fates_warning_-_theories_of_flight

Theories Of Flight’ is the 12th studio album by Fates Warning.

Fates Warning are one of the leaders of progressive metal, with a history of over 30 years. I will now dare to say that their new album is one of the top albums in their career and although I know that this may sound too much, I think that it can be compared with their 1991’s ‘Parallels’!!

To my ears at least it sounds that great! Just eight tracks, each with a different vibe which transmits its own musical uniqueness.

There is a very delicate balance between power and progressive musical elements here, so it can be easily listened to by a wider audience and not only devoted progressive metal fans.

The voice of Ray Alder is concise, the riffs and solos of Jim Matheos are, as always, ingenious and Joey Vera’s basslines and Bobby Jarzombek’s drums surround and complete the musical formations with attitude.

The album starts with the song ‘From The Rooftops’ with a classic prog. metal style that blows your ears and creates an appetite for the next. The following, ‘Seven Stars’, with a heavy attitude and a mind-sticking riff, (and some of the best lyrics I‘ve ever heard) can be honestly described as the best metal song for 2016 – so simple! ‘SOS’ follows; a song with tension, heavy riffs and melodic choruses. ‘The Light And Shade Of Things’ is the one of the two lengthier compositions of the band’s album in which Ray Alder really demonstrates his vocal capabilities. ‘White Flag’ continues with heavy attitude and my mind is already blown! ‘Like Stars Our Eyes Have Seen’ continues to dynamite my mind and I‘m so curious how it’s gonna evolve! Well, in ‘The Ghosts Of Home’ I can certainly detect some influences from Rush which leads to a wide smile spread all over my face. The album is completed with ‘Theories Of Flight’, a nice instrumental composition that relaxes you… until you repeat the whole album experience again and again.

No surrender, don’t give up, never carry that white flag! Fate has warned us once more!

Note: There is also a limited edition digipack of the album that contains six acoustic implementations of 3 Fates Warning’s tracks (‘Firefly’, ‘Seven Stars’, ‘Another Perfect Day’) as well as 3 covers of Toad The Wet Sprocket, Joaquín Rodrigo and Uriah Heep (‘Pray Your Gods’, ‘Adela’, ‘Rain’).

Konstantinos Vagiotis