On November 6th 2020, Fates Warning will release their much anticipated 13th studio album, Long Day Good Night, on Metal Blade Records.
This should be an easy endeavor for a band that has been around since 1982, and Fates Warning has mastered its craft.
The one original member, Jim Matheos (guitar) has earned his place in the sun, as he represents ‘classic’ Fates Warning at its finest.
Some art portrays a moment in time, a person, an event, or is symbolic of the past, present, or future. All 13 songs on this album are works of art that do just that.
They elicit emotional responses on various levels, as the lyrics are meticulously and beautifully written. Like watching a great movie, there are so many highs and lows on this album that it is not monotonous and keeps the listener on the edge of his/her seat.
Fates Warning has the unique ability to place the emphasis on specific lyrics exactly with the specific instrumental at just the right time in the song. This controlled writing technique pushes this album into a whole different level, and it can be likened to a ‘masterclass in progressive metal’.
No wonder they are referred to as “one of the Big 3 of the progressive metal genre, along with Queensryche and Dream Theater to effectively grow and popularize power metal.”
The Hartford, Connecticut band started preparing for this project in early 2019, and spit out the lead single Scars in August 2020. Foodies talk about the aftermath after scarfing down a piece of ‘Better Than Sex’ cake.
Listening to this album had such an effect. Scars begins with a split second of blended vocals followed by a rude awakening: a full-blown jam session. The band is notorious for their low-lighted intros and then slowly building crescendos after the first verse.
What comes next is a massive instrumental attack on all fronts. Shuttered World negates this theory by displaying backline forcefulness right out of the gate.
Bobby Jarzombek (drums) has never sounded better, and perhaps it is because of the unusually odd cymbal placement, which is over his right and left shoulders.
Joey Vera showcases his backing vocals quite nicely on Now Comes The Rain; and his bass playing is layered intricately among the drums. It’s lyrically fluid and with just enough space.
An extremely distinct single on this album is Begin Again. It has an eccentric intro that sounds quite bluesy with a Southern progressive metal vibe, and it is also the most instrumentally aggressive song out of the 13.
Lastly, The Way Home, is worth mentioning with the immaculately clear and crisp vocal tones of Ray Alder.
He once said of their 2010 album Parallels, “”I think it’s one of the best albums we ever put out;” and, arguably, Long Day Good Night just might be.
Buy Here: https://www.metalblade.com/fateswarning
Review by Jordonna Lobese for MPM
