I'm glad this week we didn't have any big releases of interest to me. So I decided to give a try to Fates Warning (1988 to date), Redemption (2005-2016) and Engine (1999-2002) vocalist Ray Alder first solo album What The Water Wants. It's a very straightforward affair with 46 min and 10 songs which Alder as written with Mike Abdow (Fates Warning touring guitarist), guitarist/bassist Tony Hernando (Lords Of Black) and drummer Craig Anderson (Ignite). Alder said that he "had the ideas for a while" and the Fates Warning break from writing and touring was the perfect opportunity to assemble the album.
While not a Fates Warning album, there are of course several moments of similarity. The vocal lines is what resembles Fates Warning the most: very catchy, melodic and beautifully and skillfully sang by Alder. But overall musically the band sounds different from Fates Warning or Redemption. The guitar playing is very distinct from Jim Matheos and there's a very prominent bass. Alder and friends were able to craft a rather unique sound on their own. But don't get me wrong, songs like "Shine" and "A Beautiful Lie" which are high tempo are where we hear Fates Warning influence the most. And "The Road" sounds like straight out of Parallels. Other moments like "Some Days" and "Under Dark Skies" are low tempo and melancholic relying on great arrangements and impressive bass lines. On the bass subject, the single "Crown of Thorns" is a very different and catchy track based on a bass riff. "Wait" goes very riffy and it's the heaviest song here. It's also good to hear some very good guitar solos in several songs, my favorite being "The Killing Floor" and "Wait".
I suspect any Fates Warning fan of the Alder era will dig this big time. His fantastic and unique voice makes it impossible not to compare to Fates Warning. But still What The Water Wanted sounds different enough to make it an interesting journey on its own.
SCORE: 82/100
DR: 7
Genre: Progressive Metal
Released by Inside Out Music on October 18th, 2019
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