Fates Warning
The popularity of progressive metal has seen a somewhat surprising resurgence, with long-lived standard bearers such as Iron Maiden and Opeth defying the odds by growing their audiences and maintaining arena-tour status year after year. New England has emerged as a particularly fertile hotbed of Rush-loving, Watchtower-collecting hard-rock virtuosos, from Elephants of Scotland to Hartford, Ct’s Fates Warning, which’ll swing through Brick by Brick on January 13. Over the course of 35 years, they’ve released a dozen studio full-lengths and a couple of live albums.
The current quartet only features one founding member, guitarist Jim Matheos (also known from OSI, with former Dream Theater keyboardist-singer Kevin Moore). Singer Ray Alder (Engine, Redemption) has been a member since their breakthrough 1988 album No Exit, bassist Joey Vera (Engine, Armored Saint) has been aboard since 1996, and drummer Bobby Jarzombek (Halford, Riot) has logged a full decade with the group. It’s been over a year since the release of the album that their current Theories of Flight tour is named for, but they’re also plugging their Awaken the Guardian Live full-length, which came out earlier this year and features the band playing an entire 1986 LP. Looking over recent setlists, they appear to be sticking to pretty much the same tracks each night, usually opening with “From the Rooftops” (from their most recent studio disc), though they occasionally flip the script by starting the show with Mogwai’s “Batcat,” and usually closing with encores of “Through Different Eyes” and “Monument.” They even snuck “Oak Cliff Bra” by Edie Brickell & the New Bohemians into one recent set, so be prepared for the occasional left turn.