Detailed Reviews [Fates Warning - 2003 - "The View from Here" DVD]

Do you know how many new ideas Fates Warning brought to Prog-Metal and the development of the genre? Have you ever heard about the band's amazing capability to continuously transform their unique style? If not, the new Fates Warning DVD, "The View from Here", is released expressly for you. Apart from two special sections: The Making of "Parallels" (1990) and "Disconnected" Studio Footage (2000), this excellent audio-video ProGduction includes seven clips and five 'live' numbers, one of which, (another) Point of View, performed at Dynamo, isn't mentioned in the album's track list (see above). The DVD covers most of the band's output: from 1986 to 1998, though almost all of the songs that are presented here are originally featured on the albums that Fates Warning recorded with Ray Alder: "No Exit" (1988), "Perfect Symmetry" (1989), "Parallels" (1991), "Inside Out" (1994), and "A Pleasant Shade of Grey" (1997). Prelude to Ruin (from "Awaken the Guardian", 1986) is the only representative of Fates Warning MK-I on this output, though it's also Ray Alder who sings here, and not John Arch. All songs are performed in their original versions, and only the first two: Silent Cries and Anarchy Divine (both from "No Exit", 1988) are a bit shortened. With the exception of Nothing Left to Say, all of the other 'live items', presented on the DVD, were performed at Dynamo in 1998. The musicianship of each of the band members (Jim Matheos, Ray Alder, and Mark Zonder) and *very special* guests (Kevin Moore and Joey Vera) and their joint performance as well are just outstanding. Each song on the DVD is brilliant and is definitely progressive, and such gems as At Fate's Hand and A Pleasant Shade of Grey will please even the most exacting connoisseurs of Classic Symphonic Art-Rock (no, I didn't make a slip when speaking this). The quality of the sound and screen image of this DVD is simply wonderful, as well as all the contents of it. Dear reader! Even if you're not that much into Prog-Metal, I heartily recommend to you "The View From Here" and regardless of whether you were fortunate enough to see Fates Warning's live performance or, like me, not. This is such a unique band that it's impossible not to appreciate their music, to say the least. Fates Warning is not only one of the best Prog-Metal bands, but also one of the most important bands that ever existed in the history of Progressive Rock. (For the band's discography and some other details, have a look into >Classic Prog-Metal Bandlist.)

VM: June 17, 2003