Customer Reviews

Fwx

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

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.

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.

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!

You need to check out Redemption, the band that Ray Alder is doing as a sort of side-project to Fates Warning. It is heavier, faster, and he does a stronger bit of vocals on it too, probably because of the songs.

Having said that I like this release. In my mind Ray hasn't been to into Progressive Rock for awhile now but he knows what is paying the bills. Something about his demeanor around me in past interviews makes me feel he wishes Engine was his meal ticket now. And having said that I think this CD is a combination of both Engine and Fates Warning. I don't know if ultimately it is a good mix or not. Honestly I can do without most of the gimickry and sound effects in music. Usually they are misused or even worse, overused in the songs they appear in. This happens in the songs on this CD as well.

All this sounds like I hate the CD but I don't. What I do like about the CD is the flow of the music and the overall effect it pulls from you after a few listens. Anyone who takes a CD out, listens to it once, and then buries it in a pile isn't likely going to like this CD. Complex music usually requires the listener to actually listen to the song instead of mindlessly moving to the same/beat/same/power chord kinda stuff that is usually more popular with the masses. They have reached some complexity with this one and the mood is very brooding throughout most of the music.

I have seen people refer to the tour they did with DT and QR and all the new fans such a tour apparently has garnered them. The problem with that and this release is that, at least on their stop here, they played a lot of older FW stuff. This CD isn't going to sound familiar to those new fans who are likely looking for more riffs and a different kind of flow to the music than exsists here. For those new fans I suggest Chasing Time as a disc to pick up, it covers stuff from way in the beginning through most of the stuff you likely heard on the tour.

Pick up this CD if you are looking for a version of FW that is more brooding and subdued. And if you are looking for straight out heavy prog metal check out the new Redemption release with Ray singing. It is like night and day.

I should start by pointing out that I have been a huge fan of Fate's since the days of "Awaken The Guardian" and "No Exit", but I think that after many years of both pushing themselves creatively and searching for their sound while struggling uphill in a music business that never appreciated their style of music Fate's Warning have elevated their craft to near perfection. This album is polished, intelligent, and mature.

Jim Matheos and Ray Alder both have never really been appreciated as much as they deserve. Jim Matheo's inimitable and refined progressive guitar style has been very influential to many guitarists over the years, Alder's voice has always been amazing, and is better than ever on this disc, yet most people don't know who Fate's Warning is. If this album doesn't do it, nothing will. A near-flawless production, wonderfully well-written modern prog-rock/metal songs which are diverse and intelligent, and great performances from all band members, with a refined, art-rock sensibility similiar to Porcupine Tree or Riverside, which is the perfect direction for this band. A great album that both casual music fans and hardcore prog fans would also enjoy....excellent and criminally underrated band at their pinnacle. A near-perfect 21st century progressive masterpiece.

I missed Fates Warning growth from straight metal band to progressive metal monolith, discovering them only after Still Life was released (it remains one of my favorite live albums to date). What their studio albums arguably lack in live energy they make up for in powerfully raw, yet intricate progressions that reward each listen with nuances previously missed. Each member of FW contributes a uniquely individual piece to the whole that creates an unquestionable synergy. If there is any criticism to be made, it's that FWX shows relatively little growth and may even be a small step back from Disconnected which is, in my opinion, the pinnacle of their career thus far. Nonetheless, FWX is a welcome addition to my CD library and highly recommended to FW fans and fans of prog metal.

THIS is the album I've been waiting to hear since "Parallels". Hold on, don't dismiss me yet -- I loved "No Exit" and "Perfect Symmetry", but I thought the writing on Parallels was world-class. I also really liked APSOG, and "Disconnected" has grown on me a little more since my posted review, but FWX is sooo good, I can't stop listening to it. Why? Songwriting. Phenomenal, layered, complex, powerful songwriting. I'm glad that Matheos and Alder are doing more collaboration; Engine gave Alder a chance to show he can write, too, and this album really shows a spark between these two musicians. I also find their co-production to be strong and clear, with excellent mixing and mastering at key points in songs to bring out parts that might otherwise be buried, reducing their potential. It's amazing what some good notch filtering can do...

If you're still with me, you're wondering what I can tell you that's different from the other 19 people who've posted so far. All I can tell you is, these songs stick with me. I sing them at work, I sing them when I'm trying to write my own material, I hear them in my head when I'm asleep. Standout tracks include "Simple Human," "Another Perfect Day," "Heal Me," "Crawl," and the song which may be FW's best yet, "A Handful Of Doubt." SH, HM, and Crawl are roaring metal tracks from the No Exit era, except less emphasis on guitar leads. These are powerful songs, certified handbangers, and proof that FW should not, in fact, retire anytime soon. IMO, Tool could learn from these songs about how to craft truly heavy metal.

Another Perfect Day layers acoustic guitar and keyboards with thunderous drums and bass, with vocals weaving amidst the parts to create a song that will instantly make you think "radio hit" - except not, because it's too good for radio and much too good writing for most people to appreciate. [On a sidenote, I wonder if Matheos wrote this piece as a response to Dream Theater's "Another Day", sort of the anti- version.] If any song from this album should get rotation, it's this one, not because it's weak but because it has more layers and a more subtle mix than most of the other tracks.

The shining star on this release, however, is clearly (for me) "A Handful Of Doubt." Wow. This song reminds me instantly of the recurring lyrical themes on "Parallels" - "I never asked for this / Yet somehow here we are", suggesting a tie to "The Road Goes On Forever" and "Leave The Past Behind". Matheos also uses open voicings on his guitar, with Zonder playing a cymbals-heavy part early in the piece and Alder gently harmonizing with himself, creating a mood of reflective melancholy which gets swept by the second verse and a much more aggressive band part. FW isn't depressing, it's introspective and much more adult in its themes and songwriting than it was 20 years ago. "Awaken The Guardian" was a different lifetime for these guys; "FWX" is what a group of seasoned, wiser men produce when they sit down and look back at their lives. And this particular song encapsulates the essence of FW today. Maybe once the guys have grandkids they'll start writing happy children's tunes; until then, we have the gift of this album (and for those of you who really want something more upbeat, check out the 2 solo releases by Matheos, which got classified as New Age!).

My only beef, other than 52 minutes of music seeming too short simply because it's so inhumanly great material, is that "Sequence #7" seems like a reject from the OSI CD. That isn't terrible, it just seems odd when Kevin Moore didn't contribute to this album (which is another surprise).

So to summarize, this is the album I really wanted to hear from FW at this point in my life. It takes its place, instantly, in my Top Ten list of all-time favorite albums. Because, yes, it *IS* just that good.

Fates Warning still going strong. Good CD, but "No Exit" and "Perfect Symmetry" are still my favorites.

It seems like it is getting longer and longer between Fates Warning albums. The principle members all have excellent side project like OSI (Jim Matheos) and Redemption (Ray Alder) that take up part of their time, thus the four year gap between the last two Fates albums. But......maybe this is a good thing as the quality of the band's last three albums is as good as anything they have ever done. It is interesting to read other people's reviews of this disc. They seem to either really love it or really dislike it. In fact Fates fans seem to be somewhat split between fans of their early more straight ahead metal approach and fans of their later day progressive metal output. I put myself firmly in the latter camp, and consider "X" another strong album from a band that continues to put out quality stuff to it's limited, yet loyal fanbase. All the familiar Fates trademarks are here. Jim Matheos' s elegantly melodic guitar, Mark Zonder's powerful drumming, Joey Vera's thunderous bass, and Ray Alder's towering vocals. The one element that separates this album from the last few is that there is no keyboard player credited here. The keys that are on the album are played by Matheo's lending the disc an overall heavier feel than that the last few. The lyrics are all strong and relevant and are about evenly split between Alder and Matheos. Overall "X" is another solid album from these veterans and would be a nice add to any collection. Let's hope it is not another 4 years before the band's next release.

I listen FW since more then 10 years. APSOG was the first album that took me into the band through my university years and was a bullet to the head! one of the masterpieces of melancholy (may be with the influence of Kevin Moore at the keyboards), its successor disconnected also raised my expectations,frankly a good album but not at the level of APSOG.

As an addict to the melancholic music, the first few listenings of the album was a disappointment for me, but fortunately I insisted on listening and get into the atmosphere of the album. It is true that FWX does not carry on the dark atmosphere its two precedings but it has got unique quality and sound that embrace my soul strangely. With the album I taste some different feelings of tides between regret and hope.