An accomplished artist with an impressive catalogue to his name, Ray Alder is best known as the lead singer for progressive metal legends Fates Warning, whom he has fronted since 1988. It has been three years, however, since Long Day Good Night, the thirteenth album from Fates Warning and potentially their last, with Ray subsequently revealing that Jim Matheos has little interest in writing anything further for the band.
Unable to countenance a future not making music, Ray’s first solo album (What the Water Wants) landed in 2019, and this new effort, simply entitled II, shows that his appetite for crafting vocally powerful, musically compelling progressive metal is undimmed. Working with Michael Abdow (guitar / bass), Tony Hernando (guitar / bass) and Craig Anderson (drums), Ray’s latest effort is an impressively coherent work that keeps the listener hooked throughout its nine songs.
II opens with the subtle, slow burning This Hollow Shell (also included as an acoustic bonus track), which harks back to Queensryche’s Empire, with its powerful vocal, atmospheric guitar work and taut rhythmic pulse. It’s an impressive start, drawing inspiration from the prog metal sound effectively established in the early 90s, but utilising the latest in production techniques to ensure a modern gloss burnishes the timeless hooks of the chorus. A surprisingly chunky riff from Michael Abdow leads the way into My Oblivion, a powerful track with an impressively gritty vocal and some searing lead work. Things only get heavier on Hands of Time, a track that sits somewhere between Systematic Chaos – era Dream Theater and Queensryche, capturing the metallic fervour of ther former and the organic power of the latter. Despite a haunting intro, Waiting for Some Sunexplodes with a metallic riff, although the arrangement allows space for atmospheric keyboards and Ray’s ever-powerful vocals, although the instantly memorable chorus has a hook large enough to land a whale. The first half wraps up with another belter in the form of Silence the Enemy. Craig Anderson shines behind the kit here, his chrome-plated rhythms driving Tony Hernando’s chugging riff’s forward with power and precision.
Opening the second half of the record, the elegant Keep Wandering slows the pace as Ray offers a more reflective vocal, the harmonies further showcasing his impressive range. The song builds an impressive head of steam as it heads towards its conclusion, setting the scene for the surging Those Words I Bled, another track that makes good use of Michael Abdow’s heavy riffing. With the end of the album in sight, Ray takes things down a notch on Passengers, a track that benefits immensely from the fluid guitar lines that slowly run across its surface. The album’s final track, Changes is a dynamic piece, initially built around a compelling, yet melodic riff, before edging into Genesis territory, with its music box guitar and heartfelt vocal. A powerful finale, it’s one of the album’s most ambitious tracks, and it brings things to a wholly satisfying conclusion.
For fans of progressive metal, II is an immensely engaging effort. With reference points including Fates Warning, Queensryche and Dream Theater, the album’s strength lies in both Ray’s remarkable vocal performance, and the impressive hooks with which his band pepper the mix. With ubiquitously strong performances and Simone Mularoni’s solid mix and master, Ray Alder’s II emerges as one of the year’s most compelling prog metal releases and is well worth picking up. 8/10
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