Fates Warning

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Fates Warning are an influential heavy metal-progressive metal band from Connecticut, USA. Though their early works are more in the vein of traditional Iron Maiden-influenced heavy metal, by "The Spector Within" and Awaken the Guardian (1986) they had stumbled upon what would soon be a new genre of music. The intricate rhythmic work and progressive rock attitudes combined with the heavy metal sound would influence bands like Dream Theater and Queensrÿche. Together these band's innovations would produce the progressive metal genre. Their first three albums are best known for lead singer John Arch's unusual vocal approach, and the lyrics deal mainly with fantasy themes, but John Arch left after the third album and as new vocalist Ray Alder joined the band the lyrics took a more introspective turn. After this replacement and the introduction of drummer Mark Zonder (On Perfect Symmetry) their entire style began to change, essentially increasing the progressive rock side of the music and toning down the metal. While the energy itself was less in your face and subdued, the music tended towards more virtuosic and experimental tendencies.