fates warning / albums

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106 FAVS
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- A Pleasant Shade Of Gray
- - 10,821 plays
  - 9 favs
  - 0 shares
Fates Warning
Released 1997

Part I
01:53
964 plays

Part V
05:24
920 plays

Part VII
04:51
913 plays

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songs

- 1
- Part I
- 01:53
- 964 plays

- 2
- Part II
- 03:26
- 1,060 plays

- 3
- Part III
- 03:53
- 1,066 plays

- 4
- Part IV
- 04:27
- 1,034 plays

- 5
- Part V
- 05:24
- 920 plays

- 6
- Part VI
- 07:28
- 905 plays

- 7
- Part VII
- 04:51
- 913 plays

- 8
- Part VIII
- 03:31
- 817 plays

- 9
- Part IX
- 04:46
- 891 plays

- 10
- Part X
- 01:19
- 687 plays

- 11
- Part XI
- 03:35
- 788 plays

- 12
- Part XII
- 09:08
- 776 plays

- play all

album review

Though they'd pretty much come to epitomize the very essence of progressive metal over the years with their ever-challenging work, Fates Warning had surprisingly never committed to a full-on concept album -- almost a prerequisite of the genre. That is, until 1997's ambitious A Pleasant Shade of Gray, which corrected this oversight with 12 tracks forming a single, Herculean magnum opus. But while it offers up another helping of rhythmically complex progressive metal full of intricately woven time changes, this is no Operation: Mindcrime. The guitar riffs and melodic hooks contained here are simply not that memorable, requiring way too many listens before leaving any lasting impressions and overshadowing the band's remarkable musicianship. There are no song titles either; each track is identified as "Part I," "Part II," etc., with perhaps the most memorable moments taking place on "Part IV" through "Part VIII" (the last, a loving tribute to Kansas if ever there was one). All told, A Pleasant Shade of Gray is a challenging listen and not for the faint of heart. ~ Steve Huey & Ed Rivadavia, All Music Guide