1. One Thousand Fires - 7:222. Firefly - 4:59
3. Desire - 4:00
4. Falling - 1:35
5. I Am - 5:08
6. Lighthouse - 5:25
7. Into The Black - 5:10
8. Kneel And Obey - 5:05
9. O Chloroform - 4:14
10. And Yet It Moves - 14:04
Arguably the forefathers of the progressive metal genre, Fates Warning have been making subtly challenging music for thirty years. After a break of almost nine years, the newly reformed band have released one of the strongest statements of their career. Less flashy than Dream Theater, Fates Warning mix somber, emotional compositions with textural guitar sonics, metric complexity, and metallic attack.
Guitarists Jim Matheos and Frank Aresti are immediately out of the gate with the tight, sinewy intro to "One Thousand Fires", a masterful opus about love lost and lonely journeys. The themes of poignant endings and personal struggles continue throughout the album. Ray Alder's voice has aged well. Though the sound is a bit more husky, he can still hit some seriously big notes, and his lyrics showcase thoughtful poetry. Jim Matheos's mercurial guitar textures drive the mood, while Joey Vera's bass guitar work is spot-on. However, the primary instrumental voice might be Bobby Jarzombek's intense and tightly coiled performance on drums. The man is an animal! Just listen to his part on "O Chloroform", with rolling starts and stops that give the 6/4 song a 5/4 feel, so that the sixth beat sounds like a clever extra (though still perfectly fitted).
For me, the main event is the closing epic "And Yet It Moves". It starts with Jim Matheos on solo classical guitar playing a neo-Baroque tune. Frank Aresti joins on a second classical guitar with counter-melody, then Joey Vera's bass provides a counter-counter melody. The trio resolve and transition into crushingly large chords. As Alder sings of a journey to a destination unknown, we get the sense of someone running from himself, yet standing still. The piece consists of several musical movements expertly tied together and building to the finish. It's a master's class in what a long-form composition should be.
The real excellence of Fates Warning lies in their ability to identify and interpret their compositions to the fullest. Thirty years later, they continue to hone their craft with rare skill and grace.
Arbitrary rating: 5 out of 5 tight, sinewy intros
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