Perfect Symmetry (Fates Warning Album)

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Perfect symmetry
Studio album by Fates Warning

Publication
(s)

August 22, 1989

admission

20th of April - ??. May 1989

Label (s) Metal Blade / Roadrunner Records

Format (s)

CD, LP

Genre (s)

Progressive metal

Title (number)

8th

running time

42:01

occupation
  • Guitar / background vocals: Frank Aresti
  • Electric bass: Joe DiBiase
  • Drums: Mark Zonder

production

Roger Probert

Studio (s)

Carriage House Studios, Stamford , Connecticut

chronology
No Exit
(1988) 		Perfect symmetry Parallels
(1991)

Perfect Symmetry is the fifth studio album by progressive metal pioneers Fates Warning , released in 1989 . Singer Ray Alder made his second appearance here, while drummer Mark Zonder had just got on board earlier this year. In June 2008 Metal Blade released a deluxe edition with the remastered original CD, a bonus CD with the demo versions and a DVD with live recordings of the Perfect Symmetry World Tour .

music

While the predecessor No Exit showed a slight departure from the aggressive metal sound of the first albums, the trend was consistently continued with Perfect Symmetry , one album later, with Parallels , in a subtle and, despite the more pop-like structures, still progressive waters to flow. This time, violin and keyboard passages are incorporated into the three to eight minute songs , which, in addition to the obligatory changes in melody, tempo and rhythm, ensure that everyone has their own character . Through Different Eyes is “tough, straight, suitable for radio”, At Fates Hand “complicated, sophisticated, deeply orchestrated”, so it has the typical characteristics of a Progressive Metal piece, which - less pronounced - also applies to Part of the Machine and Nothing Left to Say applies. Static Acts , The Arena and A World Apart are most closely related to Heavy Metal, especially Static Acts due to the particularly high-pitched vocals. Finally, Chasing Time is “purely acoustic and ballad-like.” Tim Hofmann sums it up as follows: “The basic character of the music is a bit reminiscent of Debussy, who was translated into rock. Very nice melancholic moods convince here in a catchy way, which is only roughened up in places by cross-brushed breaks for the memory. In addition, singer Alder is in top form - very impressive. "

text

The reorientation that characterizes and distinguishes the compositions is even clearer in the texts, as the content around fantasy , occultism , esotericism and mysticism has given way to completely modern and more introspective. The language is elaborated (the so-called “elaborated code” was used), the contents (the so-called “messages” ) are profound. Both allow only a rough characterization: Part of the Machine and A World Apart are critical of society, Static Acts and The Arena are critical of the system , Through Different Eyes , At Fates Hands , Chasing Time are philosophical . The final point, Nothing Left to Say, is autobiographical and describes the antagonism , or , to put it further, the paradox of writer's block that may result from it despite artistic freedom of development. The lyrics therefore enjoy the reputation of being “down to earth” and “sophisticated”. Verse structure and rhyme scheme also separate the songs from each other. The clearly structured and clean rhyming At Fates hand , the range extends up to the confused-looking part of the Machine , with its partly rhymed, sometimes absurd, also with different verse equipped -Number verses (there is no chorus), which is due to the complexity of the composition . The lyrics were written by the respective music author, four by Matheos , three by Aresti. At Fates Hands was written jointly by Aresti / DiBiase / Matheos (at least the credits do not explicitly identify any of the three as the sole lyricist) during the studio recordings, which can be deduced from the fact that the predominantly instrumental song initially "Perfect Symmetry" should be called.

Guest musician

The melody-carrying violin in Chasing Time and the At Fates Hands intro were recorded by Faith Fraeoli, "a girl from Connecticut," as Jim Matheos added succinctly in an interview. The keyboards in At Fates Hands were taken over by Kevin Moore , who at the time was a member of the befriended band Dream Theater , later had other guest appearances on Fates Warning publications and also started the band OSI with Matheos .

History of origin

Little is known about the genesis of the individual songs. Unlike No Exit , which was matured in six to seven months, stood for the Perfect Symmetry - songwriting only two months. When selecting the studio, the producer and the sound mixer , tried and tested methods were used. Both Carriage House Studios and Roger Probert had already been selected for No Exit . Terry Brown was initially intended for the mix, but this was again entrusted to Max Norman , supported by Phil Magnotti. The recordings began on April 20, 1989 and were completed in mid-May. The planned song sequence and a title were changed in the course of this.

Track list

  1. "Part of the Machine" (Matheos) - 6:15
  2. "Through Different Eyes" (Matheos) - 4:22
  3. "Static Acts" (Aresti) - 4:28
  4. "A World Apart" (Aresti) - 5:03
  5. "At Fate's Hands" (Aresti / DiBiase / Matheos) - 6:59
  6. "The Arena" (Aresti) - 3:18
  7. "Chasing Time" (Matheos) - 3:38
  8. "Nothing Left to Say" (Matheos) - 7:58

Deluxe Edition (2008)

Disc 2: Studio Demos

  1. "Part of the Machine" - 7:03
  2. "Through Different Eyes" - 4:20
  3. "Static Acts" - 4:27
  4. "A World Apart" - 5:38
  5. "At Fate's Hands" - 6:11
  6. "The Arena" - 3:52
  7. "Chasing Time" - 4:06
  8. "Nothing Left to Say" - 8:06
  9. "Part of the Machine" - 8:03
  10. "Nothing Left to Say" - 4:51

Disc 3: Live DVD

Allentown, PA, December 2, 1989

  1. "Mirage"
  2. "Part of the Machine"
  3. "Silent Cries"
  4. "Static Acts"
  5. "Through Different Eyes"

Houston, TX, April 26, 1990

  1. "Mirage"
  2. "Static Acts"
  3. "Anarchy Divine"
  4. "Silent Cries"
  5. "Nothing Left to Say"
  6. "Quietus"
  7. "Damnation"

Amsterdam, Netherlands, December 16, 1989

  1. "Mirage"
  2. "Part of the Machine"
  3. "Silent Cries"
  4. "The Apparition"
  5. "Through Different Eyes"
  6. "Nothing Left to Say"

Philadelphia, PA March 27, 1990

  1. "The Arena"

New Haven, CT, December 11, 1989

  1. "Through Different Eyes"
  2. "The Apparition"
  3. "Damnation"
  4. "Exodus"
  5. "Drum Solo"
  6. "Nothing Left to Say"
  7. "The Ivory Gate of Dreams"

+ Video clip: "Through Different Eyes"

Cover

Boris Kaiser described the cover in Rock Hard as "one of the best [...] of all time". Telling the same thing, Tim Hofmann writes that it is “one of the best and most excellent record sleeves of modern times”. Between an upper gray-mottled strip with the black band logo and a lower gray-mottled strip with the album title also printed in black, it shows a gloomy assembly line scene. There are three older men in overalls , clone-like alike , with a company logo emblazoned on their breast pockets , behind the conveyor belt and casting scrutinizing glances at a small copy of the Venus de Milo passing them , which, if they do not pass as bright white can, at least the brightest parts of the picture are. The famous ancient sculptural work of art stands for the ideal of beauty - and such a thing always has something to do with symmetry . The all Metal clichés contrary to artwork was in Scarpati studio of commercial photographers and cover artist John Carpati according to a concept of Rush -Intimus and the House designers in the Prog scene (besides Rush z. B. Dream Theater) Hugh Syme made. He also designed the follow-up cover to Parallels , on which the same old man can be seen on his deathbed , covered in a brightly colored quilt .

reception

The Metal Hammer commented on the “Soundcheck” result of September 22nd, 1989 with its seven highest ratings from ten critics: “Lonely at the top are once again Fates Warning, who with their new album Perfect Symmetry have proven that even a hammer like No Exit [...] can be followed by an increase. ”Otherwise there was still skepticism when it was released, as with Frank Trojan from Rock Hard, who feared“ that the album [...] will have a very difficult time keeping the old fans happy hold ”, while it was easy for him to award 9.5 out of 10 possible points, in retrospect it is unanimously traded as a“ milestone ”: In Rock Hard in 2002 it was ranked“ The 300 best Hard'n'Heavy records of all times ”on rank 67. The term “milestone” appears on vampster .com (in connection with the re-release as a deluxe edition). Robert Taylor awarded 4 out of 5 stars at allmusic .com and his conclusion was: "An historic recording in the progressive metal genre."

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Band bio on massacre-records.de ( Memento of the original from November 2, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.massacre-records.de
  2. ↑ a b Wolfgang Lux: Fates Warning. American progressive metal band . Munzinger-Archiv / Pop-Archiv International , delivery 11/94 of November 5, 1994, p. 2.
  3. ↑ a b In: Matthias Mader, Otger Jeske, Arno Hofmann et al .: Iron Pages. US Metal Vol. 1 , p. 61.
  4. ↑ Götz [Kühnemund]: Fates Warning. The age of perfection . Metal Hammer , No. 21 (October 6, 1989), p. 14.
  5. ↑ a b c Boris Kaiser: Fates Warning / Perfect Symmetry within the booklet-in-booklet special Record Mania. The 300 best Hard'n'Heavy discs of all time . Rock Hard , No. 176 (01/2002), p. 56.
  6. ^ A b Frank Stöver: Fates Warning. A living legend . Horror Infernal , No. 19 (3/1989), p. 7.
  7. ^ A b Götz Kühnemund: Fates Warning. It also works with level! . Metal Hammer , No. 14 (June 30 - July 13, 1989), p. 15
  8. ↑ Anonymous: Soundcheck September . Metal Hammer , No. 20 (September 22, 1989), p. 34.
  9. ^ Frank Trojan: Fates Warning / Perfect Symmetry . Rock Hard , No. 34, p.?.
  10. ↑ Review on vampster.com
  11. ↑ Review on allmusic.com