The Official Fates Warning thread v. Elsydeon hasn’t been around

[bl5150]

Theories of Flight/Parallels
Inside Out



the rest




I am a fan of the more immediate/melodic side of FW.  The 3 at the top - all rated in the mid-high 90's -  are among my favourite metal releases ever (and I also love No Exit and Perfect Symmetry)  but I never really "connected" with most of the rest.  My highest rated of the rest would be Disconnected (80%) and then the rest somewhere in the low-mid  70's..............I would prefer to listen to Ray's recent solo album than those FW releases.

[pg1067]

If I ranked albums post-Parallels. . . .

This is pretty easy.

1. APSOG
2. Inside Out
3. DIADL (IO and DIADL are VERY close)

4. TOF

It's then a LONG way down...



5. Disconnected

6. FWX

[TAC]

Parallels
Inside Out
I am a fan of the more immediate/melodic side of FW. 

I agree, Brent. They have played many styles, but they truly excelled with these two albums, which is weird, because that's usually a backwards argument from me.

[SoundscapeMN]

APSOG
A Twist of Fate
Disconnected
Theories of Flight
Winter Ethereal
Sympathetic Resonance
FWX
Inside Out
Darkness in a Different Light

[wolfking]

Parallels
Inside Out
Theories of Flight
Disconnected
FWX
APSOG
DIADL

[abydos]

Disconnected
Parallels
APSOG
Theories of Flight
FWX
DIADL
Inside Out

[SoundscapeMN]

Ray on twitter

https://twitter.com/realrayalder/status/1260523950725115904

It’s official, the vocals for Fates Warning’s 13th album are done. 13 songs in 12 days. It was quite the adventure. I’ll tell you about it sometime... @fateswarning @joey_vera @bjarzombek

[pg1067]

Ray on twitter

https://twitter.com/realrayalder/status/1260523950725115904

It’s official, the vocals for Fates Warning’s 13th album are done. 13 songs in 12 days. It was quite the adventure. I’ll tell you about it sometime... @fateswarning @joey_vera @bjarzombek

Seriously...can't wait!

[wolfking]

Ray on twitter

https://twitter.com/realrayalder/status/1260523950725115904

It’s official, the vocals for Fates Warning’s 13th album are done. 13 songs in 12 days. It was quite the adventure. I’ll tell you about it sometime... @fateswarning @joey_vera @bjarzombek

Oh wow, that's a nice surprise.  Can't wait

[jingle.boy]

Suh-weeeeeet!!!!

[Bentower]

Yay!
13 songs, all with vocals, seems like quite a lot. Especially for a band with ones averaging 5+ minutes. But I'll take it!

[wolfking]

Yay!
13 songs, all with vocals, seems like quite a lot. Especially for a band with ones averaging 5+ minutes. But I'll take it!

May include a bonus track or two perhaps?

[Bentower]

Yeah, it'll probably be a 2-disc fare that's been typical of Inside Out Music lately.

[goo-goo]

Yeah, it'll probably be a 2-disc fare that's been typical of Inside Out Music lately.

Fates went back to Metal Blade. Super stoked for this album. Curious if they will switch it up a bit. Bobby J contributed to a couple of songs according to his FB post.

[wolfking]

Metal Blade.....interesting.

[Samsara]

Very excited.

My guess on the 13 songs is, perhaps they have a few more rippers that are 3:30-4 minutes, and maybe a couple of real long tracks.

Regardless, I'm really looking forward to this. Three of my favorite bands, Fates Warning, Armored Saint, Unleash the Archers all coming out with new music this year (hopefully, if the dates don't get pushed into 2021 because of all this COVID stuff).

[goo-goo]

Very excited.

My guess on the 13 songs is, perhaps they have a few more rippers that are 3:30-4 minutes, and maybe a couple of real long tracks.

Yes. But it seems like Fates likes to switch their sound a bit every 2 albums. So we'll see what they will come out with. I'm expecting it to be a bit more diverse and less balls to the walls like Theories was (so far it's my favorite FW album).

[pg1067]

I'm curious what everyone would rank as their favorite Fates song (or top 5 songs if you can't pick just one) of the 21st Century (i.e., Diconnected, FWX, DIADL and TOF).

For me it's And Yet It Moves, and it isn't close.

[SoundscapeMN]

Still Remains

[T-ski]

Still Remains

This

[MoraWintersoul]

Still Remains, but The Light and Shade of Things is very very very close to overtaking it. It's insane how they keep putting out these songs so late in their career. Don't know any band that does that.

[Lethean]

I don't know that I really have one favorite Fates Warning song.  Still Remains and Light and Shade are up there though.

Very happy about the new album news.

[jjrock88]

Light and Shade would easily get my pick for best Fates song of the 21st century

[Evermind]

Light and Shade would easily get my pick for best Fates song of the 21st century

Yep, I agree 100%. Amazing song.

[SoundscapeMN]

Light and Shade is a close 2nd for me as well.

Although I would put both Relentless and Cheyenne above it still.

[pg1067]

Light and Shade is a close 2nd for me as well.

Although I would put both Relentless and Cheyenne above it still.

What are Relentless and Cheyenne?

[goo-goo]

Light and Shade is a close 2nd for me as well.

Although I would put both Relentless and Cheyenne above it still.

What are Relentless and Cheyenne?

From the John Arch EP with Jim Matheos and Mike Portnoy. This was released a few years before the Arch Matheos "Sympathetic Resonance" album. You should definitely check it out. Portnoy's drumming is jaw-dropping on Relentless.

[Samsara]

Hard for me to pick one. "Still Remains" is probably it. But I have to admit that "A Handful of Doubt" and "One Thousand Fires" are up there. It's funny, I love "The Light and Shade of Things." But the one thing that knocks it down a little for me is the chorus. I don't care for the cadence of it.

[pg1067]

Light and Shade is a close 2nd for me as well.

Although I would put both Relentless and Cheyenne above it still.

What are Relentless and Cheyenne?

From the John Arch EP with Jim Matheos and Mike Portnoy. This was released a few years before the Arch Matheos "Sympathetic Resonance" album. You should definitely check it out. Portnoy's drumming is jaw-dropping on Relentless.

Thanks.  I've heard the songs, although I don't remember them.  Couldn't hang with Arch's singing.

[jingle.boy]

Light and Shade would easily get my pick for best Fates song of the 21st century

Yep, I agree 100%. Amazing song.

If I’d made it one round further in Indi’s roulette, this was gonna be my submission. It’s my fave FW song

[Mister Gold]

Hard for me to pick one. "Still Remains" is probably it. But I have to admit that "A Handful of Doubt" and "One Thousand Fires" are up there. It's funny, I love "The Light and Shade of Things." But the one thing that knocks it down a little for me is the chorus. I don't care for the cadence of it.

Ironically the chorus, or at least the second half of it, is a huge part of what makes me adore TLASOT so much. It's one of Ray's most inspired vocal melodies ever IMO. The whole song is masterful though.

Very excited.

My guess on the 13 songs is, perhaps they have a few more rippers that are 3:30-4 minutes, and maybe a couple of real long tracks.

Yes. But it seems like Fates likes to switch their sound a bit every 2 albums. So we'll see what they will come out with. I'm expecting it to be a bit more diverse and less balls to the walls like Theories was (so far it's my favorite FW album).

Yeah, I'm very curious to find out what sort of direction the band goes in with this album. I'm trying to temper my expectations a bit after being head over heels for Theories.

That said, I really hope they let Michael Abdow write a song or two on the album, or at least contribute more solos this time around. I love Frank Aresti, but at this point, I think Michael's more than earned his place in the band's lineup and his solo in White Flag was monstrously great.

[MoraWintersoul]

I'm trying to temper my expectations a bit after being head over heels for Theories.

Same. Like, no way they could beat Theories of Flight, right? Except, what if they could? 

[Evermind]

I'm trying to temper my expectations a bit after being head over heels for Theories.

Same. Like, no way they could beat Theories of Flight, right? Except, what if they could? 

My thoughts exactly. I'm mostly curious how Ray will sound on this one, because while he was alright on DiaDL and Redemption's The Art of Loss, he was beyond terrific on Theories.

[MoraWintersoul]

He sounded like fifteen years were taken off his voice, it was insane. Interviewers asked about it even! If he's back to "normal" I don't mind, but I hope he connects to the material in the same way as he did on Theories.

[wolfking]

Hard for me to pick one. "Still Remains" is probably it. But I have to admit that "A Handful of Doubt" and "One Thousand Fires" are up there. It's funny, I love "The Light and Shade of Things." But the one thing that knocks it down a little for me is the chorus. I don't care for the cadence of it.

Ironically the chorus, or at least the second half of it, is a huge part of what makes me adore TLASOT so much. It's one of Ray's most inspired vocal melodies ever IMO. The whole song is masterful though.

Very excited.

My guess on the 13 songs is, perhaps they have a few more rippers that are 3:30-4 minutes, and maybe a couple of real long tracks.

Yes. But it seems like Fates likes to switch their sound a bit every 2 albums. So we'll see what they will come out with. I'm expecting it to be a bit more diverse and less balls to the walls like Theories was (so far it's my favorite FW album).

Yeah, I'm very curious to find out what sort of direction the band goes in with this album. I'm trying to temper my expectations a bit after being head over heels for Theories.

That said, I really hope they let Michael Abdow write a song or two on the album, or at least contribute more solos this time around. I love Frank Aresti, but at this point, I think Michael's more than earned his place in the band's lineup and his solo in White Flag was monstrously great.

I hope Michael does get a couple more solo spots, but I hope Frank still does a couple of guest solos too.  Frank's guitar playing is still an important part to Fates Warning IMO and I hope he still has at least a couple of solos.