RAY ALDER

In many ways the melodic heavy metal sound on "What The Water Wants" transported the listener back to the early 90s Fates Warning releases, which were the band´s most mainstream oriented and melodic releases. Albums like "Parallels" (1991) and "Inside Out" (1994) where Alder´s melody lines and the many great harmonies and choirs meant that Fates Warning was on the brink of a commercial breakthrough. As we know now, that breakthrough never came, and Fates Warning soon found a new more progressive path, but also a less melodic path to travel down. Therefore "What The Water Wants" was a welcome return of Alder´s melodic and more accessible vocals and vocal melodies, to the fans of the early 90s Fates Warning releases.

Sophomore albums are often difficult releases for artists, but Alder is such a skilled and seasoned singer, that it would be strange if his hands were shaking (and of course they aren´t). Stylistically "II" is in some areas a natural continuation of the melodic heavy metal style of "What The Water Wants", but it is overall a bit darker, more punchy and heavy, which is further enhanced by the powerful production style. Some of the louder chorus parts are equal in heaviness to some of the output by one of Alder´s past projects in Engine. They are even some chugging riffs here and there (check out "Hands of Time" or the main riff on "Waiting for Some Sun"). Alder still has a strong voice (at 55) and a passionate and commanding delivery. While he doesn´t hit the highest notes anymore (and haven´t for years), he still often sings in a relatively high register and there are no signs of him straining beyond his reach or old man grit in his voice. It´s also interesting to hear him sing semi-jazzy on "Keep Wandering", which is arguably one of the standout tracks of the album. 7:46 minutes long album closer "Changes" is another highlight. It´s a slow building and epic progressive metal track.

Compared to "What The Water Wants", "II" is a more diverse and dynamic release because of the increased heaviness and sometimes darker tone of the material, but it´s just as sophisticated featuring clever and powerful rhythm work, intriguing guitar riffs (clean and distorted), leads, and harmonies, and of course Alder´s strong vocals in front. "II" is definitely a worthy follow-up to "What The Water Wants" and it´s great to hear that Alder still has more to say and isn´t content to release the same album twice. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

(Originally posted on Metal Music Archives)

In the spirit of full disclosure, I should note I'm a huge fan of the legendary progressive metal band Fates Warning, but regardless of what genre of music you like it's hard not to dig this disc right from the get-go. The opener, "Lost," is a solid rocker that lays the foundation for what's to come and shows you what these gifted musicians are capable of as a collective. You got your gorgeous vocals from Mr. Alder (including a bit of a gritty tone in the chorus), the exquisite guitarwork of Fates Warning's touring guitarist Mike Abdow, and some very impressive drumming from Craig Anderson of the California-based hardcore band Ignite. From there, the album jumps into the mid-tempo "Crown of Thorns," which has more of Alder's soaring vocals accompanied by a catchy recurring bassline performed by Abdow. Incidentally, Abdow plays both guitar and bass on the seven songs he co-wrote with Alder, while guitar and bass on three tracks were performed by the album's second co-songwriter: Tony Hernando, who is a founding guitarist of the Spanish power metal band Lords of Black.

By the middle of the album, it's obvious the songs have a nice mix of dynamics and tempos, ranging from blistering toe-tappers like "A Beautiful Lie" to haunting ballads like "The Road." Speaking of "A Beautiful Lie," it's one of three tunes co-written by Hernando, and it's likely my favorite of the group. It feels like it could've easily fit on Fates Warning's 1994 album Inside Out. And as for "The Road," it's a delicate tune that for me feels like the album's centerpiece, complete with an electric harp played by New York City-based keyboardist Katie Pachnos. Some listeners have said Alder's record reminds them of Queensrÿche's 1994 album Promised Land (which is my all-time favorite album), and if I had to select one song to best fit on that melancholy masterpiece it's "The Road." By the way, there's also a bonus track version of the Alder album with an acoustic rendition of this piece. Don't miss it.

Other highlights include "Wait," which is another one of Hernando's heavy songs, as well as "What the Water Wanted," which was the first tune shared from the album before its release on Inside Out Music. Both could certainly warrant lots of radio play on mainstream stations. Then there's the closing song, "The Killing Floor." The Abdow/Alder duo really went out with a bang here. This tune might be the best of the bunch between Abdow's scorching solo and Alder's introspective lyrics that tell the listener not to waste time "wandering through emptied rooms where traces of your past linger." But, despite the occasional gloom, Alder manages to end the record on a hopeful note: "Embrace the change; Move on; It's over now; Just go..."

I should also note the disc was mixed and mastered by the very talented Simone Mularoni, who is the guitarist of the Italian progressive metal band DGM. He definitely did a great job, because these songs sound outstanding. And let's not overlook the cover artwork of Cecilia Garrido Stratta, who is Alder's wife. She crafted an abstract graphic of water with splattered red spots (presumably blood). It's understated and simple, yet deep and thought- provoking. And it's the perfect image for such a collection of contemplative tunes. Well done, Cecilia.

All in all, I enjoyed the album so much that it left me with the following questions: How long will we have to wait for another solo album from Alder, and how can Fates Warning start to incorporate the songwriting of Mike Abdow? But, that aside, I'm mostly left with gratitude. Gratitude for a new album of emotionally powerful songs featuring the one and only Alder.

- Michael R. Ebert (progzombie.blogspot.com)

It´s always interesting to hear which music style a musician chooses for his solo albums, when you are used to listening to a relatively specific style of music on his main projects. In the case of Fates Warning and Redemption that´s progressive metal. The material on "What The Water Wants" is generally not as complex or as challenging as the material on Alder´s other projects, and the overall music style is a melodic type of heavy rock/metal with Alder´s strong voice and vocals in front. If I have to compare "What The Water Wants" to anything Alder has been involved in before, it would be "Parallels (1991)" by Fates Warning, but minus Mark Zonder´s busy off-beat drumming and the semi-progressive tendencies of that album.

The material on the 10 track, 46:03 minutes long album (some versions feature "The Road" in an acoustic version as a bonus track) are well written, melodic, and catchy. It´s a long time since we´ve heard Alder sing anything this melodic and memorable. Fates Warning have experimented a lot with their vocal melody lines since the start of the new millenium, and Alder´s qualities and melodic sensivity haven´t always come to their right in that soundscape. On "What The Water Wants" the listener is treated to Alder in all his melodic glory though and to fans of early 90s Fates Warning this is definitely a recommended listen. Alder has assembled a strong lineup of skilled musicians, who perform the songs in the right supportive way, to make sure that Alder´s vocals shine, but also with the right amount of passion and conviction, which means they aren´t "just" a backing band, who don´t contribute anything to the songs.

One of the things I noticed after listening to the album is how tasteful everything is delivered. There´s not one unnessesary note or drum fill featured on "What The Water Wants" and the tracks are all pleasant and memorable. It´s a consistent release both in terms of musical direction and quality. One of the highlights to my ears is "The Road", which is a slow building but ultimately very powerful and beautiful song, but there aren´t any weak tracks on the album. The album is well produced too, featuring a clear and detailed sound production, and upon conclusion it´s a quality first solo release by Ray Alder. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

(Originally posted on Metal Music Archives)