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(10/10) Fortunately we haven't had to wait another nine years for a new album of Matheos &Co. as it was for "Darkness in a Different Light". It was in 2004 when prog metal masters Fates Warning released their "FWX" album and it took till 2013 before Jim Matheos and his metal passionats released a new long player.
Now, three years after this 'comeback', the next Fates Warning album arrives at your record store. "Theories of Flight" is the name of this eight songs including record that shows the band at its best.
Eight songs means in Fates Warning terms more than 50 minutes of excellent music that is full of mighty riffs, acoustic moments and a lot of virtuosity.
Even though it's already album number twelve it feels like Jim Mateos never running out of ideas and inspiration.
The heart of this long player are the two ten minutes long compositions. "The Light and Shade of Things" and "The Ghost of Home" belong to the best songs Fates Warning has written over the last years. The first one has a darker vibe included, starting almost like a Maiden tune. Actually it begins silent and peaceful. Alder's vocals are more narrative style before the songs develops to a heavy Fates Warning masterpiece that is full of hard hitting guitars and energetic vocal lines by Alder.
"The Ghost of Home" instead begins with some samples that remind of Queensrÿche's "Operation Mindcrime". As the other epos it's an acoustic guitar and gentle vocals that fill the air with beautiful sounds. Lyric-wise this number is a more personal one. Matheos' reflecting on a lot of moving when he was a kid, visiting these locations later on as an adult and reflecting on what all this added to his personality. This song is like a musical interpretation of a theatre play and captures emotions in a gorgeous way.
Even though these are the two longest songs doesn't mean that the rest is just props. Each of the other numbers easily keeps the high standards. "White Flag" is one of them and it can immediately be recognised as being from Fates Warning. These guys created their own trademarks - what else to expect when one of the best guitarists performs together with one of the best metal singer, accompanied by one of the best bassist and an excellent drummer. Things can't go wrong in such a constellation.
The shortest strike on the album is actually the title track that comes in the end. "Theories of Flight" is one of the more soulful songs that comes with a lot of emotional depth. Enriched by some samples the song is kept in a moderate pace and renounces vocals entirely. It's a beautiful number that closes one of the best, if not the best, album in 2016.
I'm listening to Fates Warning since they unveiled "The Spectre Within" and I never had one moment of disappointment in all these years. These guys are passionate of what they are doing. They are real artists and not only musical service providers.
Theories of Flight" is a MUST for each metal collection since progressive and epic metal can't be done better than on this album.
(10/10)
Track list:
- From the Rooftops
- Seven Stars
- SOS
- The Light And Shade Of Things
- White Flag
- Like Stars Our Eyes Have Seen
- The Ghosts Of Home
- Theories Of Flight
Label: InsideOut Music
Gerne: Prog Metal
Release Date EU: July 1st, 2016
