10-07 Fates Warning share new single 08-25 Fates Warning post new song 08-24 Fates Warning Vocalist Goes So 03-18 Fates Warning Guardian DVD 07-30 2nd Fates Warning single
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When prog rock first reared its head during the early '70s, it contained elements of hard rock, but few bands crossed the lineintoheavymetal.This all changed during the '80s, when bands such as Dream Theater, Watchtower, and Fates Warning merged their love ofYesandRush with theiradmiration for Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. Formed in Hartford,Connecticut in1983, Fates Warning have endured quiteafewlineup changes sincetheir inception, with the exception of guitarist Jim Matheos, who has been present through it all. Starting offasastraight-ahead metal band (theirprogressive side didn't showup unt ...read more
When prog rock first reared its head during the early '70s, it contained elements of hard rock, but few bands crossed the lineintoheavymetal.This all changed during the '80s, when bands such as Dream Theater, Watchtower, and Fates Warning merged their love ofYesandRush with theiradmiration for Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. Formed in Hartford,Connecticut in1983, Fates Warning have endured quiteafewlineup changes sincetheir inception, with the exception of guitarist Jim Matheos, who has been present through it all. Starting offasastraight-ahead metal band (theirprogressive side didn't showup until a few years later), Fates Warning built up a regionalfollowing,whichsoon led to a recording contract withmetal indie label Metal Blade. With vocals being handled by John Arch, Fates Warningissued suchtitlesas 1984's Night on Brocken,1985's TheSpectre Within, and 1986's Awaken the Guardian, the latter of which became the firstrecord fromthegroup to appear on the Billboard albumcharts.http://fateswarning.bandcamp.com/Wanting to break out of a somewhat one-dimensional metal sound, Arch was dismissed in 1987 and replaced withRayAlder.Themoveimmediately paid off for Fates Warning, as their music (and lyrics/subject matter) became much more complex andchallenging.Theband'sfirst recording with Alder, 1988's No Exit, would go on to become their highest-charting album ever(peaking at number111),andwasfollowed up a year later with Perfect Symmetry, as well as an inaugural tour of Europe. The early '90s saw Fates Warningfocusprimarilyontouring (only one album was issued during a several-year span,1991's Parallels), although Matheos did issue a solo albumin1993,FirstImpressions. In 1994 the group issued Inside Out, whichwassupported with a U.S. tour alongside Dream Theater (at ahometowngiginConnecticut, former frontman Arch joinedtheband on-stage). The band's first best-of compilation, Chasing Time, followed ayear later,asdidappearances ontributealbums for Rush (Working Man) and Judas Priest (Legends of Heavy Metal), which helped buyFatesWarningtimeastheybegan composing the most challenging album of their career. It was also around this time that formerArmoredSaintbassistJoeyVerajoined the group (although he was originally thought to be a temporary replacement, Vera was stillpresentseveralyearslater).Finally issued in 1997, Pleasant Shade of Gray took the extended suite style of 2112 and Tales from Topographic Oceans toanewextreme,asthealbum was comprised of a single hourlong song (broken down into 12 different untitled sections). Theveryfirst live releasebyFatesWarning, StillLife, was issued in 1998, while Matheos issued a solo release the following year(Awaywith Words) and Alder,havingformed aside project, Engine,recorded an eponymous CD. Fates Warning continuestrong intothe 21st century, as evidenced by 2000'sstudioalbumDisconnected and furtherextensive touring -- including aset of summerdates in 2003 alongside prog metal comrades QueensrĂżcheandDreamTheater. The band marked its20thanniversary with therelease of FWX in 2004. Though Fates Warning continued to tour, it wouldbenineyears before theyreleased anotheralbum,with their 11th outing, Darkness in a Different Light, finally arriving in 2013. « hide |
Similar Bands: Dream Theater, Crimson Glory, Queensryche, Iron Maiden, Arch/Matheos Contributors: nylonhair, progsun, Oswaldo88, SharkTooth, OmairSh, DoctorVelvet, rockandmetaljunkie, Mad., Voivod, Jethro42, Disconnected, Willie, Mikesn, Lunarfall, buttsavage, iceman3019, furyroad97, Ocean of Noise, KILL, Parallels, Voivod, Observer, Willie,
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