Perfect Symmetry (Fates-Warning-Album)
Occupation
- Vocals: Ray Alder
- Guitar: Jim Matheos
- Guitar / backing vocals: Frank Aresti
- E -Bass: Joe DiBiase
- Drums: Mark Zonder
Perfect Symmetry is the fifth studio album released in 1989 the Progressive metal pioneers Fates Warning. Singer Ray Alder had here his second appearance, while drummer Mark Zonder was fresh boarded the beginning of the year. In June 2008, Metal Blade released a deluxe edition with remastered original CD, a bonus CD with demo versions and a DVD with live footage of Perfect Symmetry world tour.
Music
It was included in the predecessor No Exit a slight departure from the aggressive metal sound of the first albums seen, the trend in Perfect Symmetry was consistently continued to an album later on, Parallels, in a finely intimate and despite the pop - more similar structures still progressive fairway to lead. In the three - to achtminüten songs violin and keyboard parts are this time incorporated that contribute in addition to the mandatory melody, tempo and rhythm changes mean that each has its own character. Through Different Eyes is " hard, straight, radio-friendly " At Fates Hand " complicated, sophisticated, orchestrated tiefschichtig ", that has the characteristics of a progressive metal piece, what - less pronounced - also part of the Machine and Nothing Left to Say true. Static Acts, The Arena, and A World Apart have the greatest proximity to Heavy Metal, particularly Static Acts due to the particularly high shrill acting singing. Chasing Time is finally " purely acoustic ballad. " Tim Hofmann sums it up as follows: " The music is reminiscent of the basic in character a little of Debussy, which was translated rock. Very nice melancholy moods convince here on a catchy way that is roughened only places by cross brushed Breaks for the memory. In addition, singer runs Alder top form - very impressive. "
Text
The compositions of the characteristic and distinguishing realignment falls in the texts even more significant, are but the content around fantasy, occultism, esotericism and mysticism entirely given way to more modern and introspective. The language is elaborated ( Made the language, the so-called " Elaborated code" was used ), the content ( the so-called "messages" ) are profound. Both can be only a rough characterization: Society are critical part of the Machine and A World Apart, critical of the system are static Acts and The Arena, are philosophically Through Different Eyes, At Fates Hands, Chasing Time. The final point Nothing Left to Say is autobiographical and describes the antagonism, continuing said that possibly resulting paradox of a writer's block, despite the artistic freedom to develop. The lyrics thus have the reputation " down to earth " and to be " challenging ". Stanza structure and rhyme scheme limits the songs also from each other. From the clearly structured and clean rhyming At Fates hand, the range extends up to the confused -looking part of the Machine with his sometimes rhyming, sometimes absurd, also equipped with a different verse stanzas number (there is no chorus ), which is due to the complexity of the composition. Were written the texts by their music author, four of Matheos, three of Aresti. At Fates Hands was written by Aresti / DiBiase / Matheos together (at least, the credits any of the three explicitly as the sole lyricist off), during the studio recordings, which is derive from the fact that the predominantly instrumental song first " Perfect Symmetry " should be called.
Guest musicians
The melody carrying violin in Chasing Time and the Fates Hands At intro, were recorded by Faith Fraeoli, " a girl from Connecticut ," as Jim Matheos added, succinctly in an interview. The keyboards in At Fates Hands took over Kevin Moore, a member of the friendly band Dream Theater was at the time, later had more guest appearances on Fates Warning releases and also cried with Matheos the band OSI to life.
Genesis
About the history of each song is very little known. In contrast to No Exit, which was matured in six to seven months, stood for the Perfect Symmetry songwriting only two months. In the selection of the studio, the producer and the sound mixer fell back on tried and true. Both the Carriage House Studios and Roger Probert had already been selected for No Exit. First, Terry Brown was provided for the mix, but they trusted this again Max Norman, supported by Phil Magnotti on. The recordings were started on 20 April 1989 and were completed in mid-May. The planned song sequence and a title has been changed in the course yet.
Title list
Deluxe Edition (2008)
Disc 2: Studio Demos
Disc 3: Live DVD
Allentown, PA, December 2, 1989
Houston, TX, April 26, 1990
Amsterdam, The Netherlands, December 16, 1989
Philadelphia, PA, March 27, 1990
New Haven, CT, December 11, 1989
Video clip: "Through Different Eyes"
Cover
Boris Kaiser described the Cover in RockHard as "one of the best [ ... ] of all time". The same testifying writes Tim Hofmann, it belongs " to the most excellent and probably the best album covers of modern times ". It is between an upper gray - mottled stripes with the black band logo and a lower gray mottled with black as printed album title a bleak assembly-line scene. There are three to klonartig resembling older men in overalls, on whose chest pockets a corporate logo emblazoned behind the conveyor belt and throw test looks at each one passing by on their small copy of the Venus de Milo, which, if not considered a bright - white may, nevertheless, at least the brightest areas of the image. The famous ancient sculptural work of art stands for the ideal of beauty - and such always has something to do with symmetry. The all - metal clichés that run counter artwork was (besides Rush eg Dream Theater ) Hugh Syme made in Scarpati Studio of commercial photographers and cover artist John Carpati on a concept by Rush confidant and the house designer of the prog scene. He also designed the follow - Cover to Parallels on the same old man is seen in the death-bed, covered with a colorful quilt - luminous.
Reception
The Metal Hammer commented on the "Sound Check" result of 22 September 1989, with its seven top marks out of ten critics: " Lonely at the Top one rank more Fates Warning that have proven with their new album Perfect Symmetry, that even a hammer disc such as No Exit [ ... ] can still follow an increase. " otherwise Reigned in appearance still skepticism as to Frank from Trojan rock Hard, the feared, " to the album [ ... ] will have it very hard, the old fans happy hold "while self admittedly slightly fell him for the rights of 9.5 out of 10 possible points, it is universally regarded as in retrospect " " traded: in rock Hard it was then in 2002 in the ranking " Milestone the 300 best hard'n'heavy discs all time " out on rank 67. On vampster.com the term appears "milestone" ( in conjunction with the re-release as a Deluxe Edition) on. Robert Taylor awarded at allmusic.com 4 of 5 stars and his conclusion was: ". An historic recording in the progressive metal genre "