Fates Warning -
Theories Of Flight


(CD 2016, 52:23, Inside Out Music)

The tracks:
  1- From The Rooftops(6:52)
  2- Seven Stars(5:33)
  3- SOS(4:34)
  4- The Light And Shade Of Things(10:14)
  5- White Flag(5:20)
  6- Like Stars Our Eyes Have Seen(5:13)
  7- The Ghosts of Home(10:31)
  8- Theories Of Flight(4:00)


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I have always been a huge fan of Fates Warning and I still consider their album A Pleasant Shade Of Gray (1997) as one of the best prog metal albums ever made! Three years ago FW released their last album called Darkness In A Different Light and I loved that album as well.

Now, three years later, Ray Alder (vocals), Jim Matheos (guitars), Joey Vera (bass guitar) and Bobby Jarzombek (drums) release their 12th and brand new studio album entitled Theories Of Flight and I can tell you now already that I love this new CD and it probably will end up very high in my top 20 of the year 2016! Seeing that Fates Warning could be considered as the pioneers of progressive metal, together with Queensryche and Dream Theater, I was really looking forward to this new release and I am not disappointed, better yet; I am amazed that this band can still come up with an outstanding album like this one. Right from the start I was captured by FW's amazing typical sound, the beautiful guitar melodies and the breathtaking vocals of Alder.

The album kicks off with one of the best FW songs I have heard in a long time, being: From The Rooftops. After listening to this amazing song a couple of times I can truly say that I am hooked on From The Rooftops; what a breathtaking prog metal song! Fates Warning continues with another musical highlight called Seven Stars, which features a rather addictive chorus and that song could be used as a single as it is almost a radio friendly track. Another absolute highlight of this album is The Light And Shade Of Things, a long epic song (10:14) filled with musical emotion and lots of musical variety and surprises. The Ghosts Of Home, another song clocking in over 10 minutes, is an emotional song, featuring great guitar hooks, riffs and melodies from Matheos, who still proves to be one of the best prog metal guitar players on the music scene.

All in all, I can only conclude that Fates Warning did it again, maybe Theories Of Flight is not as brilliant as A Pleasant Shade Of Gray, but it is certainly one of the highlights in their long and successful career. Listening tips: From The Rooftops and The Light And Shade Of Things.

**** Martien Koolen (edited by Robert James Pashman)

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