Fates Warning, a band that hardly requires any introduction but also a band that has been highly underrated ever since I’ve known them. A weird phenomenon considering Fates Warning’s excellent track record (pun intended). I must admit that this has been the most difficult review I’ve ever written. Truth be told I wasn’t supposed to write this review in the first place but due to the lack of interest from anyone else I decided to do it myself nevertheless. Fates Warning simply deserve more than a disinterested, five sentence, piece of uninformed work.

I owe that to them at least. The reason is simple: Fates Warning has been one of the first bands to spark my interest in metal. While many disregarded the old work of Fates Warning as an Iron Maiden clone I took it to heart. Songs like “Damnation”, “Night On Bröcken”, “The Apparition”, “Epitaph”, “In A Word” and “The Ivory Gate Of Dreams” still give me goosebumps. But let’s not dwell on days long past. Fates Warning have changed slowly but steadily towards a more progressive sound and after `Inside Out` the band completely lost my interest. I’m not the type that can listen to all that progressive stuff. In fact it bores me out of my skull. As you can see I am pretty biased. Mind you, I’m not bitter that the band changed, but it makes writing this review complicated to say the least.

Well now that you know where I am coming from I shall finally get to the point. I’ll start simple: `X` is a brilliant album. After listening to it for the first time and hearing one after the other passionate track I wish I had given them a bit bigger chance the last couple of years. Fates Warning have not lost that special touch. That feeling you get in your guts when listening to Ray Alder’s absolutely stunning voice. The goosebumps that slowly spread along your arms when Fates Warning start a melancholic ballad. The arrangement of the songs. It’s simply all right to the mark.

These guys know how to write songs you want to listen to over and over without bugging you to death with boring interludes.

Other progressive metal acts should take an example from these guys. `X` is an enormously diverse album. Fates Warning walk a fine line between power and melody without ever going too far either way. While the opener “Left Here” starts off slowly with a great acoustic intro, it quickly bursts into action with weird samples and a great riff; featuring great dynamics and a terribly catchy chorus (a well known Fates Warning trademark).

But the biggest surprise came when the fifth track “Heal Me” started; memories flooded my skull, flashbacks obscuring my vision and goose bumps spreading up and down my arms like wildfire. “Heal Me” reminds so strongly of the Perfect Symmetry and Parallels era that it makes you feel nostalgic. Fates Warning don’t allow you to dwell too long before they pump new life into the song and smack you silly with a heavy pounding riff.

The only thing more I want to reveal about `X` concerns Ray Alder. I’ve always loved this man’s vocals and I’ve always thought that unlike so many others he could actually impress during live shows but what Alder does on this album is amazing. Having not heard this man sing in the odd seven years or so I am left wondering what has happened to his voice. It is still unmistakably Alder but there’s so much more passion in his voice, so much more feeling. In fact it seems that this whole band has rejuvenated.

There’s so much more to say but I do not want to bore you with more ranting. I will let Fates Warning do the rest of the talking because if you are into progressive metal then you simply cannot miss out on this one. It’s not as metal nor as heavy as the average progressive metal release but it is a whole lot more enjoyable and passionate. Fates Warning strikes back at John Arch and I have a hard time deciding which of them did a better job. No, they won’t ever be like they were in days long past but all things change and they’ve at least managed to “Heal Me”.