Fates Warning

Redemption – I Am the Storm Review

By Steel Druhm on March 17, 2023 in Reviews, Progressive Metal, 32 comments

“Call me olde and jaded, but I tend to be suspicious of bands that bear the “supergroup” imprimatur. Cautious though I may be, I’ve been a fan of Redemption since their launch way back in 2003. The brainchild of guitarist extraordinaire, Nicolas van Dyk, the project has benefitted from some exceptional frontmen over time, such as Rick Mythiasin (Steel Prophet, New Eden) and Ray Alder (Fates Warning, A-Z), and since 2018s Long Night’s Journey into Day, they’ve had Evergrey’s Tom Englund on the mic.” Forgiveness is more than saying sorry.

Queensrÿche – Digital Noise Alliance Review

By Steel Druhm on October 6, 2022 in Reviews, Heavy Metal, Progressive Metal, 69 comments

“A new Queensrÿche platter almost mandates a look back at the many peaks and valleys the band traversed over their long career. Early releases like their eponymous EP and The Warning were timeless pieces of traditional metal. They created what is arguably the best metal concept album of all time with Operation: Mindcrime, and they had major commercial success with Mindcrime and Empire without having to “sell out.” Lean years followed as Geoff Tate and company drifted into drab alt-rock (Hear in the Now Frontier, Q2K), then came the trend hopping (Tribe), and finally, phoning it in (Operation: Mindcrime II).” God save the Queensrÿche!

Kings of Mercia – Kings of Mercia Review

By Huck N Roll on September 23, 2022 in Reviews, Heavy Metal, 14 comments

“Here we are for Round 2 of Battle of the Bands. Round 1 took place back on August 12, when Ray Alder and Mark Zonder conspired to release their exceptionally strong A-Z album. Now we’ve got the response from Jim Matheos and Joey Vera, another eponymous debut, by their new band Kings of Mercia.” Fates be warned.

Trial – Feed the Fire Review

By Steel Druhm on September 8, 2022 in Reviews, Heavy Metal, NWOBHM, 104 comments

“Way back in 2015, when the world was young and AMG was still using the cursed and damned Excel Promo Sheet ov Doom, an album called Vessel by Swedish prog/power/trad act Trial graced my earholes. It was like a joyous fusion of Crimson Glory, early Fates Warning, In Solitude and NWoBHM and I really enjoyed it. I planned to review it but time conspired against me and Vessel never got the AMG treatment it deserved. 2017s Motherless did, however, and that album was a hot mess lacking the old timey charm and mystique of its predecessor. Fast forward to 2022 and Trial return with Feed the Fire and a brand new singer, and the awkwardness of Motherless is nowhere to be found.” Trial by fire.

A-Z – A-Z Review

By Huck N Roll on August 12, 2022 in Reviews, Heavy Metal, Progressive Metal, 90 comments

“The last Fates Warning album, 2020’s tepid Long Day Good Night may have marked the end of the band (pure speculation, frens), but the fellas have not been resting on their laurels. Look at this summer alone: bassist Joey Vera has been touring for Mercyful Fate, and Ray Alder and ex-drummer Mark Zonder are dropping their straight-ahead metal album, A-Z, this week. Next month Jim Matheos does the same with his new band, Kings of Mercia. If you’re a long-time fan like me, this is exciting stuff!” ABCs of Fate.

Tuesday the Sky – The Blurred Horizon Review

By Huck N Roll on September 1, 2021 in Reviews, Post-Metal, Progressive Metal, 13 comments

“Jim Matheos just might be the best guitar player nobody ever talks about. He’s all about tone, nuance, and restraint, which goes completely against the prog metal grain. I think of him as prog metal’s version of David Gilmour. I mean, Fates Warning, the man’s primary outlet, once released a progressive metal album with no guitar solos. Who does that? Matheos has been involved in a few projects that are well known and respected in the prog world – yes, Fates Warning, but also his Arch/Matheos albums with John Arch and OSI, his collaboration with Kevin Moore to name a couple. Tuesday the Sky, essentially a Matheos solo project, doesn’t fit in with any of these other projects.” Mindful Matheos.

Poverty’s No Crime – A Secret To Hide Review

By GardensTale on May 20, 2021 in Reviews, Progressive Metal, 20 comments

“Poverty’s No Crime plays a very archetypal brand of progressive metal as developed in the mid-80’s by other genre veterans such as Fates Warning and 90s acts like Dream Theater. This means expansive songs that still hold on to classic verse-chorus structures, recognizable riffs and melodic leads, but allow for a lot of exploration upon the motifs within these tracks.” Operation: Povertycrime.

Blue Hour Ghosts – Due Review

By sentynel on February 10, 2021 in Reviews, Alternative Metal, Progressive Rock, 16 comments

“NASA once lost a perfectly good spacecraft due to a units error, which led to a miscalculated course and a fiery collision with the destination planet. The navigation team had raised concerns that it was off course before the actual crash, but no action was taken. Managers preferred to assume everything was fine until it was too late. Here on final approach hoping everything is fine is Italy’s Blue Hour Ghosts with their second album, Due.” Brace for impact.

Huck N’ Roll’s and Eldritch Elitist’s Top Ten(ish) of 2020

By Huck N Roll on December 30, 2020 in Blog Posts, Lists, 112 comments

Huck N’ Roll and Eldritch Elitist will now hold court with their well-thought-out Top Ten(ish) lists. Appear or be held in eternal contempt.

Fates Warning – Long Day Good Night Review

By Huck N Roll on November 5, 2020 in 2020, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Progressive Metal, 41 comments

“As the year mercifully draws to an end and we start thinking about list season, there are still a few November releases that many of us are looking forward to. This is one of them: the thirteenth album from American progressive metal outfit Fates Warning. As last week’s YMIO shows, I’ve been a fan of this band for decades, and Long Day Good Night had a tentative reservation in my Top Ten-ish list once it was announced.” Long times.