Fates Warning -Long Day Good Night is fantastic

[Tom C]

The magic is back for me. Everything that I love most about the band is brought together in a way they haven't done, to me since Parallels.

From the Zonder like hi-hat work, to the layered clean guitars over dissonant distorted guitars to the ethereal vocal melodies and harmonies.

I'm not sure where this will land and settle in their overall discography but I haven't had a Fates CD on repeat this much since APSOG.

[LarryD]

The magic is back for me. Everything that I love most about the band is brought together in a way they haven't done, to me since Parallels.

From the Zonder like hi-hat work, to the layered clean guitars over dissonant distorted guitars to the ethereal vocal melodies and harmonies.

I'm not sure where this will land and settle in their overall discography but I haven't had a Fates CD on repeat this much since APSOG.

***So glad to hear this ........but it does seem to be divided amongst the troops ........ looking forward to seeing what the majority think of this one .........

[Tom C]

The magic is back for me. Everything that I love most about the band is brought together in a way they haven't done, to me since Parallels.

From the Zonder like hi-hat work, to the layered clean guitars over dissonant distorted guitars to the ethereal vocal melodies and harmonies.

I'm not sure where this will land and settle in their overall discography but I haven't had a Fates CD on repeat this much since APSOG.

***So glad to hear this ........but it does seem to be divided amongst the troops ........ looking forward to seeing what the majority think of this one .........

I'll be curious to hear your thoughts as well. I cannot for the life of me understand Fates Warning fans not being thrilled with this one. Since I have to be careful what I say here apparently, I think if you're a fan of Parallels to APSOG era Fates this will be in constant rotation, but who knows?...

[Sir Exar Kun]

I'll be curious to hear your thoughts as well. I cannot for the life of me understand Fates Warning fans not being thrilled with this one. Since I have to be careful what I say here apparently, I think if you're a fan of Parallels to APSOG era Fates this will be in constant rotation, but who knows?...

I'm really getting stoked to check this out based on these comments, but I've also not understood the fans not enjoying the last few albums either. "Disconnected" is the only one that really came off a bit overly "modern" for my ears, and the others all really fit in perfectly with the catalogue.....

[Mark]

To echo Tom's point....I'll never stop regretting the absence of Zonder. But of the Bobby-era albums, this is the one in which he seems to be making the most effort to show a degree of musical personality the way Zonder did.

[Mardoch]

slips on heresy boots

So I've never really been a Fates fan. A lot of people around here loved the last one, I picked it up, thought it was pretty good, but it didn't blow me away. What're the chances I see in this new one what you long time fans do?

[introclaus]

slips on heresy boots

So I've never really been a Fates fan. A lot of people around here loved the last one, I picked it up, thought it was pretty good, but it didn't blow me away. What're the chances I see in this new one what you long time fans do?

Hmmm tough one - I’d think that if you didn’t love the last one you won’t find much to love in this one either. I find that this album sounds pretty much like anything they’ve done since “Disconnected” with a few songs that try out new things (there are some instrumental parts I find busier/more technically adventurous than anything they’ve done in years). I really like the album, but I’m not loving it as much as others are, although it grows with each spin.

[Scott B]

slips on heresy boots

So I've never really been a Fates fan. A lot of people around here loved the last one, I picked it up, thought it was pretty good, but it didn't blow me away. What're the chances I see in this new one what you long time fans do?

Well, probably zero chance that you'll see what the log timers, and I'm talking 30+ years, will see, and that would be true for any longtime vs. new/casual listener.

So don't feel like you have have to find that thing. Just go at like you would any new album and see if there's something in it that sticks to your brain.

I hear in this album a thing that I find a lot of long-time artists are doing, and that is revisiting those "classic" nuances that are their trademark. To me, it's a tip of the hat to the fans as they move on to other things, or retirement.

[Random Axe]

I will be a surprising voice on this topic since I'm not really digging this.

I'm as large of a Fates and Ray and Jim fan as you'll come across on this board and elsewhere. I think APSOG is the second best piece of recorded music behind Images and Words. Out of my top 15 all-time albums three are Fates and two are Redemption. So I don't use these words lightly. I'm just not feeling the new one. I have no doubt it will eventually click and I'll look back on this post with disgust.

First few times though this just seems...tired. This feels like a depressed, pandemic album full of allegory about, well, being tired and wanting to go home. It seems like all songs are about not being happy and longing to return home. It feels far more melancholic than most of their previous back catalog, and the guitar parts just don't have the same energy. Reading between lines this appears to be Jim's last album. I can understand that. He's given so much of himself without the rewards he's due. However, I think there was a critical error on this album in that he didn't enlist Mike Abdow in the writing process outside of a couple of solos. You can hear his vibe on Ray's solo album and know he could have brought a little bit of life to this one. Plus, if this is indeed his end, it would have been a nice torch hand-off if the rest of the band still wants to move forward maybe with Abdow and Aresti.

I have zero doubts this will end up being my favorite this year, but it's not nearly as wide of a margin as I'd have guessed.

[Mardoch]

Hmmm tough one - I’d think that if you didn’t love the last one you won’t find much to love in this one either. I find that this album sounds pretty much like anything they’ve done since “Disconnected” with a few songs that try out new things (there are some instrumental parts I find busier/more technically adventurous than anything they’ve done in years). I really like the album, but I’m not loving it as much as others are, although it grows with each spin.

Well, probably zero chance that you'll see what the log timers, and I'm talking 30+ years, will see, and that would be true for any longtime vs. new/casual listener.

So don't feel like you have have to find that thing. Just go at like you would any new album and see if there's something in it that sticks to your brain.

I hear in this album a thing that I find a lot of long-time artists are doing, and that is revisiting those "classic" nuances that are their trademark. To me, it's a tip of the hat to the fans as they move on to other things, or retirement.

I checked out one of the singles after I made that post and I found a lot to like. Maybe this one will wave my flag. I see it's up on Bandcamp so I'm going to give it a play today.

...why is that italicized...

[Sir Exar Kun]

I'm not hearing a lot of the "vintage" era in this album, to be honest..... One track in the middle (can't remember the title, sorry!) definitely had a "Eleventh Hour" sort of structure and build up to it, and had a VERY APSOG style instrumental break in the middle, but otherwise sonically the songs are more reminiscent of modern era FW than the early 90s. The songs are (mostly) much more straight ahead, running +/- 5 minutes for the most part, so maybe that's what folks are hearing?

It's a great album, and fits in nicely with the rest of their recent releases. I sincerely hope this is not their final album but dang that last song certainly points that way.....

[Random Axe]

I'm warming up to this one but I stick by my initial assessment. It's not lazy, that's too harsh of a word. I would have to call the overall feel of this album as...reluctant. This feels like a obligatory contract fulfillment with Metal Blade that he really didn't have the heart for. There's still great stuff on here, and I'll discover more. The energy difference between Theories and this one is staggering to me.

[LarryD]

I am really enjoying this one ....... I was afraid after reading some of the comments that it would just pass unnoticed, but after repeated listens, and even after the first listen, I like it a lot.

I do not hear vintage FW - I hear a moody, atmospheric, waving goodbye sort of disc ....... but it's pretty emotional, at least to me. The shining star here is Ray. He sounds absolutely fantastic - and this could even pass for another Ray solo disc. It has that sort of feel to it. I would agree with those who say that Jim has run out of gas, and is just writing one more disc without putting much thought into it, but even at that level, this is a very good disc and if it is the last, I won't be disappointed. It has a surreal / atmospheric vibe to it that won't let go of me.

[LarryD]

I have gotten obsessed with this disc .....I play it at least twice a day. Ray, the melodies, the atmosphere all add up to a fantastic disc for me. If they do bow out after this, I will be happy with this final release. Ray just brings it here - totally melts me with his voice and approach. Depending how the year turns out, this could be at the top of the list, but definitely in the top 3. Not a bad song on the disc to me.

[Random Axe]

I've fully come around to this one. It's never happened that it took this long to fully absorb a FW disc. There's a lot of more mellow stuff on this than previous. However, the general consensus is Ray is the star here, and I'd agree.

[Tom C]

I've fully come around to this one. It's never happened that it took this long to fully absorb a FW disc. There's a lot of more mellow stuff on this than previous. However, the general consensus is Ray is the star here, and I'd agree.

It's cool to see people coming around to this. I was getting concerned, LOL. Ray was the surprise for me as well, but in terms of "wow" factor, Bobby Jarzombek has somehow outdone himself on this one.

[Random Axe]

I think I may have isolated the obstacle I have with this album.

Jim's guitar tones are throwing me off. He's using some new recording equipment cause this really doesn't seem like FW sonically. A song or two has a country feel in the intros, so much so I was waiting for the slide and someone to break a beer bottle over my head.

The Last Song beginning sounds like a ukulele. Longest Shadow starts out with four minutes of jazz improv. So all of this contributed to my difficult absorption and connection.

Fates is always my no.1 on release year but this one is no lock. I have so many contenders. That's a great problem, though.

[Mardoch]

Finally got around to listening to this. It's good. Ray is fantastic. But I don't think it's a disc I would ever reach for.

[johnhead]

I love it - even if it feels like Jim is 'done' with FW. You can totally get that vibe. But I think Joey and Bobby are amazing on this disc and Ray has figured out where his current vocal strengths are and stays in that lane very well.

[AllMediaReviews]

long time fan..

I like this more than Darkness, but if this is their last record, it kind of makes me wonder if time will be more kind to it.

It's uneven at best..some nice moments, but it doesn't have that energy or memorability like Theories did, Disconnected, FWX, APSOG and many of their others.

[AllMediaReviews]

Mark Zonder forms new band with Ray Alder A-Z

https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/fates ... er-in-a-z/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6O-jWIYKGo&t=392s

[Sir Exar Kun]

Mark Zonder forms new band with Ray Alder A-Z

https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/fates ... er-in-a-z/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6O-jWIYKGo&t=392s

Take a look at the other musicians on there also.... Phillip Bynoe and Viv Lalu??? How cool is THAT?!?

[Mardoch]

Mark Zonder forms new band with Ray Alder A-Z

https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/fates ... er-in-a-z/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6O-jWIYKGo&t=392s

Take a look at the other musicians on there also.... Phillip Bynoe and Viv Lalu??? How cool is THAT?!?

Lalu being involved really perks my ears up. I fuckin love his style.