FEATURED CD - Fates Warning : A Pleasant Shade Of Gray

[Duncan Glenday]

Per Allmusic:

Though they'd pretty much come to epitomize the very essence of progressive metal over the years with their ever-challenging work, Fates Warning had surprisingly never committed to a full-on concept album -- almost a prerequisite of the genre. That is, until 1997's ambitious A Pleasant Shade of Gray, which corrected this oversight with 12 tracks forming a single, Herculean magnum opus. But while it offers up another helping of rhythmically complex progressive metal full of intricately woven time changes, this is no Operation: Mindcrime. The guitar riffs and melodic hooks contained here are simply not that memorable, requiring way too many listens before leaving any lasting impressions and overshadowing the band's remarkable musicianship. There are no song titles either; each track is identified as "Part I," "Part II," etc., with perhaps the most memorable moments taking place on "Part IV" through "Part VIII" (the last, a loving tribute to Kansas if ever there was one). All told, A Pleasant Shade of Gray is a challenging listen and not for the faint of heart.

http://www.allmusic.com/album/pleasa...y-mw0000606828

[SteveSly]

Big fan of this one.

[Jerjo]

Challenging yes, but the rewards last a long time. A classic of the genre.

[schlongasaurus]

I think this is the best of the Alder era albums. It leaves a lasting melancholy that is hard to shake off. This one pulled me back in after two lackluster efforts in Parallels and Inside Out.

[simon moon]

Love it!

This was my introduction to the band. Still nothing else in their catalog tops it for me.

[100423]

I dig it.

[Progbear]

Not a huge fan of prog-metal, but there’s something quite special about this. There’s a subtlety and nuance to this album one doesn’t generally find in the genre, or in metal in general. Really outstanding. What I’ve heard of the rest of their output didn’t come anywhere close to this, sadly.

[The Czar]

Loved them since the week No Exit was released. the last few albums have been weak.
Perfect Symmetry is the best album in my opinion.

[UnephenStephen]

the beginning of the bands downturn imo. for me, the Alder/Aresti/Zonder era was their best. this album was the start of a more synth and industrial sound that i didn't care for. though i do like it better than anything that followed. in fact, i didn't even bother getting Darkness in a Different Light.

[Yves]

I was a big fan of this in the late 90s. I owned the live version on VHS and I nearly wore that tape out. Never bothered seeking it out on DVD though. Not even sure if it exists.

[Spiral]

Fantastic choice, and what a perfect thing to see pop up on the page (it's the dreariest day possible in my part of PA).

I was a big fan of this in the late 90s. I owned the live version on VHS and I nearly wore that tape out. Never bothered seeking it out on DVD though. Not even sure if it exists.

It does.

https://www.lasercd.com/cd/pleasant-shade-gray-cddvd

I actually ripped the DVD soundtrack just to have a third version of the album in my library. It's not the best in terms of sound--the lack of a second guitar means that they fill things in with guitar-like keyboard tones a bit too often, so I rate the live Still Life version a notch higher. Nonetheless, it's a fine video and Joey's footage works great interspersed with the band's performance (which is very rarely the case in my experience). I love the album enough to enjoy all three with their little differences. It was my first introduction to Fates and is still my fav to this day.

[Spiral]

there’s something quite special about this. There’s a subtlety and nuance to this album one doesn’t generally find in the genre, or in metal in general. Really outstanding. What I’ve heard of the rest of their output didn’t come anywhere close to this, sadly.

Well said. Have you heard Disconnected at least?

[Paulrus]

Not a huge fan of prog-metal, but there’s something quite special about this. There’s a subtlety and nuance to this album one doesn’t generally find in the genre, or in metal in general. Really outstanding. What I’ve heard of the rest of their output didn’t come anywhere close to this, sadly.

My sentiment exactly.

[simon moon]

Not a huge fan of prog-metal, but there’s something quite special about this. There’s a subtlety and nuance to this album one doesn’t generally find in the genre, or in metal in general. Really outstanding. What I’ve heard of the rest of their output didn’t come anywhere close to this, sadly.

I think the lack of subtlety was pretty prevalent in the earlier days of prog-metal. Not so much anymore.

Seems to me, at least the many prog-metal discs I've been buying over the last few years have had plenty of subtlety.

[mellotron storm]

Love this band but i'd probably rate this as being around my fifth favourite studio album by them. It just never blew me away like some of their albums do.

[TheLongshot]

Despite my love of Prog Metal, I never could get into these guys. I own this album and had Parallels on cassette, seen them live a few times, and they just leave me cold. In fact, I prefer Ray Alder in Redemption rather than Fates.

[ItalProgRules]

As an insomniac myself, this album with it's theme of insomnia should have been a natural for me.

And while it's good, probably my favorite by these guys, I don't love it the way I probably should. I'm with TheLongshot in that they pretty much leave me cold.

[schlongasaurus]

Fantastic choice, and what a perfect thing to see pop up on the page (it's the dreariest day possible in my part of PA).


It does.

https://www.lasercd.com/cd/pleasant-shade-gray-cddvd

I actually ripped the DVD soundtrack just to have a third version of the album in my library. It's not the best in terms of sound--the lack of a second guitar means that they fill things in with guitar-like keyboard tones a bit too often, so I rate the live Still Life version a notch higher. Nonetheless, it's a fine video and Joey's footage works great interspersed with the band's performance (which is very rarely the case in my experience). I love the album enough to enjoy all three with their little differences. It was my first introduction to Fates and is still my fav to this day.

Thanks for the heads up on this DVD.I used to have it on VHS if you can believe it! Just ordered it from lasers edge

[Scrotum Scissor]

I think it's OK.

[PeterG]

Great band, great album.

[FredOCal]

This one holds a special place in my heart. I got it when it came out and I listened to this, along with "Natural Selection" from Land's End almost every day on the 50 minute train ride to work. Watching the landscape drift past to these two albums was usually the highlight of my day.

[mnprogger]

an all-time favorite of mine, from one of my favorite bands of all-time.

I wrote a somewhat length-ly thing about it last year in my blog:
http://allmediareviews.blogspot.com/...s-warning.html

[TheLoony]

I'll put it at about four, after Parallels, Perfect Symmetry and Disconnected.

I still have no clue what it is about. Often wondered, heard it was interconnected stories, and I still have no clue.

A key to a concept album is a story that stupid persons such as myself can understand them. Not at all with this one.

I tried to use all that literary teaching I had back in school, nope. Nothing comes from it. Maybe if I understood what the hell they were saying, I might like it more.

[Spiral]

I still have no clue what it is about. Often wondered, heard it was interconnected stories, and I still have no clue.

A key to a concept album is a story that stupid persons such as myself can understand them. Not at all with this one.

Understandable, I suppose, although I like things that are open to interpretation just as much. I'm not sure how accurate it is since I don't recall quite where I heard/read it, but my understanding of Gray was that it's about insomnia as someone pointed out above. It's an inner stream of consciousness by someone lying in bed unable to sleep, pondering over mistakes and regrets.

[TheLoony]

Thanks. Nice. That may help. Actually, I can totally understand lying awake, not sleeping(it's what I do best) and remembering his life. I still don't get Murdered in Munich, crucified in Rome which has religious overtones and maybe I'm just missing that part with this new info. I'll have to read the lyrics again with this in mind.

Watching the live version. It really sucks as a visual remembrance but still, seeing Zonder do some of those licks is worth it. God's he's good.