Great Metal Albums of 1989: Fates Warning- Perfect Symmetry

When I posted about Fates Warning’s previous album, “No Exit,” I confessed that I was a late comer to the Fates Warning party. That was the first album I listened to in earnest and I admitted my guilt over not discovering them sooner. Now all that is in the rearview mirror, I can concentrate on their 1989 album, “Perfect Symmetry” and I can say that this album is a definite progression from the previous.

They don’t abandon the progressive, stoner, doom metal which had established them. In fact, it’s all there for anyone to hear in all its glory. Simply said, they just take what they do and just do it better, although there are no twenty minute long tracks on this album. The most notable improvement is the vocals of Ray Alder, not that there was anything wrong with his vocals on “No Exit.” On “Perfect Symmetry,” his vocals are more complementary with the music and he doesn’t try to scream so much. At times, and maybe it’s because I posted about a TNT album before this one, he sounds a little like Tony Harnell on the track, “The Arena.” In any case, he shows more versatility with his singing. One good example of this is on the track, “Static Acts,” where he copes with the near ballad bits and then fits along when the song goes more upbeat.

One personnel change occurred between the two albums in the drumming department. Steve Zimmerman was replaced by Mark Zonder and Mark seems to fit in well on the album. He makes his mark, no pun intended, on the track, “A World Apart.” He really hammers away on the skins on this one. What remains the same as it should, is the guitar work Jim Matheos and Frank Aresti who belt out some amazing guitar solos.

Another aspect which hasn’t changed from “No Exit” to “Perfect Symmetry” is that I, again, found it difficult to pick out a standout track. “Static Acts” is probably my favourite track on the album but it did have to beat off stiff competition from “At Fates Hands” and the tracks “Through Different Eyes” and “A World Apart” aren’t too far behind. Closer “Nothing Left to Say” did appear on the soundtrack to the 1991 movie, “Freddie’s Dead (The Final Nightmare).” The album just seems to flow very well from one track to the next in a great progressive style.

Track Listing:

1. Part of the Machine
2. Through Different Eyes
3. Static Acts
4. A World Apart
5. At Fates Hands
6. The Arena
7. Chasing Time
8. Nothing Left to Say

Fates Warning

Ray Alder- lead and backing vocals

Jim Matheos- guitar

Frank Aresti- guitar

Kevin Moore- keyboards

Joe DiBiase- bass

Mark Zonder- drums

Faith Faeoli- violin

First, I must confess that I never went back and listened to Fates Warning’s earlier albums, shame. However, after listening to “Perfect Symmetry,” I am more inclined to do so.

Next post: Malice- Crazy in the Night

To buy Rock and Roll Children, email me at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com

To sign the petition giving Bruce Dickinson his knighthood, click the link: https://www.change.org/p/special-honours-committees-for-knighthoods-a-knighthood-for-bruce-dickinson