Fates Warning - Inside Out (1994)

Ray Alder - Vocals
Jim Matheos - Guitar
Frank Aresti - Guitar
Joe DiBiase - Bass
Mark Zonder - Drums & Percussion
Produced by Bill Metoyer & Fates Warning
Recorded by Bill Metoyer during May 1994 at Track Record, North Hollywood and Silver Cloud, Burbank, CA
Mixed at Cornerstone Recorders, Chatsworth, CA

The follow up to 91's Parallels continues to streamline their sound. At this point they're resembling Arch's Fates less and less, and I really enjoy the personal-edge the lyrics and music attained as the Alder-era band gained a distinct personality of its own. Some of Mark Zonder's best drumming is on this album, too.
I kind of see this era of the band as being where I wanted Queensrÿche to go after Empire.

We get a hint of what's to come in A Pleasant Shade of Gray at times, also (tracks like Monument and the Strand feel like they could fit in with the cold, melancholic melodic themes of APSoG). This album is top 3 Fates for me.

My favorite track is a toss-up between Island in the Stream, Monument, and Pale Fire. I'll go with Island in the Stream for the poll's purposes.

Monument

I voted Monument but I really love this whole album. I played the crap out of this while I was studying and writing papers back in college in the mid to late '90's. I had (and still do not) have a problem with them getting less heavy and moving away from the sound of the Arch era albums as the songs were still amazing and moved me. That is the most important thing music can do in my opine.

This is about as far as I go with them. I lost interest in them and haven't heard anything past this.

Hmm. If you dig this one, I don't really think you could go wrong with any album after it. Disconnected would probably be the most difficult to get into because the daunting song lengths, but it's a great album too.

I pick Afterglow.

Island in the Stream for me.

Not as bad as expected... intricate housewife rock with some very interesting drumming.

"Down To The Wire" and "Monument" are neck & neck.

Flips a coin and "Down To The Wire" get the vote.

James B. wrote:

intricate housewife rock with some very interesting drumming.

that's a way to put it I suppose.

"intricate housewife rock"

We have enough genres to argue about already, don't you go staring new ones!

the sentinel wrote:

"intricate housewife rock"

We have enough genres to argue about already, don't you go staring new ones!  

Pale Fire

Although I'm not too crazy about their later albums this one still has some good songs. I went with Pale Fire.

Outside Looking In!!! Wow! Just listened to it about an hour ago for the first time, and it's awesome! First Fates Warning song I liked immediately and want to buy the mp3.

Shelter Me. The album is so consistent though, tough to vote for a specific song. The one I listen to the most.