From the opening strains of guitar riffage, I feel like I’ve been transported back to my teenage years (the eighties / early nineties). Then I’m like, is that a cowbell? Surely not? But ZOMG, I’m having flashbacks. The hair. The jeans. My Samik bass. By two minutes in, I’m singing the refrain from ‘Trial By Fire’. This is an instant in the feelings. Continue reading
Over 35 years ago, Fates Warning was one of the main trailblazers and influencers in the Progressive Metal movement. With so much history, there has been a lot of lineup changes throughout the years, but the band has always been known for its exploration and expansion of the scene. Even today this East Coast act is still examining their special sound. Earlier this month FW released their newest full-length album, Long Day Good Night (Metal Blade Records). These boys went big and completed 13 songs to celebrate their 13th full-length release. The group took their time to dig deep into their assorted inclinations to expose the wealth they found there.
At the dawn of progressive metal Hartford, Connecticut’s Fates Warning were among the first guard. Along with Dream Theater and Queensrÿche they forged ahead with a new style of progressive music that made superstars out of John Petrucci and Geoff Tate. But when it came to back-slapping and, importantly, record sales, Fates Warning were often left wanting. Eleven albums in and on the basis of latest work Darkness In A Different Light (Inside Out Music) it is perhaps evidence of why they have been left behind.Continue reading