Fwx

Fates Warning | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 5, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Metal Blade
• ASIN: B0002YLDRS
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #109,261 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WHAT?! NO ONE ELSE AGREES WITH ME?, October 23, 2004

By 

Murat Batmaz (Istanbul, Turkey) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fwx (Audio CD)

This is strange indeed because in all the reviews written thus far I didn't see anyone else mention the similarities between Ray Alder's solo project Engine and Fates Warning's new album FWX. Yes, this album *is* heavier than their previous two, but it certainly sounds nothing like their earlier 80's or mid-90's stuff (and it shouldn't anyway). People have likened FWX to their Parallels/Inside Out era and somewhat to the newer sound they explored on APSOG/Disconnected. While the Disconnected comparison isn't off, I've yet to hear others mention the influence of Ray Alder's Engine project.

This is the first record Matheos hasn't worked with long time producer Terry Brown and instead went along with singer Ray Alder to handle the production duties. The Ray Alder influence is needless to say quite subtle at times. Comparisons could be particularly made to the first Engine album; that's where some of the heaviness comes from. The sound on FWX is bound to please the older fans as long as they don't expect another Awaken the Guardian or Perfect Symmetry type of record. Looking back on Fates Warning, they've morphed from disc to disc, going from a hybrid of 80's heavy metal and prog metal to more melodic prog to atmospheric and experimental prog. Each disc has continued to evolve and Matheos particularly reached his peak during the APSOG era introducing layers of depth like never before.

FWX, while surprisingly heavy during some moments, still retains the dark and atmospheric vibe which Fates Warning successfully captured on their previous album Disconnected. The similarities are so evident that even the colours and tones they used on their artwork bear affinities. For example, the surrounding of the girl in the Disconnected booklet is almost identical to the barren field displayed in the FWX one. Lyrical themes are once again characterized by despondency, despair and failures in past relationships.

Alder wrote the lyrics for three songs on the album, which are "Simple Human", "Heal Me" and "Crawl". The latter particularly sounds like an Engine outtake during the chorus. My favourite songs on the CD are "River Wide Ocean Deep", "Another Perfect Day" and "X". "River Wide Ocean Deep" has got to be the one of the most experimental songs Matheos has ever penned. It starts with female vocals in a Middle Eastern flavour before it borrows electronic soundscapes and shifts on to a heavier approach. Mark Zonder's drumming is superb in that passage. Very heavy and very relentless. "Another Perfect Day" has this brilliant acoustic intro which is a recurring theme coming up in the middle once again. This acoustic melody is something you'd normally hear on an Opeth album. I could swear Jim Matheos listened to Opeth quite a bit before coming up with that killer riff.

Unlike Disconnected, Matheos also plays a few sublime guitar solos on songs like "Stranger" and the album's finale "X". This one is going to put a smile on lots of old fans' face. The way it builds up right after the soft piano melody is absolutely beautiful. It's a shame that this is going to be the last album feauturing the godly Mark Zonder on drums because I simply can't imagine FW exploring this type of music with a different drummer. All four members are great on the album, but I particularly have to point out Joey Vera on bass, since I believe this could be his most subtle performance in FW to date. His bass lines in "Heal Me" and "Sequence #7" are terrific. Another good thing is to see Vera mentioned as a real member in the booklet as opposed to a 'guest musician'. I continue to be amazed at how great the chemistry is between all these musicians. Even though Jim Matheos is the main composer, each and every member has something to add to the mold of the songcraft. And it's this what makes Fates Warning so incredibly unique.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Shades of Gray and slightly Disconnected..., May 3, 2005

By 

RaY RaY Pine "Fan of All Music" (Philly) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fwx (Audio CD)

Those of us who are into Fates Warning have been waiting for the follow-up to Disconnected almost the minute it came out. I can actually remember exactly what happen the day I bought Disconnected... the thoroughfare, so to speak, that went into it. Me and my friends went to Tower at midnight to get it and came straight home to sit in my basement and listen. I think they were confused by the album after hearing it and loving A Pleasant Shade of Gray-- I just smiled, I felt like I knew something no one else did about this band at that point; Jim Matheos doesn't care what anyone thinks anymore.

Here we are, about four years later and an album older. It's hard to say where Jim Matheos intended this journey to begin or end, but one thing we can say about him is that he's always kept most of us guessing. While Disconnected was the exact reflection of its title, FWX is really the same way. It embodies a lot of the sound that classic Fates Warning fans have grown to love (Ray Alder era, not John Arch) while also embracing the nuances of the new age sound that Jim Matheos has adopted for his band (and his side project OSI). If everyone was looking for APSoG or Disconnected part 2, do not look here. Instead, ses this album as an extension of everything Jim has done in his long and storied career. Songs like "Simple Human" and "Sequence #7" remind me of that Disconnected sound while "River Wide Ocean Deep" could have been a B-side from the OSI sessions.

Jim has his hand in everything on this disc and instead of inviting long time collaborator Kevin Moore into the studio to lay down the keyboard tracks, Jim takes it on his own shoulders. You can hear, in the melodies of Ray's voice and the lyrics (written dually by Jim and Ray), the ache in the bands collective heart which Jim fully demonstrates in songs like "Wish" and "A Handful of Doubt" which are far cries from ballads as much as they are the sad musings of someone who is quite genuine about there life. The wistful keyboard tones reminiscent of APSoG along with the dissonance of Disconnected wrapped into one album of pain, doubt, regret and, in the end, a wish that no one else suffer it.

If you're looking for flashy solos, heavy guitar riffs and/or intensely complicated songs--this album isn't for you. If you're looking for a band that has continued to redefine themselves while holding onto a signature sound for the past 15 years--a band who has given up on flash and focused on song writing-- check this album out.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Old School Fan, July 27, 2006

By 

Zen Badger "ZenBadger" (Wisconsin, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fwx (Audio CD)

I've been listening to Fates since Spectre came out and have Brocken on vinyl. I say this only to give you a way to judge my perspective.

After taking a hiatus, so to speak, from Fates and missing Disconnected and FWX, I finally returned to listening when I heard FWX. It's great to be back; what an outstanding album!

At the time of this review, FWX is one of my top three favorite Fates albums. I play it constantly. So even if you're an old school fan like me or have just been away for a while, you are going to love FWX. These guys just keep blowing me away with each successive release.

Buy it!