FATES WARNING „FWX”

Progressive Metal
52.25 (10 songs)


Cool songs: Wish, Left Here, A Handful of Doubt, Stranger, Simple Human, Another Perfect Day,
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Jim Matheos likes to keep us on edge. I simply adore his band (and have done ever since I heard 86’s Awaken The Guardian) and have devoured everything they have recorded. Yet, Jim likes to take his sweet time – in his world nothing is worth rushing for. This is the reason why each and every Fates Warning album that is released is treated like an event. Certainly in the fans eyes, a new Fates Warning album is like heaven! Four years on from the sprawling ‘Disconnected’ and some seven years on from the monumental ‘Pleasant Shade of Gray’, Jim has penned a new masterpiece; Album number Ten; FWX.

Jim Matheos has rarely, if ever, let me down. Unlike a lot of FW fans, I pretty much love everything they’ve ever written. Sure, I am a massive believer in the first four albums of the 80’s (particularly ‘Awaken’ and the phenomenal ‘No Exit’), but I’m equally enamored with their more progressive, sophisticated sound they developed from ‘Perfect Symmetry’ onwards. 1991’s ‘Parallels’ is a major favorite as is the much-maligned ‘Inside Out’ of 1994. Fates Warning have continued to explore this more expansive, moody sophistication in their music ever since. ‘FWX’ is simply another brilliant chapter of what is a most unique and remarkable career.

Ever careful not to repeat old ideas, Jim Matheos has ensured that ‘FWX’ is a little different to what we heard on ‘Disconnected’ and ‘Pleasant Shade’. If anything, this new album detaches itself from the sprawling prog metal/rock epics that so encapsulated those two albums. Instead, Matheos reverts to a more ‘song’ oriented flavor rather than bold conceptual themes. ‘FWX’ is also a much more guitar driven project than any of the past two albums. Matheos has always been the master songwriter and technically flawless guitarist, yet his leaning towards keyboard elements and effects on previous discs was becoming a major embellishment. I am stoked to hear Jim break out the riffs again, much like the classy movements he displayed on ‘Parallels’. For me, this is the album – right down to its styling, song length and more up-tempo structures – that ‘FWX’ so reminds me of.

FWX is the album that I expected from Jim Matheos. It has not let me down in the slightest. There are some that have taken umbrage with its less than epic meanderings that ‘Disconnected’ featured. All I can say is that that was then and this is now. Jim is obviously content with having poured his soul into the sparse, minimalist style of Disconnected. Why repeat it. Sure, this disc may have some more typical ‘rock’ riffs that may appear a little too simple for someone like Jim Matheos and a FW album, but hell, I think it works tremendously well.

For me, there just isn’t a weak moment on the whole album. The production is pristine perfect and polished with typical Matheos feel and emotion. Ray Alder is one of the Top 5 metal vocalists who ever lived – his performance is again brilliant. And Mark Zonder (who sadly, leaves the band after this album) once again works some unbelievable magic as Matheos’ sounding board. In my eyes, FW remain an untouchable genius. In a genre of shock tactics, gimmicks and trend driven popularity, there are those that exist for purely intelligent musical reasons. Fates Warning is one of those bands. ‘FWX’ is simply beautiful.

note: 9.5/10

Tracklist

1.Left Here
2.Simple Human
3.River Wide Ocean Deep
4.Another Perfect Day
5. Heal Me
6. Sequence
7. Crawl
8.Handful of Doubt
9. Stranger (with a familiar face)
10.Wish