Author Topic: Fates Warning fans -- new feature now online (3/9/10)  (Read 2100 times)

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Offline Samsara

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Fates Warning fans -- new feature now online (3/9/10)
« on: February 23, 2010, 04:34:40 PM »
Fellow Fates fans. I'm fortunate to be interviewing Fates Warning guitarist Jim Matheos later this week for The Breakdown Room -- www.breakdownroom.net. Visit the site and join our Facebook and Twitter pages for updates.

I have questions prepared (and this will be a feature-type article, not a Q&A), but since I know there are some hardcore Fates fans on here, throw a few questions in this thread and if I can get to them during the interview, I'll be happy to. And if he answers them, but the material doesn't make the article, I'll update the thread with the answers.

« Last Edit: March 08, 2010, 10:23:31 PM by Samsära »
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Offline Nick

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Re: Fates Warning fans -- chime in with your questions for Jim Matheos
« Reply #1 on: February 23, 2010, 04:38:09 PM »
Hmm... what will Fates be doing after they finally release an album this year and do the handful of Parallels themed shows? A real US tour? Future albums?
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Offline SoundscapeMN

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Re: Fates Warning fans -- chime in with your questions for Jim Matheos
« Reply #2 on: February 23, 2010, 08:02:24 PM »
Would Jim be interested in working with Mike Portnoy again? What are the chances and possibly when? Mike stated recently he would like to work with Jim again.

https://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=119588

Quote
So I passed on doing it. It's a shame because Jim Matheos [FATES WARNING] is one of my best friends and I love him and I'd still love to work with him in some sort of project.

Does he ever wonder what "Second Nature" might have been like with Mike Portnoy, Neal Morse, and Pete Trawavas?

Offline TAC

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Re: Fates Warning fans -- chime in with your questions for Jim Matheos
« Reply #3 on: February 24, 2010, 07:06:07 AM »
1. With FW's varied discography, if there was one album that you would pick to be the definitive FW album, which would it be?
..He'll probably say Parallels since that's what they're promoting..




To be honest Sam..this hardly impresses me. Why are they doing this with Parallels..I agree It's a great album.. But this reaks of a cash in. Where's the new material. FW fans have to be the most patient I've ever seen. FW was ALWAYS second tier..maybe third...and we're supposed to get fired up because JM throws us a bone of rehashed material.

On the other hand..I'll say this. It's probably not easy at JM's level to make a living..what do I know, so I'm not sure what he struggles with, so it's not fair for me to say, but whether it's money, fame, creativity..I don't know. He just doesn't seem to care that he's attracted many fans through the years and seems to have just left them at the altar. It's been a long time since I checked FW's website, but for many years the updates were non existant.
Like Kevin Moore, who I really don't have anything against, but no one would give a f##k about him if it weren't for DT, yet he chooses to ignore that aspect, as I actually do feel he needs to give his fans that are DT fans some closure. JM's never walked away as KM did, but he's just hovered and it feels that the fans appreciation is a one way street for him.

I'm sorry, but that's how I feel. I've been buying FW's albums since the late 80's and saw them in the early 90's. It's probably not easy to keep a band going these days, so I can respect that, but just keep the fans informed somehow.
would have thought the same thing but seeing the OP was TAC i immediately thought Maiden or DT related
Winger Theater Forums........or WTF.  ;D
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Offline LudwigVan

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Re: Fates Warning fans -- chime in with your questions for Jim Matheos
« Reply #4 on: February 24, 2010, 07:38:04 AM »
TAC makes some good points, all of which begs the questions:  What are Jim's long-term plans for Fates Warning?  Is the upcoming new album a one-shot deal?  After putting this out, will they wait another 7 years to record new material?  Samsara, it would be great if Jim could talk about his long-term plans for the band.  In this regard, he certainly has not been as forthcoming as, say, a guy like Mike Portnoy.

To TAC's other points, bands have been doing reissues of their discography forever.  Nothing unheard of.  I don't know why FW doing so should be any different.  They started with their early albums and Parallels happens to be next on the reissue list.  Would the Parallels reissue help to generate interest in the new album?  Sure it might, but I don't necessarily see anything insinuous about it, as they started the reissues years ago.

As a big FW fan (top 10-ish), I really can't complain too much about a band that's put out 10 albums over the course of their career.  Most bands can't even get over the 2 album career hump (Circus Maximus I'm looking at you).  I agree that FW has lurked in the shadows of Dream Theater all these years, but I don't think it's totally fair to compare FW to DT, who seem to have their career all mapped out with an album and tour every 2-3 years for the foreseeable future.  Fates Warning never achieved the kind of momentum or sales push that DT currently enjoys.  

TAC, it's funny that you bring up Kevin Moore in your post, because Jim Matheos and Kevmo seem to be 2 of a kind: introverted hermits that basically go into hibernation and keep to themselves, popping up every few years to do another OSI album.  These 2 guys just don't enjoy being in the public eye.  Matheos is the polar opposite of a forthcoming promoter like Mike Portnoy (who basically revels in the attention), and I have to believe that FW's overall popularity and commercial success has suffered for Jim Matheos' reticence in this regard.  
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Offline TAC

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Re: Fates Warning fans -- chime in with your questions for Jim Matheos
« Reply #5 on: February 24, 2010, 07:46:02 AM »
 I don't know why FW doing so should be any different.  They started with their early albums and Parallels happens to be next on the reissue list.  Would the Parallels reissue help to generate interest in the new album?  Sure it might, but I don't necessarily see anything insinuous about it, as they started the reissues years ago.



Actually you are right. I forgot about that. they did do the earlier ones.

TAC makes some good points, all of which begs the questions:  What are Jim's long-term plans for Fates Warning?  Is the upcoming new album a one-shot deal?  After putting this out, will they wait another 7 years to record new material?  Samsara, it would be great if Jim could talk about his long-term plans for the band.  In this regard, he certainly has not been as forthcoming as, say, a guy like Mike Portnoy.


I think that's the thing. Where does everything stand?
would have thought the same thing but seeing the OP was TAC i immediately thought Maiden or DT related
Winger Theater Forums........or WTF.  ;D
TAC got a higher score than me in the electronic round? Honestly, can I just drop out now? :lol

Offline Samsara

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Re: Fates Warning fans -- chime in with your questions for Jim Matheos
« Reply #6 on: February 25, 2010, 09:01:33 PM »
Interview is done. I have follow-ups via e-mail I sent to Jim through the label (who are really good at getting things to the artists).

Article will be published in a couple weeks.

All I'll say right now is, Jim is a hell of a nice guy to talk with. Really down to Earth and seemed genuine and honest.

I don't want to say anything more, because you'll have to read the article. But LV - I had already planned to ask some of what you brought up, and he answered (the interview was phone). The follow-ups have some other (hopefully) answers to some of what you were thinking of as well.

So, in a nutshell, should be a nice article when I get the follow-ups back and sit down to write it.

B
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Offline pogoowner

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Re: Fates Warning fans -- chime in with your questions for Jim Matheos
« Reply #7 on: February 25, 2010, 09:06:15 PM »
Be sure to let us know when the article's finished. I can't wait to read it!

Offline Samsara

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Re: Fates Warning fans -- chime in with your questions for Jim Matheos
« Reply #8 on: March 08, 2010, 02:34:43 PM »
Article is DONE. Need to get the photos uploaded, but we should have article liftoff tomorrow.

Going to be a good one (I think). Jim talks about the Parallels album, the Parallels lineup reunion shows, future FW plans, and touches upon John Arch and his work with Kevin Moore.

 :metal

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Offline bosk1

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Re: Fates Warning fans -- chime in with your questions for Jim Matheos
« Reply #9 on: March 08, 2010, 02:39:45 PM »
Cool.  Looking forward to reading this.
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Offline Samsara

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Re: Fates Warning fans -- new feature now online (3/9/10)
« Reply #10 on: March 08, 2010, 10:23:52 PM »
Hey all. Thanks for the interest. Article now online at www.breakdownroom.net
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Offline LudwigVan

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Re: Fates Warning fans -- new feature now online (3/9/10)
« Reply #11 on: March 09, 2010, 08:25:27 AM »
Hey Samsara, thanks for great read!

It's interesting that Matheos draws a distinct line between his working relationship with Kevin Moore/OSI and his work with Fates Warning.  He seems to enjoy a great rapport with KevMo and based on his comments, this bodes well for the future of OSI.  On the flip side, however, Matheos doesn't seem to reveal any details about a new FW album.   
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Offline Samsara

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Re: Fates Warning fans -- new feature now online (3/9/10)
« Reply #12 on: March 09, 2010, 09:14:38 AM »
I pushed him on the new album and asked a couple different ways. His first answer was that the material he was writing would "probably be Fates." His second answer was more vague (and unlike the first answer, which was a phone interview, was an e-mail reply). Jim's a smart cookie. He didn't want to be pinned down really on the future of Fates. He was adamant though that the Parallels reunion was just to support the re-release and for fun.

He made it a point to tell me (not put in the article) that he and Ray are the only full-time permanent members of Fates. But the lineup of those two, Frank, Bobby and Joey is the lineup going forward.

The Moore thing was interesting. I think he's concerned with making FW into OSI. When I drew a comparison between Parallels and FWX, he recoiled a bit, saying they were drastically different. Then I made it clear I was talking about the shorter more accessible songs and he agreed, but said specifically that if he had to compare albums, he'd say FWX was closer to OSI.

In addition, he said (which I didn't see a spot for in the article) that FWX was a bit difficult to make. I asked him why, and he refused to elaborate.

In my complete personal opinion, I think the OSI vibe on FWX may have soured Ray. I have NOTHING to back that up and Jim said nothing of the sort. I just think the direction blurred the lines a bit and may not have been popular.

So we'll see what the future holds.
« Last Edit: March 09, 2010, 11:35:32 AM by Samsära »
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Offline ariich

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Re: Fates Warning fans -- new feature now online (3/9/10)
« Reply #13 on: March 09, 2010, 11:34:29 AM »
Will read the article when I have a spare few mins, but I just had to point out:

(the interview was phone)
Finally an answer to the age old answer: who was phone? :lol

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Offline Samsara

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Re: Fates Warning fans -- new feature now online (3/9/10)
« Reply #14 on: March 09, 2010, 11:36:39 AM »
Will read the article when I have a spare few mins, but I just had to point out:

(the interview was phone)
Finally an answer to the age old answer: who was phone? :lol

 :rollin

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Offline pogoowner

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Re: Fates Warning fans -- new feature now online (3/9/10)
« Reply #15 on: March 09, 2010, 12:01:13 PM »
Good article. I wish Jim would have been a bit more specific as far as future plans go, but there's nothing you can do about that.

Offline SoundscapeMN

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Re: Fates Warning fans -- new feature now online (3/9/10)
« Reply #16 on: July 07, 2010, 08:07:27 PM »
new interview with Jim. New album=2011 it appears (at the earliest).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wg4YEVhpR0w

Offline Samsara

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Re: Fates Warning fans -- new feature now online (3/9/10)
« Reply #17 on: July 11, 2010, 08:41:00 PM »
Well, with OSI getting a record deal, I'm sure that is first on the list. Don't get me wrong, I like OSI, but I much prefer Fates Warning.

Thanks again to all who read the article.
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