Sunday 15 January 2017

#30 - Top of 2016

Fates Warning - Theories of Flight (Inside Out)

Gracing number 30 of the top 2016 albums, we have the twelfth release by perennial Prog Metallers Fates Warning. With their return in 2013 being a success, the band released last year its successor, which sees the band return to more familiar grounds, with an album with a distinct sound that, at the same time, feels very close to the renowned concept album of the band back in the 90s ("A Pleasant Shade of Gray").
The album opens with "From The Rooftops", a  very dynamic song featuring melodic lines reminiscent of the early lines of the  band, incorporated into a more fresh sound. "Seven Stars" starts off with amazing guitars with the vocals culminating into a pretty classic-sounding FW chorus. "SOS" opens with guitars grinding away as emotional vocals join in. Riffs galore at times and this would sound awesome live. "The Light And Shade Of Things" is dark and laid back with atmosphere as soft vocals arrive. The chorus is heavy and catchy with really angry interludes integrating flawlessly within the song. "White Flag" is a killer track that has very deep emotion and seems to be one of the best tracks of the album. "Like Stars Our Eyes Have Seen" starts with an all out assault from Jarzombek, as Adler joins in with attitude!
"The Ghost Of Home" starts with speech samples which suddenly stop, before a Maiden-like guitar riff appears to kick-start a magnificent song with a very emotional culmination. "Theories Of Flight" is the interesting atmospheric closer which bring to mind the aforementioned "A Pleasant Shade of Gray most vividly and with its melancholic atmosphere brings the album to an end. This album, along with the Arch/Matheos collaboration rank as the two best albums that Fates Warning (and their offshoots) have created in the 21st century, and show a deep vein of creativity that not only is still rich in beautiful music but can also be surprisingly innovative at times! Well-worth your time.

92/100

Below are the music videos for "SOS" and "Seven Stars".





No comments:

Post a Comment