LOVE Fates Warning. Much prefer Alder over Arch. Both are talented, but Alder's tone is better to my ears.
I got into them a few years back. They sold me for sure in 2003 after I saw them open for QR and DT. Went out and bought the catalog.
I would agree with TAC that Parallels really is the album that captures them in their prime. The records before show a metal band, and Parallels, like so many albums in that timeframe, really straddles the line between metal and accessible hard rock.
A lot of progheads love A Pleasant Shade of Gray. I admit, it took me a LONG time to get that record and warm up to it. I finally did after reading LudwigVan's review, and sitting down with the headphones. It finally hit me, much like Queensryche's Promised Land back in the day.
It is really funny how Empire and Parallels really are alike, as are APSOG and PL...just in terms of the musical style employed.
Disconnected was a damn good record and so was FWX. I really wish they'd get back and do another FW record. Jim told me in my interview with him --
https://www.breakdownroom.net/fateswarning-310.html -- that it was progressing, but he wasn't really in any hurry. Then OSI got its record deal with Metal Blade and I see that has taken priority.
But I sincerely hope that a progressive band like OSI means that the next Fates record brings a bit of the METAL back with it. Frank Aresti is back in the band, at least from a touring standpoint (the only official members are Matheos and Alder at this point), so if he can bring some heavy riffs and some shredding solos, it would be cool.
Time will tell.