Album Review: Fates Warning - Long Day Good Night

Over the years, I have tried many times to get into Fates Warning, since they are one of the fathers of progressive metal. What I have found all along is that they are a good band, and they have moments that transcend into greatness, but so much of their catalog gets bogged down in esoteric atmospheres that I never find myself pulled back. They have plenty of beautiful guitar textures throughout their records, but not nearly enough great songs for their more adventurous playing to be anchored to. I've enjoyed some of their recent albums when I reviewed them, but I'll be honest and say I haven't listened to the last couple since I finished writing those words.

And it's something specific about Fates Warning's writing, not their sound. Last year, Ray Alder put out a solo record that has the same feel and sound, but contains far more dynamic songwriting. I absolutely love that record, and put it on my top ten list for 2019. The first two songs released from this album were more direct than usual for Fates Warning, which could have been a signal the band realized they needed to up their game. After all, it's not good to be outshined by a side-project.

That immediately fell by the wayside when I saw that this record is 72 minutes long. Indulgence is hard for a lot of musicians to curb, and Fates Warning is no exception. While I do not pine for the days of vinyl whatsoever, I do appreciate that records had less time available back then. I'm sorry, but asking me to stay focused through more than an hour of any music, let alone slow-developing, atmospheric metal, is a tall order. Just look at how the record opens. "The Destination Onward" goes through building sounds, to an ethereal riff and vocal, with the band not kicking into gear for three minutes. Think about that; the first three minutes we hear is a toothless introduction. There's easing someone into an record, and then there's boring them.

When the band kicks into gear, things are much better. Fates Warning are good when they decide to forge ahead with more energetic, for them, songs. "Shuttered World" is just that, and it's great. Ray Alder's voice has aged into this beautiful instrument, and the melodic edge of his solo album rubs off on the heavier material here, giving Fates Warning some great material to work with. "Alone We Walk" is another track that doesn't waste time, doesn't mess around with texture at the expense of melody.

But then there are songs like "The Way Home", where things move along incredibly slowly. The initial melody is so soft as to be invisible, then we get a section of one-note riffs I assume are hinting at a non-standard time signature. All I know is hearing two random notes pulsing for a stretch of time is not interesting songwriting. The fact that the song resolves into a lovely melodic section five minutes in isn't a catharsis, but a frustration that the time leading up to it were so lackluster. They prove it wasn't a bad song, merely a song they didn't give enough care in the first half.

For most of the record, the band stays invested, and the songs are clear and concise. As a straight-ahead metal band, Fates Warning is very good. They have a different approach, and a different tone, that works incredibly well for that. However, they can't help but also put a song like "When Snow Falls" into the mix, where almost nothing happens, and whatever momentum the album was building grinds to a complete halt. It's that allergy to being 'normal' that always keeps Fates Warning from getting where they want to go. If we were to cut out the couple of softest and most untethered sections, we would be left with a very good metal album that would still be plenty long enough.

Ultimately, we wind up with another mixed-bag album from Fates Warning. There is a lot of good on this record, but there is also a need for some additional editing. As it stands, they are asking a bit too much of me. There's a good ten track, fifty minute album here. As it stands, Ray Alder's solo album is still the best Fates Warning album they never made. But this is a more valiant effort than I was expecting, so I'm not disappointed.