To my ears "Long Day Good Night" is like listening to the early 90s mainstream heavy rock/metal oriented Fates Warning releases, but with an added metallic heaviness, providing the music with a more contempoary edge (the same can be said about the more heavy and meaty sound production). Personally that´s fine by me, because both of the two direct predecessors were high quality progressive metal releases as only Fates Warning make them. Maybe they´ve finally locked into a groove because "Theories Of Flight (2016)" also felt very much like the sibling album to "Darkness In A Different Light (2013)". Fates Warning haven´t had a history of releasing the same album twice, but this time it´s close. Stylistically the material on "Long Day Good Night" continues the relatively riff heavy but at the same time melodic progressive metal of "Theories Of Flight (2016)". Guitarist Frank Aresti is not involved in session work this time around, but Michael Abdow returns to play a couple of guitar solos. It´s the successor to "Theories Of Flight" from 2016 and features the same four-piece core lineup as the predecessor. The album was released through Metal Blade Records in November 2020. "Long Day Good Night" is the 13th full-length studio album by US progressive metal act Fates Warning. Despite how catchy and melodic it is, “Parallels” is a truly somber package, best enjoyed when you are reeling from loss but still want to sing along to some good music. Such a beautifully passionate song that is sad yet strong. Probably my favorite song by the band by this point, the lyricism and emotion in Alder’s voice play over simple yet evocative guitar lines that pull every heart string. While every song here is fantastic, I will admit the ending tracks are weaker, except for “We Only Say Goodbye” which is a Pop Prog masterpiece. Though most of the album is the simple Rock ensemble of instruments, layering and production effects ensure a depth to the sound that reveals more with each listen. Fates Warning certainly tread the softer side of the genre, but unlike Queensryche, the musicianship is very technical indeed, and simple choruses where the vocals can shine often give way to incredibly intricate verses and instrumental segments. There was an obvious emphasis on melody and catchiness when writing this one. The songwriting is quite similar to the prior Perfect Symmetry, but it’s a bit simpler in structure and with better production. Probably an odd way to praise a Prog Metal album by immediately comparing it to Pop music and focusing on the vocals, but whatever. The lyrics aren’t shallow by a longshot, but pretty clearly revolve around feelings of lost human connection, letting go, and moving on. The way he harmonizes with himself are flawless, and again making comparisons to Queensryche, the choruses on this thing are catchier than the vast majority of Pop music. Ray’s range is very impressive, he can hit incredibly high registers without getting pitchy or strained, and carry a passionate weight all the while. The music here is technical and complex Prog Metal, but the vocals are total AOR a la Queensryche. Blows my mind that Ray Alder isn’t considered one of the canon greats of metal vocalists.
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