FWX in Bloomington, MN

There may be four years separating
FWX
from the last
Fates Warning
album,
Disconnected
, but the progression between the two releases is as fluid as the gap between the their 1988 metallic peak
No Exit
and 1997 progressive extreme
Pleasant Shade of Gray
is wide. Both of those career highs come to mind when listening to
,
"Stranger (With a Familiar Face"
and
"Simple Human"
in particular are distilled from a blend of
's heaviness and
's expansiveness. The ten-minute progressive excursions of
have been reigned in, but make no mistake, this is still a progressive affair, especially on the equally lush and pummeling
"River Wide Ocean Deep"
"Heal Me,"
which make up for their less-than-progressive running times with aggressive riffs that make a welcome return to
. Give
Jim Matheos
Ray Alder
and crew credit: there are few bands that have been around as long (twenty years for founding member
Matheos
and sixteen for vocalist
Alder
) that produce albums as consistent or inventive as
. ~ Wade Kergan