•
Rating:
THE REVIEW
Where has Kevin Moore gone? It's the question that many might ask themselves after listening to this "FWX", the tenth studio album by Matheos’ band.
In the two previous masterpieces "A Pleasant Shade Of Grey" and "Disconnected", which should objectively be considered the highest points of their career, the former Dream Theater prodigy lent his craftsmanship, giving the band a unique sound, likely never reached before. In those two albums, melodies and experimentation excelled as never before...
In this "FWX", however, there’s no Moore, the keyboards are entrusted to Jim Matheos himself... and it must be said that this absence is truly felt. In this record, in fact, keyboards play a very marginal role limited to some small and imperceptible background and to creating electronic effects. But even in terms of structure, the band’s sound loses much of what it had gained. At times it might even seem that the band is moving towards a more commercial direction, and songs like "Simple Human" (appreciate its power), "Another Perfect Day", the banal "Crawl", and the almost punk "Stranger (With A Familiar Face)", which I consider the worst on the record, clearly demonstrate this. The many alternative and nu-metal references are certainly not to be despised, yet they cause the album to lose some of its personality.
But the album, with its dark sounds and sad tones, is still appreciated. The songs I appreciate the most are the psychedelic "River Wide Ocean Deep", with a first part rich in electronic sounds caressed by a beautiful acoustic guitar, the nostalgic "Wish", with that beautiful piano part, the sad "Handful Of Doubt" with the acoustic guitar still prominent, but I also willingly listen to all the other songs, particularly "Another Perfect Day" and "Left Here". This doesn't change the fact that the album is a step back compared to the previous two.
I really hope that FW will return one day, but mostly I hope they will return to replicate the inimitable "A Pleasant Shade Of Grey"!
Loading comments slowly
Summary by Bot
Fates Warning’s tenth album FWX marks a noticeable shift from their previous acclaimed works due to the absence of Kevin Moore's keyboards. Jim Matheos takes over keyboard duties, resulting in a more marginal role for keys and a sound leaning towards commercial and alternative metal elements. While some tracks, like "River Wide Ocean Deep" and "Wish," showcase dark, nostalgic tones appreciated by the reviewer, the album overall is seen as a step back. Fans are left hoping the band returns to the distinctive style of their earlier masterpiece "A Pleasant Shade Of Grey."Tracklist Lyrics Videos
Fates Warning
Fates Warning are an American metal band from Connecticut, widely cited as pioneers of progressive metal. Formed in 1982, they evolved from early heavy/power metal into increasingly progressive, atmospheric, and introspective styles across albums such as Perfect Symmetry, Parallels, and the concept work A Pleasant Shade of Gray.18 Reviews
Other reviews
By Giorrrrrgio
The 10 tracks of this latest effort of theirs are sterile, cold, and give the impression of not having a climactic end.
'Another Perfect Day' is a fabulous gem in the midst of this grey sea.
