Aside from Dream Theater, Fates Warning has got to be my favorite Progressive Metal band out there. Formed in 1982, they started out with John Arch on vocals, Jim Matheos and Victor Arduini on Guitars, Steve Zimmerman on drums, and Joe DiBiase on Bass. Their style back then was closer to that of a Heavy/Proto-Power Metal style, albums like Night on Brocken causing the band to be criticized as an Iron Maiden clone. Their later albums started to define their style, however, with The Spectre Within and the critically acclaimed Awaken the Guardian being released not too long after.
Once John Arch left, one Ray Alder joined the team, after briefly recruiting Chris Cronk for the part. No Exit was released in 1988, a blend of Power and Thrash Metal, with the 20-minute opus "The Ivory Gate of Dreams." A year later, Perfect Symmetry was released, and it was here that their Progressive Metal style started to develop. Parallels was released in 1991, and it blended the perfect style of Progressive Metal with influences from the early years, riffing on "The Eleventh Hour" being evidence of this.
While I won't go into detail of all of them, I will make mention of their grand opus, "A Pleasant Shade of Gray," released in 1997. At a whopping 53 minutes and 47 seconds, it is by far my favorite of the three great opuses ("Operation: Mindcrime" by Queensryche, and "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence" by Dream Theater). Kevin Moore's work with the band during that album was absolutely phenominal.
So, feel free to discuss. What are your favorite albums? What has the band done for you? Which era do you prefer? Which singer did you find most enjoyable? What's your take on anything that I just said?
For those who have not yet listened to Fates Warning, click here.
