Review by Shadowdoom9 (Andi) for Fates Warning - Perfect Symmetry (1989)

My favorite Fates Warning album in the John Arch era is The Spectre Within, but my favorite one in the Ray Alder era is the one that fully departed from their earlier heavy metal roots for strictly melodic prog-metal, Perfect Symmetry! While their progressive evolution would be shown further in their next 3 albums, it is this essential masterpiece that would make the band part of the early melodic prog-metal trio alongside Dream Theater and Queensryche. The melody has aged well, probably more than Haken would. The delivery flows greatly to allow the album to stand out well.

Alder's vocal range is in perfect balance, not sounding as screechy as in No Exit and not as tame as their later albums either. His high vocals have an easy tone that would help guide you through these abstract lyrics. The guitar duo Jim Matheos and Frank Aresti can pull off riffing that can range from heavy to ethereal. Kevin Moore, who was Dream Theater's keyboardist at the time, gives some songs his magic touch.

"Part of the Machine" is a towering opener, from the rattling intro onwards. "Through Different Eyes" is one of my favorite tracks here. There's so much melodic beauty here, especially when the chorus soars, adding greatness to a structure too simple by prog-metal's standards. The frantic "Static Acts" has Alder's vocals reaching greater heights.

Then we have the average "A World Apart", but even that song has great power. Alder's vocals continue to make the album the sparkling gem it is. "At Fate's Hands" is quite magnificent with soft beauty riffing while making room for some of the thunderous heaviness and progressiveness. My ears are quite pleased. And of course, there's that magic touch from Kevin Moore. I think the closest the band has gotten to their earlier heavy metal roots is "The Arena". It's short, more classic-sounding, and Alder's vocals sound closer to Arch. Nice though a little unhinged.

"Chasing Time" is another short track, coming out as an elegant ballad. It also has some vibes similar to pre-metal prog. "Nothing Left To Say" is a true ending epic to exemplify early melodic progressive metal. Alder sings his vocals with great passion, covering somber lyrics that often fit the dark mood. I wish I could describe this beautiful epic more, but I have nothing left to say.

Perfect Symmetry is a flawless classic for melodic progressive metal. It's quite deep with nothing too technical, and despite the tracks being shorter than in other albums, nothing's rushed. All is in genuine balance with no missteps. Between the underground No Exit and the commercial Parallels lies this gem. Indeed perfect and symmetrical!

Favorites: "Through Different Eyes", "Static Acts", "At Fate's Hands", "Nothing Left To Say"