I’m not a fan of later Fates Warning. I much prefer the heavy metal approach of their first three releases to the progressive rock/metal of the later stuff. Even though they’re pretty good at the progressive stuff as well, the style just doesn’t work for me. However, I feel there are still two worthwhile albums from latter day Fates; one being "Perfect Symmetry" and the other being this one – PARALLELS (1991). This album is pure progressive music, but not with nearly as much wankery as many other prog bands indulge in. The line-up is quite good with Ray Alder on vox, Jim Matheos and Frank Aresti on guitars, Joe DiBiase on bass and the great Mark Zonder on drums. Terry Brown’s production is very clean and crisp, enabling all instruments to be heard without problems. Lyrically, PARALLELS is consistently decent, but never outstanding. The album opens well with ‘LEAVE THE PAST BEHIND’, which has a nice riff, good bassline and Zonder is outstanding on the drums. The song is pretty technical, containing lots of off timings and other such jargon! Alder’s vocals are pretty decent, but he definitely isn’t my favourite prog vocalist… His approach here is quite one-dimensional, though adequate anyway. The song has a great chorus and brilliant lead; it remains technical without wanking around too much! I hate it when a good song is ruined due to one single element, and this is the case with ‘LIFE IN STILL WATER’. Here the overly electronic drum sound completely ruins what is otherwise nice music containing awesome guitar and vocal melodies. I’m not sure if Fates is using a drum machine on this one, but it sure sounds like they are! James Labrie of Dream Theater guests as a backing vocalist, but I could only notice him in the choruses after many listens! After a nice lead, the song gets a little monotonous, and luckily doesn’t go on for too long. Not entirely weak but not a strong song either. Simplicity is sometimes the cure, and ‘EYE TO EYE’ proves that. A very rocking start with a nice heavy riff and good acoustic rhythm guitar. DiBiase’s bass run during the verses are splendid, and the song is generally a simple metal song. Somehow, it also tends to sound like stuff off Queensryche’s classic ‘Rage For Order’ album. Next up is ‘THE ELEVENTH HOUR’ which is the epic of the album clocking over 8 minutes. It’s a good song, but has many ups and downs. It has a pleasant jazzy start, but it takes much too long to pick up, and Alder’s vocals tend to get irritating. His vocals improve immensely as soon as the song picks up, and he starts hitting some impressive high notes. The music sounds a lot like older Fates Warning, much faster and heavier than earlier songs on the album. The song gets quite boring in the middle section due to riff repetitions, but the great bass and drum playing keep things moving. Later on the guitarists hit us with an outstanding riff, and the song ends well. Not bad! ‘POINT OF VIEW’ has an awesome heavy start, and the rhythm section is mind-blowing. The drums and bass are enjoying a good relationship on this one, and Zonder is at his fucking best! The chorus isn’t too catchy like the other songs, but this is compensated by one helluva lead (the best on the album) and the great rhythm section which keeps things complex, yet not overwhelming. The band manages to hold my interest completely throughout the 5 minutes. Probably the best song off the CD! Mid-paced ballad time – ‘WE ONLY SAY GOODBYE’ enters when things are about to pick up. Somehow though, being a good song, this doesn’t dampen the mood much. It has good lyrics which I can relate to, and a very nice chorus though the vocals are bit too high on the mix. A decent ballad… However, I have heard better! My ears welcome some exceptional drumming and guitar playing as soon as ‘DON’T FOLLOW ME’ kicks in. However, this song suffers from the no-structure syndrome and it’s hard to figure out where the chorus comes in! Fates still play well, and later on there is an orgasmic Maiden-esque lead melody. Nice, but not nearly the best on the album. The album ends with another ballad called ‘THE ROAD GOES ON FOREVER’. I really don’t know what I feel about this song; though I know I like the music. The song never really gets anywhere at all, but the beautiful classical-ish music enables me to enjoy it anyway! The lyrics here are great, and this is the best lyrical piece on PARALLELS. I guess this is a fine, mellow end to a good album. Overall, Fates Warning presents to us some good, original music, though not without glitches. I’m definitely satisfied with PARALLELS, as it offers interesting mood changes and some exceptional musicianship. All said and done, this is not an album for everyone, so just give it a listen and decide! Also, it would be worth checking out "Perfect Symmetry", which is a much superior release. (3.5/5)