is a prime example. That spot at the 3 minute mark where the song explodes with those long held out chords is sublime.
APSOG VIII - This is one of those tracks that just loses me on APSOG. I had it at #112 and that might have been too generous
. The piano intro is beyond annoying to me and the song does little to improve throughout its runtime.
The Longest Shadow of the Day - This just missed my list at #56. I love the jazzy intro for the first few minutes of the song before going full Prog Metal. The rest of the song goes through multiple interesting change ups which holds my attention well.
Down to the Wire - This was at #91 on my list and probably should have been much higher. Probably a misclick when doing the ranking engine. Just glancing at my list it should have landed somewhere in the high 50s. Good song with great sing-along vocal melodies. And Mark Zonder is a beast as usual. Kind of sounds like a lost Queensryche song in spots.
Chasing Time - I had this at #60. It's a nice mellow song, but nothing to write home about. Good vocals from Ray is the highlight here and the only thing that saves it from dropping way down in my rankings.
APSOG III - Another APSOG song that I have no idea how it made the top 50....I had it at #103. This whole album seems to be predicated on finding annoying melodies or grooves and doubling down on them hard. This song is no exception. This whole exercise has shown me that APSOG is really meant to be taken as a whole, but also this album has not aged well for me at all. I think the only FW albums I like less as a whole are NoB and DiaDL.
White Flag - Good late era FW. This came in at #67 and probably should have been a few spots higher, if I'm being honest. Then again there are much better songs on ToF.
Silent Cries - I really struggled with where to rank this. It ultimately landed at #45, but could have been much higher. Ray really shows off his vocal range here and is fun to (try to) sing-along to.
APSOG IV - One of the few APSOG tracks to make my list, coming in at #35, which thinking about now, might be about 10 spots too high, but there is something about the combo of Ray's vocal melodies and the fretless bass that just really makes this track. Then the second half with Mark showing off why he is the best FW drummer.
Firefly - Didn't make my top 50, landing at #66. Pretty good straight ahead rocker, from a mediocre late era FW album.
The Destination Onward - My #75. I love the build up here, even though it goes on a little longer than it needs to. The meat of the song is also really good, but again just too drawn out for what it is. Could trim a couple minutes from this song and you might have a proper top 50 FW track.
Left Here - FWX song doing what FWX songs do best. Atmosphere, build up, climax, mood. This only landed at #42, but it's such a good opening track for the most underrated FW album. Perhaps a little too long, but not by much.
The Road Goes on Forever - Landed at #21 for me. This hits just about all the aspects of what makes a great FW song. Great build, atmospheric and moody, and still proggy. Some great emotionally driven guitar leads and Mark Zonder kills it here with all the subtle percussion too.
Something from Nothing - Could pretty much repeat what I wrote about The Road Goes On Forever, only better. This was at #15 for me. What makes this better is the atmosphere in the build up and then when this song finally does climax it is soooo satisfying.
The Strand - Just barely missed my top 50 at #51. The chorus here really ties the whole thing together and makes for a great song.
We Only Say Goodbye - Classic FW song, that landed at #30 on my list. Great combo of verses and chorus wrapped in great proggy metal.
The Apparition - Glad to see this song make the top 50. I had it at #24. Fantastic Arch era song. John Arch shows off his vocal chops in this one. The second half of the song is absolutely brilliant.
Another Perfect Day - A song that absolutely should have been a radio hit, if they played actual good music on the radio....but I digress. I had this at #10 and it deserves every bit of that ranking. Great melodies throughout and an underlying atmosphere that is both subtle and is what absolutely makes this song. Plus Jim Matheos shows he can write and play a great catchy guitar solo with the best of them.
Island in the Stream - Here we go with another classic FW atmospheric song. I had this at #48. It suffers a bit from the production of Inside Out and the fact it isn't quite as good as other songs they've done in the same vein. It feels like a precursor to a style they would perfect on Disconnected and FWX.
Shelter Me - Just missed my list at #53. Another great song that probably would have been much greater with better production. The chorus is extremely catchy and wonderfully written.
APSOG X/XI - Landed at #94 on my list. Part X is just annoying and adds nothing to the album. Part XI is actually OK, but suffers a bit from what I mentioned before about hammering on one really annoying melody over and over. I actually really like Ray's vocals here though.
APSOG V - Now we're talking! This came in at #28. Perfect combo of great vocal melodies, great drums, and atmosphere.
Outside Looking In - Just squeaked onto my list at #48. Good vocals by Ray with another catchy chorus. More great drums from Zonder (I mean, when is he not good?)
APSOG IX - Just missed my list at #55. One of the less annoying tracks on APSOG. Great vocal melodies, especially in the intro and it has one of the better guitar leads on the album, even though it's short and sweet.
Part of the Machine - I had this at #33 and it probably could have been higher. Just an amazing Prog metal masterpiece that to me really paved the way for Dream Theater. The bass really stands out on this song to me. Plus Ray is amazing here.
Wish - My #27 and the second of the 2 moody masterpieces on FWX along with A Handful of Doubt. That repeated guitar melody throughout the song is just so emotive. Then the lyrics and vocals are just perfect. And Zonder's drumming elevates in to another level. I probably should have ranked this higher....Just too many good songs.
Pale Fire - Another one of those songs I consider a FW classic. It landed at #37 on my list. I absolutely love the vocals here and makes me always want to sing-along.
APSOG VII - Once again I am astounded at how high some of these APSOG tracks are in the aggregate top 50. This was at #108 on my list and kind of epitomizes everything wrong with this album in one track. That annoying piano melody is here in the intro and then the verses have a disgustingly bad rhythm and I don't like the chorus.
And Yet it Moves - This was just outside my top 50, coming in at #54. It's a great song, but it's far too long for what it is. However there are a lot of cool things happening throughout its runtime. Cut down to a 10 minutes song it might have made my top 40.
Seven Stars - One of the less interesting songs on ToF. Only made it to #90 on my list.
Eye to Eye - Another of the classic FW songs. I had this at #16 and deservedly so. A great vocal performance and wonderful guitar melodies. Also Zonder sure knows how to pull back and let a song breathe on the drums. Brilliant drumming, once again...I mean are we surprised at this point?
At Fates Hand - This landed at #29 on my list. Interesting track with a good build up with vocals only in the first half. It's almost like 2 separate songs. The band fires on all cylinders in the second half. It's another of those songs that I think Dream Theater owes a lot to. Fates Warning, along with Queensryche, really laid the groundwork for Prog Metal to come.
APSOG XII - For an album that is mostly full of annoying stuff, this song stands out in a big way. I had this at #9. This could have almost been on Disconnected or FWX with the way the song builds with atmosphere. And even though the song doesn't exactly climax, it just keeps building upon itself until it comes to a crest and resolves and then cools down into a brilliant ending to a troubled album. We can also ignore the last minute and a half of the song.
APSOG VI - How this ranked above APSOG XII I will never understand. While I only had it at #62, it isn't a bad song. It actually has a brilliant climax, but the song goes on for a bit too long in the intro and then the ending. Plus the start of that awful piano melody....kill me now!
Guardian - Alright! Highest ranker at #2. Just an absolute monster of a song. The intro with that brilliant guitar solo. The fantastic acoustic guitars flowing into the meat and potatoes of the song. John Arch at arguably his best. It is without a doubt the best Arch era FW song and there are a lot of fantastic Arch era songs. Sad that this is the last Arch era song in the top 50...
Topic: Official top 50 Fates Warning countdown thread!! - #1 Song Revealed! (Read 33406 times)